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Poverty amid plenty: structural violence and local governance in western Congo

Gaynor, Niamh ORCID: 0000-0001-5645-7032 (2015) Poverty amid plenty: structural violence and local governance in western Congo. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 33 (3). pp. 391-410. ISSN 0258-9001

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Abstract

The protracted conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has drawn sharp criticism regarding the model of liberal peacebuilding employed in the country. Critics emphasise the importance of local ownership of peacebuilding mechanisms at sub-national as well as national levels. This raises questions in relation to the popular legitimacy and efficacy of local mechanisms. Drawing on field research conducted in the relatively affluent province of Bas-Congo in Western Congo, this article highlights a lack of popular legitimacy for provincial level political authority within the province stemming from an acute marginalisation of the population from local structures of power and wealth. The article also demonstrates the inefficacy of more local, village and neighbourhood-based political structures which, aimed at conflict mitigation rather than transformation, ignore the structural roots of local conflicts and do little to counteract the growing social distrust, conflict and disintegration within local communities.

Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:Democratic Republic of Congo; structural violence; local governance; conflict; liberal peacebuilding
Subjects:Social Sciences > Political science
Social Sciences > Public administration
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > School of Law and Government
Publisher:Taylor & Francis
Official URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02589001.2015.1107287
Copyright Information:© 2015 Taylor & Francis
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. View License
Funders:Dublin City University, Royal Irish Academy, Trócaire
ID Code:23932
Deposited On:15 Nov 2019 14:39 by Niamh Gaynor . Last Modified 15 Nov 2019 14:39

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