Survival publishes GPPi review essay on statebuilding in the Congo

In October 2011, GPPi Associate Director Thorsten Benner published a review essay in the journal Survival on state- and peacebuilding efforts in the Democratic of the Congo. The piece reviews three recent books on the Congo by Séverine Autesserre, Jason Stearns and Alex Veit. Benner calls the three publications ​“empirically rich and thought provoking studies that deserve to be widely read well beyond the narrow circle of Central Africa specialists.”

He argues that the books by Veit and Stearns shed new light on the language of ​“capacity-building” and ​“local ownership” that permeates the international discussion on peace operations and development assistance, as well as the assumption that weak local-elites need to be put into the driver´s seat. It is about time the international community wakes up to the realization that local elites are often quite capable and very much in the driver’s seat – albeit driving in a very different direction than that intended by the donors.

As to Autesserre´s book, Benner argues that it has ​“uncovered a major blind spot in the work of international peacebuilding bureaucracies: conflict-resolution at the local level.” Benner concludes that it is ​“good to see that UN member states and the UN bureaucracy are starting to realize that they need to do more in order to support local level conflict resolution. However, the UN officials who realize that local conflicts play a major role still often lack the resources to support better efforts at addressing them (also through local groups).”