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» Grantee profile: BVES
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has devastated the country’s economic, social, and governmental structures. With a population of about 55 million people who represent more than 200 different ethnic groups, the country has witnessed rising inter-ethnic tensions, pervasive conflicts over natural resources, the flow of hundreds of thousands of refugees from Rwanda and Burundi, and periodic political upheaval. In 1997, rebels led by Laurent-Desiré Kabila ousted dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. Then in 1998, a rebellion backed by Rwanda and Uganda overthrew Kabila’s regime. Laurent-Desiré Kabila himself was assassinated in January 2001 and his son, Joseph Kabila, replaced him as head of state. For almost a decade, the DRC was been enmeshed in one of Africa’s most internationalized wars, directly involving six other countries. Despite the organization of democratic elections, armed groups are still active and gross human rights abuses still take place daily.
The war decimated the DRC’s formal economy, leaving the population with few options for making a living or feeding families. The collapse of the healthcare system has hastened the spread of HIV and AIDS. At least 40,000 women and girls – thought by many to be a conservative estimate – have been raped over the past six years in the eastern part of the country. Armed forces operating in the DRC continue to actively recruit and forcibly conscript children as soldiers. Without a working justice system, human rights violators operate with impunity. Human rights activists who denounce these conditions live within a climate of extreme physical insecurity.
The Fund has identified the areas of justice and women’s rights as its priorities in the country. The Fund’s grant-making programs focus on North Kivu, South Kivu, and Maniema provinces, areas particularly affected by the violence.
