Democratic Republic of Congo

For many years, DR Congo has been marked by misrule, conflicts between government troops and various other armed groups, severe human rights violations and a precarious humanitarian situation. The situation is complex due to the many actors, and changing agendas and alliances. The neighbouring countries presently involved in the conflicts are first and foremost Uganda and Rwanda. It is expected that it will take a long time to resolve the conflicts. The peace process has been hampered especially by the unrest in the eastern part of the country and the presence of foreign armed groups.

Norway provides large amounts of humanitarian and transitional aid to DR Congo. The humanitarian and transitional support is mainly being channelled through UN organisations, the World Bank and Norwegian non-governmental organisations. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Christian Relief Network (CRN) and Pentecostal Foreign Mission and Aid all work in DRC in collaboration with local partners.

Forest protection

The Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative was launched by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg during the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali in December 2007. One of the important goals for this initiative is to contribute to include REDD+ (United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) in a new global climate change agreement. Another goal is to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the forest sector in developing countries as soon as possible, even before a new climate change agreement has been signed.

A third goal for the climate and forest initiative is to conserve natural forest because of the forest's ability to store carbon, and in order to protect biological diversity, forest ecosystem services and the basis of existence of people living in and of the forest. A primary target for the initiative, in addition to the climate change targets, is to contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable development in developing countries.

Norway has allocated more than NOK 500 million to save the Congo Basin rain forests. The REDD+ support is channelled through the African Development Bank and the Congo Basin Forest Fund. A review performed in 2010 concludes that it is possible to reduce the deforestation, but it will be difficult. The project is in an early phase and it will probably take between three and five years before any tangible results can be seen.

Norway also supports The United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries. DR Congo is one of nine pilot countries participating in this programme.

During the climate summit in Cancun, DR Congo chaired the group of African countries, who also worked to achieve an agreement on forest protection.

Rape as a weapon

Four years ago, a big tent was set up on a barren lava field on the outskirts of the city of Goma in the eastern part of DR Congo. In this tent, raped women lay side by side. They suffered. Right now, a new, Norwegian financed 300 bed hospital is being built exactly at this location.

Both the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and the Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, visited the area two years ago, in a time when the rape victims received much international media attention. Both of them promised increased support to rape victims. Norway has fulfilled its promise by allocating NOK 50 million over a three-year period, as well as by supporting a number of other projects.

When completed next year, the Norwegian supported Kyesheru Hospital in Goma will become the leading hospital in the troubled North Kivu province. The US organisation Hope In Action and the Norwegian organisation Christian Relief Network (CRN) are in charge of the building of the new hospital.

In 2010 Norway also started supporting the stabilisation programme STÀREC to help victims of sexualised violence in eastern Congo.

Humanitarian aid

Norwegian humanitarian aid to DR Congo has increased. However, poor governance and widespread corruption make it difficult for the country's development partners. DR Congo receives 15.78 per cent of the funds from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Norwegian support constitutes 17 per cent of the total CERF budget. In addition to supporting the UN coordinated relief efforts, Norway supports non-governmental organisations working with internally displaced persons, sexualized violence and reintegration of child soldiers. Among other things these organisations have provided rehabilitation through education and job creation programmes to more than a thousand former child soldiers, of whom more than one quarter are girls.