Publication

This report discusses the security situation in Katanga, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) most mineral-rich province. The province is divided by three conflicts: tensions between southerners and northerners; between outsiders and natives; and between Mai-Mai militias and the national army. The authors argue that without waiting for a new government to be installed after the March 2006 elections, the transitional government needs to act on integrating Mai-Mai militias into the national army, eliminate parallel chains of command, and eradicate corruption, particularly in the mining sector. To help secure the province, the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) should deploy an additional 2,500 peacekeepers to Katanga to deal with Mai-Mai militias and to prevent urban unrest during elections. International donors, who contribute over half the national budget, should tie aid to good governance.