USAID-funded Tanganyika Conflict Mitigation and Reconciliation Project: Quarterly Report – FY19 Q3

The project focuses on increasing cooperation and co-existence between the Twa and Baluba people, strengthening conflict mitigation mechanisms and resolution processes for peacebuilding, and improving livelihoods through social cohesion and collaboration. Peacebuilding efforts between the Twa and Baluba, implemented by various partners including MONUSCO civil affairs, United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), International Rescue Committee (IRC) and others, have resulted in the return of some displaced persons to their villages and the revival of agricultural activities in the area. Pact, through its local partners CDJPs (Kalemie, Nyunzu, Kabalo and Manono), executes the USAID-funded TCMR project in the Kalemie, Nyunzu, Manono and Kabalo territories, which focuses on several areas of intervention otherwise not addressed, and has been well received by the territorial and customary Authorities, as well as the population of the Province of Tanganyika. During the reporting period, the TCMR project completed the baseline survey and analysis, Applied Political Economy Analysis study, and continued interventions including Behaviour Change Communication activities, Focus Group Discussions, Door-to-door sensitization, Media sensitization, peace building mechanism, early warning management and monitoring visits to program sites. The project also engaged an international consultant, Mrs. Chantal Pasquarello, to lead the Applied Political Economy Study (APEA) study from May to June 2019, who strengthened the staff's capacity of the TCMR project, both on the side of Pact and local partners (CDJPs), on data collection and APEA methodology. The TCMR team, including the Project Manager and finance and support staff, were invited to take part in a Programmatic, Financial and Administration workshop organized by the senior management of Pact. The workshop had two objectives: to give an overall orientation of the organization to old and new staff on the financial, programmatic, logistic administrative and financial management procedures; and a specific training to the finance team in several aspects related to finance, including the use of Serenic, which is a software used for accounting management, the financial management manual, the management of procurement procedures among others. The security situation in the reporting period remained worrying, despite major improvements in some areas of Tanganyika province. The Territory of Kabalo has recorded new population movements, with nearly 2,000 families moving into Kabalo and the southern region of the neighboring Nyunzu Territory, following violence between the Baluba and Twa communities in Keshola, Kabalo Territory. Several villages were burned during militia attacks, many people were murdered, and several cases of sexual violence were reported. In the same period, there were about 2,500 people who fled their villages on the Nyunzu - Kampulu road in Nyunzu Territory.