Resource Wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Prospects for Peace via African Knowledge Systems (Routledge Studies in Peace, Conflict and Security in Africa)

This book demonstrates how Afrocentric approaches, enshrined in African Indigenous knowledge systems, particularly the various expressions of Ubuntu (humanism) - can contribute to engendering peace, security, development, and effective natural resource governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Drawing on over 450 interviews conducted in the DRC, this book argues that neoliberal approaches to peace, security, development, and the governance of minerals and metals have failed.Instead, it contends that transformation should be home-grown, rooted in people’s cultures and worldviews.By treating those directly impacted by violence and human rights violations as protagonists, this book lays out a path towards de-escalating violence and advancing national reconstruction processes grounded in Congolese cultures and Indigenous knowledge systems. Afrocentric by design, this book holds the narratives and perceptions of people from the DRC’s battle fronts at its heart.It will be an impor