Campaign 'Rights in Crisis'  in DRC RiC has been active in DRC since 2007 and has advocated for the protection of civilians, during emergencies as well as during conflict and insecurity throughout this period. It has been a fundamental part of the RiC campaign ever since its start.

The Great Lakesregion is expected to see renewed conflict in the lead up to presidential elections (Burundi, June 2015; DRC, November 2016; Rwanda, August 2017). Burundi#s president Nkurunziza decision to stand for re-election has already sparked weeks of protest and over a hundred thousand of Burundians to flee into neighbouring countries.  In addition, increasing rumours of armed actors crossing boundaries in the region (from Uganda into eastern DRC, from eastern DRC into Burundi, from Rwanda into eastern DRC) are worrying signs that the region might be destabilising.

2015-2016 is expected to be a challenging year for the whole of the DRC. A series of elections is planned during this time; amongst others local, communal and provincial elections will be held in October 2015; senators, governors and indirect local representatives will be appointed in January 2016; and November 2016 the parliament and president will be elected. In the run up to these elections the country is likely to: (1) see a strong focus on national politics as politicians set themselves up for re-elections, with little attention to ongoing or new emergencies in other regions of the country. (2) a period of fragilisation of national power as the national leaders are likely to be challenged by opposants and possibly even by popular outcry. (3)a considerable restriction of democratic space leading to increased social conflict (4) In addition this is likely to cause increased tension amongst some ethnic groups and certain ethnic groups and the national government.

The conflict that has affected the east of the DRC for 20 years is a dynamic resulting in repeated cycles of increasing and decreasing violence and insecurity. After a period of relative calm in 2013 # 2014, there are indications that the cycle is moving towards a period of uptick in violence and insecurity. An increase in clashes between armed groups as well as between armed groups and the Congolese army was noted in the second half of 2014 and early 2015. This is turn has led to an increase in the patterns of abuse and exploitation of remote communities by both armed groups and state actors. Beni province has suffered a series of massacres that started in October 2014 and continue to date. FDLR operations and the fall out between MONUSCO and the National government have led to security vacuums from which armed groupshave benefitted to regain strength; this has also led to an extensive increase in widespread and violent crime and banditism.

The observations made on the lack of political will and ownership in the implementation of the Peace and Security Cooperation Framework (PSCF) during the round table organized by Oxfam on the 24th February 2014 in Kinshasa to mark the first anniversary of the peace agreement clearly evidence the way the GoDRC engages with the PSCF. Two years after the signing of the agreement in Addis Abeba and the establishment of national monitoring mechanism (MNS), a national action plan to monitor the implementation of the benchmarks was adopted.So far, the government has not provided budget for effective implementation of the PSCF and the space in which CSOs monitor and engage with the PSCF is still informal and volatile. The PSCF remains a framework known only to the Congolese elite and the international community; the vast majority of the Congolese population does not know the peace agreement and is thus not able to ask for accountability regarding its implementation.

A continuation and possibly even a scale-up of the work of RiC in DRC will be crucial this year. More than ever there will be a need for continued advocacy for greater peace and security in the conflict-affected communities of eastern DRC, as well as a readiness to campaign for adequate response to immediate needs and raisingthe voices of the communities of eastern DRC in case of new emergencies.

DRC is a key country in the RiC campaign and has been so ever since the beginningof the Rights in Crisis campaign. The RiC DRC team has been very pleased with Oxfam International#s Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima#s choice to visit the DRC and her continued engagement for the Great Lakes region.  Over the last year the team has strengthened relationships with many of the Oxfam RiC country and liaison offices. We are looking forward to continue our work with the officesto put the humanitarian crisis in the DRC firmly on the international agenda in order to have the voices of women, men and childrenaffected by conflict and insecurity in DRC heard.

Taking the challenges of advocating during a period leading up to elections, theRiC DRC team will include risk analysis in all of its work. Below, the areas of focus for this year (included in the RiC DRC strategy) are detailed.