Bwimana Aembe is a priest and conflict researcher. He completed the Master Programme in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Makerere University in Uganda with a thesis about "Effective reintegration of ex-child soldiers for a peace process. A case study of Southern Kivu, in the DRC (1996-2009)." Back in Bukavu where he lives with his wife and their four children, he works as lecturer at the "Université Evangelique en Afrique" and directs the NGO "PCGK-Great Lakes Foundation". We asked him to tell us more about his life and the life of his family in Bukavu, what he thinks about a possible lasting peace in the DRC, and what his deepest wishes for the future are. Here, he reflects about various issues that he has to deal with in his daily life.

1) A normal life in South Kivu

Bukavu is a post-conflict setting and still turbulence zone with a substantial segment of war-stricken people daily struggling for their living (from hand to mouth) as the government has failed from providing the population with the basic services delivery. Only people working with International NGOs are quite decently paid while those engaged in local or state institutions are under-and-bad paid or not paid at all making thus almost every one striving to make ends meet and sympathizing with family needs (needs of schools for children, food provision or maintenance, premises payment, health care,...). Therefore, an important range of the population is in informal sector (commerce especially) and has terribly lost their trust in the Congolese political elite (and maybe in scholars whose knowledge and expertise don't answer to population's needs).
As for my family, three children out of four attend primary school with whom the only daughter first-born is in late Primary four, the second in late Primary three, and the third one in late kindergarten to start primary school in coming September. Life is not easy, because it is quite hard to sustain with only 300 dollars I monthly earn as salary as assistant lecturer during these days in which my wife doesn't work.

2) What do I like/ not like of the life in Bukavu?

3) What do the people think about the Bemba's court case at the ICC and who else should be put to trail?

People are not on the same wavelength upon Bemba's case. Some think it is right that Bemba be brought to book for his deeds; others think that it is political case in which there might be Kabila's finger or it might be an international plot against him since he was a rebel invited by Patasse's government which was in charge of military operations; Some might consider the case as being an unjust and or selective one because other alleged criminal in the DRC are left on large without being worried (case of Nkunda, Ntaganda, and many other from within and without the country and who committed grievous violation of HD, war crimes, even a-would-be called genocide in the DRC by perpetrating the large scale massacres of Congolese and Rwandese refugees in Tingingi ,Kisangani, Walikale, Ituri, Kivu, Katanga and Manyema). Finally others consider then that the crime against humanity will tantamount to any act which is perpetrated without serving superpowers interests. Oreno is actually challenged to investigate and prosecute the untouchable and or protected personalities notoriously known by their savagery and economical crimes in the DRC (remember two invited stranger armies that fought over resources in open town of Kisangani all a week long, massacre of Makobola, Kasika, Kichanga).

4) Our/my main concerns regarding the elections 2011 and What must be done to ensure their successful realization?

The main concern regarding the general elections is both security-wise and fairness-wise. As for the security perspective, people are very concerned because of the lack of political tolerance (especially by incumbent government), undemocratic deeds/policies and behaviors of our political elite, immoral manipulation of judiciary and legislature, the using of language that aims at terrorizing the peasants in case of the failure of those who are in power. Of course, in case of a consensus of opposition to present one candidate we do not see how the regime in place may save itself from falling!
As for fairness, we do not know if elections will really translate people's will especially in the remote zones (and a great deal of our population lives in rural zones and is illiterate). Reason being that it is quite easy to intimidate peasants by rumors and threaten them by using army, policy and security agencies. During last elections in 2006, impoverished populations were being bought through some vile gifts and unrealistic promises grounded on even ethnic bases. That is why, PCJK-Great Lakes Foundation would like to work especially in remote zone to warn population of the danger of selling one's conscious, alerting them against electoral corruption and irresponsibility. The project is already formulated and set for six months but we are still facing the problem of funds. We would in consortium with civil society even train our independent observers who would work as firstly animators, social assistant to politically socialize our peasants without manipulating their conscious and moral integrity.
To ensure successful realization of the elections, the UN-Mission in the DRC should work as a neutral watch-dog monitoring the whole process and involving into the protection of the candidates of oppositions. Civil society should be vibrate and educate the population on their rights and obligations as far as politics is concerned. Otherwise, I fear that we should not fall again in the confusion of political lack of legitimate government thing which was one of major causes rationalizing the cycle of wars since the independence of the DRC.
Concerning population expectations from coming elections they are craving for change, especially of standing of life for better for most of Congolese people. To set up social equilibrium whereby all people will enjoy the national cake and assets (because for time being it seems that the wholesale population is hostages of cynical politicians). Our people have too much suffered, given that the DRC is a rich country while the population is left in abject poverty without hope and effective leadership. The second thing expected is lasting peace (which is just, equitable and positive) and security in the country.

5) Some causes of the various armed conflicts and violence in the DRC and What should be done to overcome the conflicts and the violence?

To talk about the causes of various armed conflicts and violence in the DRC is a thorn and sore issue which is complex and may variously be answered to. However, it is an open secret that one may not understand the ins and outs of Congolese plight unless one firstly considers the following - even in a crude manner:
The history and colonial legacy: In fact since (even before) the conference of Berlin convened by Bismarck, the Congo basin officially passed to the Belgian King Leopold II as a personal and private property. This was a blow to the future of DRC! This man ruled over the Congo with extreme savagery (that one could not expect from the so-called civilizers), immorality and inhumanity to the extent that in more than ten years up to 1908(9) ten million of Congolese (who wished to confirm their dignity as human beings) were heartlessly killed. Under the salutary pressure of Britain and US, the legendary king grudgingly accepted to let Congo become Belgian colony as if were switched from right to left hand of the same people characterized with un-ethical attitude toward black people (and this manner of management of public affairs was instilled in Congolese). Both, the king (of a too small country of Europe who was drunken by his new field of potency and the opportunities thereof) and his people who took over the Congo, imprinted into Congolese mind an un-ethical way of ruling and managing the state: in-human way of considering the weak and poor, cruelty as a way of marking one's history. Since then governing over here tacitly means to exploit the weak and impose one's whim to the whole community! Unlike Britain empire, Belgian prepared Congolese to nothing else than dehumanization and exploitation of the weak and predation of natural resources. By independence barely seven Congolese had attended the university and completed a higher education. And in spite of Lumumba's brutality (learnt from them) they could not plot with American to kill him in a manner they did (since he was a providential man who, if tamed, could shape Congolese mind and model they national conscience and dignity). Creating chaos in order to impose and maintain (more than thirty years) a wild leopard from the blue called Mobutu Sese seko Kuku Gbendo Wazabanga, was a way of totally destroying the future of Congo as an independent state. This man continued the way of destroying the rare moral agencies which had survived from Belgian brutality. Kabila Desiré, allegedly known as father of the one in power in Kinshasa would have been more useful to the Congo for a mind and moral revolution than it is the one who claim to be his son (people need that this is proved, but fear to talk about it openly).
Again as historical legacy, is that the drawing of African countries boundaries or limits did not take into account the nation state perspective which would have been important. This is of the heart of some conflicts in Africa since some bordering state keep entailing in other country‘s internal affairs using the identity question (cross-national kindred relations) in disturbing manners and for political purposes. But the African charter providing that the inherited boundaries from the colonial time should not be revised is rather more helpful than the opposing view which is advocated by some autocratic presidents around the DRC.
There is too, global exploitation of the DRC as a highly endowed zone with natural resources since the Berlin conference. This is another curse for that the Congo man never will have the last word upon his own country. Mark you that American victory during the WWII over Japanese was due to nuke material extracted from Katanga. During the cold war the Congo was battlefield between East and West (this may account for the death of Lumumba and Dag the former UN-Secretary), the lasting servicing government of Mobutu and know I am afraid that it may not become the field of confrontation between Chinese and capitalists.
There is no much time to talk about regional causes, and internal collapsing of state and political amateurism of Congolese elite, lack of social contract, bad governance and unpatriotic behavior.

6) How to deal with Congolese tragedy?

This is a worthwhile question which unfortunately requires a great deal of time to be responded to. Nevertheless, in crude manner I may say the following:
- By dealing with the issue related to the current causes of the conflicts, not stick to the past since every country does have his dark story (this need an anatomy of the real causes, that is to say: we need diagnosis before prognosis and then therapy).
- By dealing with the justice issue indiscriminately to avoid further violation of human rights.
- By achieving national reconciliation and regional stability and reintegration.
- By helping Congolese maintain unity of the state;
- By having a republican and professional army (it is a sine qua none);
- By having a rational government and good governance as mode of managing the res public,
- By not hiding the historical truth of facts. That is why the first draft of UN-mapping report is of use to build national and regional peace and stability.
- By helping Rwandese people to reconcile with themselves in a manner which account justly for their history, in which every side accept their responsibilities, the truth is told about every event even on the very murder of Habyarimana and his Burundian counterpart, people develop empathy and sympathy among themselves, apply justice rightly and not selectively as the law of the conquer.

7) My concerns and wishes for the future and my children's concerns and wishes.

My concerns? Ok, is mainly to see true peace and right justice take place in the DRC and the whole Great Lakes region. That is why I set up PCJK-Great Lakes Foundation in order to try to disseminate the values and virtues of peace culture and holistic justice not only in the DRC, but also in the whole region (we are condemned by the nature to live in integrated manner: peace or conflict affects the rest of the region). Humanizing my people and giving them back their dignity by moralizing the exercise of politics would be for me a great achievement before my death. However, to first gain self-fulfillment and or self-actualization, I imperatively would like see this young organization take off and fly; secondly attain the achievement of furthering my studies. I am perfecting my PhD thesis Proposal Project even without a promise of scholarship and do badly like to get registered at Makerere University in Kampala in September. For PCJK-Great Lakes Foundation, we do already have some project proposals on ‘'Voting freely and consciously one's favorite candidates'', ''Kivu peace seedling project'' (module of the Kivu Seed Peace Program aiming at working with children, young pupils, student, and rural peasants in disseminating the culture and values/virtues of peace culture, human right ideals and benefits of diversity for the Great Lakes region) and "Sensitizing locals for good governance and ethnics on peaceful cohabitation''.
As for my children, beloved ones, they need peace and good education to be able to be in charge of themselves.