Living With Fear: A Population-Based Survey on Attitudes About Peace, Justice and Social Reconstruction in Eastern Congo

Analyzes survey findings on views on the Congo wars, exposure to violence, origins of the wars, trials for war crimes, and priorities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Compares survey data with those in Kishasa and Kisangani. Makes recommendations

First report and preliminary evaluation of cassava root necrosis in Angola

Open Access ArticleCassava is a main staple food for 800 million people world-wide. Production is limited by pest and pathogens. The most devastating cassava viruses are Cassava Brown Streak Virus and Uganda Cassava Brown Streak Virusboth causing severe root necrosis called Cassava Brown Streak Disease. In the last 10 years, the Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD)has spread across Africa from the east coast of Africa to central Africa. Similar root necrosis to cassava brown streak disease has also been identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the first symptoms were identified in 2002 in Kinshasa and Kongo central province. In 2012, the presence of CBSD was confirmed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. All attempts since 2002 in western Democratic Republic of Congo to identify the cause of these root necrosis have failed. In 2017, a team of scientists surveying the Songololo Territory in the Kongo central province at the northern Angola, identified the same root necrosis similar to CBSD in several localities bordering Angola. These unexpected results will foreshadow the presence of cassava root necrosis in Angola. This preliminary investigation in northern Angola was conducted specifically in the Zaire province and the territory of Mbanza Kongo at approximatively 62 kms from the Democratic Republic of Congo border in order to verify, whether or not, these root necrosis are present in Angola. Results obtained from this exploratory survey in several fields of the Zaire province and territory of Mbanza Kongo confirmed, for the first time, the presence of cassava root necrosis in Angola, similar to CBSD, as identified in western DRC

Comparing the Performance of Faith-Based and Government Schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo

This paper provides a comparative assessment of the market share, reach to the poor, and performance of faith-based and public schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo using data from the 2004-2005 "123" survey. More than two thirds of primary school students attend faith-based government-assisted schools. Both types of school cater to a similar population that is overwhelmingly poor. Faith-based schools perform slightly better at least in some dimensions than government schools, but the differences between the two types of schools are small and not statistically significant.Primary education; faith-based; performance; poverty; Democratic Republic of Congo

Revision of the Bengalia spinifemorata species-group (Diptera, Calliphoridae)

The Afrotropical Bengalia spinifemorata species-group is revised and their male genitalia illustrated by means of digital colour photography. Six species are recognized and keyed, and their geographical distribution reconsidered, i.e., Bengalia akamanga (Lehrer, 2005), comb. nov. (Malawi); B. racovitzai (Lehrer, 2005) (Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya); B. seniorwhitei (Lehrer, 2005) (Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda); B. smarti (Lehrer, 2005), comb. nov. (Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe); B. spinifemorata Villeneuve, 1913 (Democratic Republic of Congo) and B. wangariae (Lehrer, 2005), comb. nov. (Democratic Republic of Congo). Maraviola congoliana Lehrer, 2005, M. samburella Lehrer, 2005, M. amlaka Lehrer & Freidberg, 2008, M. danakiliana Lehrer & Freidberg, 2008, and M. akufulana Lehrer, 2011 are recognized as synonyms of Bengalia seniorwhitei, syn. nov. The genus group names Sindhigalia Lehrer, 2006 and Anshuniana Lehrer & Wei, 2010 are reduced to synonyms of Bengalia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, syn. nov. The distiphallus is described in detail and new morphological terms introduced. Ten synapomorphies defining the B. spinifemorata species-group are listed. A re-assignment of the Oriental species B. fani Feng & Wei, 1998 to the Afrotropical B. spinifemorata species-group to replace its current position in the B. peuhi species-group is rejected since B. fani shares none of the ten synapomorphies of the former group

Making Justice Work for Women: Summary of Democratic Republic of Congo Country Report

This report provides a summary of the Democratic Republic of Congo country report in the series, "Making Transitional Justice Work for Women: Rights, Resilience and Responses to Violence Against Women in Democratic Republic of Congo, Northern Uganda and Kenya". It outlines the full report's investigation of the efficacy of transitional justice efforts for women in conflict and post-conflict contexts in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; in doing so, it identifies women's priorities for justice, their experiences when seeking justice, obstacles in justice processes, and recommendations for more effective policy responses.Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trad

Book review: Congo

"Congo." Thomas Turner. Polity. April 2013. --- The Democratic Republic of Congo has become one of the world’s bloodiest hot spots, and despite recent peace agreements and democratic elections, the country is still plagued by army and militia violence. Thomas Turner‘s insightful book discusses how the the deep–rooted causes of conflict have not been adequately addressed, and shows how current attempts to rebuild the shattered state and society of DRC are doomed to fail. Joel Krupa recommends this illuminating and important book for its passionately written chapters and rigorous analysis

Fertility in the Democratic Republic of Congo

In this paper we examine and discuss estimates of fertility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Currently, the United Nations estimates that the country's total fertility rate is 6.7, and national sources provide an even higher estimate of 7.3. However, our assessment of the data suggests that these figures are too high. In the second part of the paper, we discuss our best estimate of fertility in the country and highlight the factors that are likely to support this estimate. These include mortality, women's education, socioeconomic development, civil war, and economic crisis. Overall, we conclude that the total fertility rate for the country as a whole is probably in the neighborhood of 5.5, and that the DRC has most likely embarked on the fertility transition that is emerging across much of sub-Saharan Africa.