The Egmont Institute organises an Africa Lunch Meeting on 24 May 2018 with Prof. Koen Vlassenroot, Director of the Conflict Research Group at Ghent University, and Christoph Vogel, Researcher in Political Geography at the University of Zurich. They will explore the dynamics of instability in eastern Congo, which has gained renewed prominence following outbreaks of large-scale violence in Ituri and Beni, amongst others. While much is being made of the supposed connections between the national political context and localized violence in eastern Congo, the presenters will critically engage with the dynamics, drivers and actors of violence; the fragmentation of the security landscape; the diffused nature of authority and control, including state authority; regional factors; and the intersections between various zones and dynamics of violence. They will reflect on whether it represents a continuation or departure from the long-standing history of violence in the region and its implications for conflict management in the country.

(Photo credit: MONUSCO, Flickr)