Changing Patterns of Solidarity in Kinshasa

Ethnic based solidarity systems facilitated the integration of rural migrants into the intricacies of «modem» urban life throughout much of Africa. Now that these cities have become increasingly ungoverned and ungovernable, new forms of solidarity systems have emerged. The multiform crisis in Kinshasa, sub-Saharan Africa's second largest city, is as legendary as the survival strategies invented by the Congo capital's residents. These systems, historically complex, are increasingly characterised by pragmatism. Despite the marked rise of individualism needed to «fend for oneself», without recourse to solidarity networks, the situation of Kinois would be even more precarious than it is today. This article documents these dynamic forms of social organisation, their origins and evolution and the local and international political context that has contributed to their perpetual re-invention.Os sistemas de solidariedade baseados na etnicidade favoreceram a integração dos migrantes rurais no emaranhado da vida modema em muitas cidades africanas. Na medida em que estas cidades sao cada vez menos govemadas e govemaveis, regista-se a emergencia de novos sistemas de solidariedade que representam a ordem na desordem. Em Kinshasa, a segunda cidade ao Sui do Saara, a crise multifacetada e tao lendciria como as estrategias de sobrevivencia imaginadas pelos que nela residem. Historicamente complexos, estes sistemas caracterizam-se cada vez mais pela necessidade de as pessoas serem pragmaticas: ninguem pode doravante dar-se ao luxo de partilhar sem a esperança de algum retorno. Apesar do individualismo que dai resulta, as multiplas redes de solidariedade sao indispensaveis, porque sem elas a situação dois «kinois» seria ainda mais dramática. O presente artigo procura descrever esta forma dinfunica de organizaçao social, as suas origens e a sua evolução num contexto politico local e intemacional que contribui para a sua re-invenção permanente.Les systèmes de solidarité basés sur l'ethnicité ont favorisé I’intégration des migrants ruraux dans les dédales de la vie moderne dans beaucoup de villes africaines. Au fur et à mesure que ces villes deviennent de plus en plus ingouvernées et ingouvernables, on assiste à l'émergence de nouveaux systèmes de solidarité qui représentent l'ordre dans le désordre. A Kinshasa, deuxième ville au sud du Sahara, la crise multiforme est aussi légendaire que les stratégies de survie mises en place par ses résidants. Historiquement complexes, ces systèmes se caractérisent de plus en plus par le besoin d'être pragmatique - on ne peut plus se permettre de partager sans l'espoir d'un retour. Malgré la tendance individualiste qui en résulte, les multiples réseaux de solidarité sont indispensables, car sans eux la situation des kinois serait encore plus dramatique qu'elle ne l'est aujourd'hui. Cet article vise à faire connaitre cette forme dynamique d'organisation sociale, ses origines, son évolution et le contexte politique local et international qui contribuent à sa perpétuelle ré-invention

La Gestion des Ressources Naturelles dans les Zones Périurbaines d’Afrique Centrale : une approche privilégiant les parties prenantes

O presente artigo apresenta o quadro conceptual e os primeiros resultados de um es­tudo em curso sobre processos de gestão de recursos naturais, em espaços peri-urbanos da África Central. Com base em dados etnográficos das realidades empíricas de Kinshasa e Lubumbashi (República Democrática do Congo) e de Brazzaville (República do Congo), o texto analisa sobretudo os conceitos de «governação ambiental» e de «espaço peri-urbano», partindo das lógicas dos próprios protagonistas envolvidos na gestão dos re­cursos naturais. Deste modo, são exploradas as ambiguidades, ambivalências, relações de poder e tensões sociais geradas ou sustentadas por certas peculiaridades dos jogos de poder que envolvem os diferentes actores sociais considerados.The article presents a conceptual framework and the first results of an ongoing research on processes of natural resources management in peri-urban areas of Central Africa. Based on ethnographic data from the empirical realities of Kinshasa and Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of Congo) and of Brazzaville (Republic of Congo), the text analyses especially the concepts of «environmental governance» and «peri-urban spaces», based on the logics of the very protagonists involved in the natural resources management. This way, the text explores the ambiguities, ambivalences, power relations and social tensions generated or sustained by certain peculiarities of the power strategies in which these social actors are involved

Introduction

Véritable paradigme d’une Afrique confrontée aux affres de la guerre, au délitement de l’Etat et à l’informalisation économique, le Congo cumule apparemment tous les obstacles à la conduite de recherches de terrain répondant aux canons méthodologiques des différentes disciplines. Depuis le renouveau de la réflexion épistémologique des années 1980 – qu’illustre bien l’ouvrage de Clifford et Marcus (1986) – les démarches de recherche font l’objet d’une vigilance critique nettement plus approfon..

L’économie politique de la filière du charbon de bois à Kinshasa et à Lubumbashi

Charcoal use in urban Congo expanded significantly in the early 1990s. While recourse to charcoal (makala) as cooking fuel existed during the early independence period, most urban households had access to electricity for domestic use. Population, pressure, poorly maintained infrastructures and state crisis combined to force people to rely on makala for their daily cooking needs. Trade networks developed to make the link between makala producers and consumers. This can be considered as a popular response to state failure and is the subject of this working paper. Our research followed the trade network that includes charcoal producers, transporters, middlemen, wholesalers and retailers and a host of other peripheral supporting actors who claim to „live miraculously? from the network. The main conclusion of the research is that this informal trade network thrives, despite hassles from state agents, because it provides a vital service to Congo's urban poor.

Savoirs locaux sur les pratiques culturales du caféier robusta et représentations des communautés locales sur le café en Province de la Tshopo (République Démocratique du Congo)

La non-utilisation des savoirs locaux peut affecter l'acceptabilité sociale des programmes. Cette étude évalue l'utilisation des savoirs locaux dans la caféiculture pour l'acceptation sociale des programmes d’atténuation des changements climatiques et la conservation de la biodiversité. Cent-huit caféiculteurs de robusta ont été enquêtés dans les sept territoires de la province de la Tshopo. La collecte des données s’est intéressée autant à la connaissance des pratiques culturales de caféier qu’à la représentation de caféier et/ou de café dans le quotidien des caféiculteurs. Les observations directes ont été associées à une interview, sous forme de récit de vie semi-structurée dans une application KoBoCollect via un Android. Les résultats ont montré que certaines techniques de la caféiculture consistent à diminuer la déforestation et ses impacts sur l’environnement. Le caféier est une source de revenus et une boisson stimulante par ses grains. La décoction de ses feuilles est utilisée en médecine traditionnelle. L’agroforesterie est conçue comme une stratégie de la résilience grâce à la diversification des services écosystémiques liée à l’agriculture et à la forêt.   The non-use of local knowledge may affect the social acceptability of programs. This study assesses the use of local knowledge in coffee farming for the social acceptance of climate change mitigation programs and biodiversity conservation.. One hundred and eight Robusta coffee farmers were interviewed in the seven territories of Tshopo Province. Data collection focused on knowledge of coffee growing practices as well as the representation of coffee and/or coffee trees in farmers' daily lives. Direct observation was combined with an interview in the form of a semi-structured life story in a KoBoCollect application via Android. The results showed that certain coffee-growing techniques can reduce deforestation and its impact on the environment. They contribute to the biological and natural regulation of the agroecosystem. The coffee tree is a source of income and a stimulating drink thanks to its beans. The decoction of its leaves is used in traditional medicine. Agroforestry is conceived as a resilience strategy thanks to the diversification of ecosystem services linked to agriculture

The Elephant in the Room: Off-shore companies, liberalisation and extension of presidential power in DR Congo

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, donors promoted rapid liberalisation and presidential elections in the aftermath of the war, and after two terms, President Kabila has not left office. This article engages with the question of how liberalisation and elections are connected, and how they are related to the extension of presidential power. It finds that the international market for minerals has shaped the domestic political economy but its nature has effectively been ignored in the formulation of donor policy; efforts at regulating trade have been concentrated on due diligence of origin in Congo but have not addressed the secrecy of international trade. Liberalisation has removed control of economic resources from Congo, provided returns for elite politicians and funded violence to control the disenfranchised population. The offshore companies are the elephant in the room; without acknowledging them, analysis of the liberalisation and its interaction with presidential tenure lacks assessment of the opportunities, interests and power that shaped the processes

Changing Patterns of Solidarity in Kinshasa

Ethnic based solidarity systems facilitated the integration of rural migrants into the intricacies of «modem» urban life throughout much of Africa. Now that these cities have become increasingly ungoverned and ungovernable, new forms of solidarity systems have emerged. The multiform crisis in Kinshasa, sub-Saharan Africa's second largest city, is as legendary as the survival strategies invented by the Congo capital's residents. These systems, historically complex, are increasingly characterised by pragmatism. Despite the marked rise of individualism needed to «fend for oneself», without recourse to solidarity networks, the situation of Kinois would be even more precarious than it is today. This article documents these dynamic forms of social organisation, their origins and evolution and the local and international political context that has contributed to their perpetual re-invention

Changing patterns of solidarity in Kinshasa

Os sistemas de solidariedade baseados na etnicidade favoreceram a integração dos migrantes rurais no emaranhado da vida moderna em muitas cidades africanas. Na medida em que estas cidades são cada vez menos governadas e governáveis, regista-se a emergência de novos sistemas de solidariedade que representam a ordem na desordem. Em Kinshasa, a segunda cidade ao Sul do Saara, a crise multifacetada é tão lendária como as estratégias de sobrevivência imaginadas pelos que nela residem. Historicamente complexos, estes sistemas caracterizam-se cada vez mais pela necessidade de as pessoas serem pragmáticas ninguém pode doravante dar-se ao luxo de partilhar sem a esperança de algum retorno. Apesar do individualismo que daí resulta as múltiplas redes de solidariedade são indispensáveis, porque sem elas a situação dois ‘kinois’ seria ainda mais dramática. O presente artigo procura descrever esta forma dinâmica de organização social, as suas origens e a sua evolução num contexto político local e internacional que contribui para a sua re-invenção permanente.Ethnic based solidarity systems facilitated the integration of rural migrants into the intricacies of "modern” urban life throughout much of Africa. Now that these cities have become increasingly ungoverned and ungovernable, new forms of solidarity systems have emerged. The multiform crisis in Kinshasa, sub-Sharan Africa's second largest city, is as legendary as the survival strategies invented by the Congo capital's residents. These systems, historically complex, are increasingly characterised by pragmatism. Despite the marked rise of individualism needed to “fend for oneself”, without recourse to solidarity networks, the situation of Kinois would be even more precarious than it is today. This article documents these dynamic forms of social organisation their origins and evolution and the local and international political context that has contributed to their perpetual re-invention.Les systèmes de solidarité basés sur l'ethnicité ont favorisé l'intégration des migrants ruraux dans les dédales de la vie moderne dans beaucoup de villes africaines. Au fur et à mesure que ces villes deviennent de plus en plus ingouvernées et ingouvernables, on assiste à l'émergence de nouveaux systèmes de solidarité qui représentent l'ordre dans le désordre. A Kinshasa deuxième ville au sud du Sahara, la crise multiforme est aussi légendaire que les stratégies de survie mises en place par ses résidants. Historiquement complexes, cess systèmes se caractérisent e plus en plus par le besoin d'ête pragmatique - on ne peut plus se permethe de partager sans l'espoir d'un retour. Malgré la tendance individualiste qui en résulte, les multiples réseaux de solidarité sont indispensables, car sans eux la situation des Kinois serait encore plus dramatique qu'elle ne l'est aujourd’hui. Cet article vise à faire connaitre cette forme dynamique d'organisation sociale, ses origines, son évolution et le contexte politique local et international qui contribuent à sa perpétuelle ré-invention

Pourquoi consommer la viande de brousse ? Réponses auprès des populations de Yangambi et de Kisangani, République Démocratique du Congo

La viande de brousse est un élément capital dans l’alimentation et la culture de populations des forêts tropicales. En dehors des espèces interdites par la coutume, toutes les espèces sont consommées. Dans nos sites d’étude, la consommation de la viande de brousse diminue. La croissance démographique, les techniques de chasse utilisées et la déforestation sont les principales explications de la baisse de ressources fauniques dans le milieu. La forêt de Yangambi, qui était le réservoir de la viande de brousse consommée aussi bien par les habitants de cette cité que par ceux de la ville de Kisangani, devient alors une « forêt vide ». Face à cette rareté et à l’absence d’autres sources de protéines animales, la population est confrontée à des défis alimentaires. Toutefois, la population reste attachée à la consommation de la viande de brousse pour de multiples raisons. Cette étude présente l’analyse de ces raisons, notamment les dimensions socioculturelles. Chaque individu, famille, clan ou tribu a des relations particulières avec la viande de brousse. Cette relation est dynamique, et les motivations du passé ne sont pas nécessairement celles d’aujourd’hui et ne seront probablement pas celles de demain. Selon la perception locale, la viande de brousse est un aliment avant d’être une priorité pour la conservation. Enfin, il s’avère que l’observation des interdits alimentaires, qui ont favorisé la conservation dans le passé, est actuellement de moins en moins respectée.Bushmeat is an essential element in the diet and culture of tropical forest populations. Apart from species prohibited by custom, all species are consumed. In our study sites, bushmeat consumption is decreasing. Population growth, used hunting techniques and deforestation are the main explanations for the decline in wildlife resources in the area. The forest of Yangambi, which was the reservoir of bushmeat consumed by the inhabitants of this city as well as those of the city of Kisangani, is becoming an “empty forest”. Faced with this scarcity and the absence of other sources of animal protein, the population is faced with food challenges. However, the population remains attached to the consumption of bushmeat for many reasons. This study presents an analysis of these reasons, including socio-cultural dimensions. Each individual, family, clan or tribe has a particular relationship with bushmeat. This relationship is dynamic, and the motivations of the past are not necessarily those of today and will probably not be those of tomorrow. The local perception is that bushmeat is a food before it is a conservation priority. Finally, it appears that the observance of dietary prohibitions, which favored conservation in the past, is now less and less respected