Overview: A Week of Peacekeeping and Peace Prospects
This week’s peace brief highlights in Focus #113 reflect a trio of developments across Africa and South Asia that collectively underscore the fragile state of peace processes in the early 2024 period. From the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Jonglei in South Sudan, and to Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), actors are juggling security challenges with the long arc toward durable peace.
DRC: UN Peacekeeping Repatriates 15 Former Rwandan Rebels
The United Nations mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) announced the repatriation of 15 former Rwandan rebels, marking a notable step in the ongoing effort to demobilize armed groups and stabilize border areas. Repatriation, often part of a broader regional de-escalation strategy, can reduce cross-border threats, ease local tensions, and create space for humanitarian access. While the returnees may face reintegration hurdles—ranging from secure livelihoods to trust-building with communities—the operation signals a coordinated approach to ending a cycle of violence along the eastern DRC corridor.
For peacebuilders, the key question centers on how repatriation aligns with disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs. Effective DDR requires long-term support: vocational training, psychosocial care, and credible security guarantees. In recent months, international partners have urged the DRC to pair repatriation with sustained monitoring, local dialogue, and development investments in border regions where the risk of relapse remains high.
<h2: Jonglei Tensions Threaten Peace Prospects in South Sudan
Violence in Jonglei State continues to complicate South Sudan’s fragile peace trajectory. Clashes between armed factions, intercommunal disputes, and the risk of hotspots flaring have drawn attention to the importance of robust local governance and credible security guarantees. At the national level, peace prospects depend on the ability of political actors to uphold ceasefires, advance power-sharing arrangements, and deliver basic services that undercut the appeal of non-state armed groups.
Analysts caution that Jonglei is a litmus test for broader peace implementation in South Sudan. Regional actors, including neighboring states and regional organizations, are watching to see whether the central government can translate ceasefires into real, tangible gains for citizens—particularly in areas where livelihoods are precarious and expectations for accountability remain unmet. The situation emphasizes the need for scaled humanitarian access, community-level reconciliation, and sustained protection of civilians amid ongoing security operations.
Pakistan: Development Hindered Without Peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
In Pakistan, the acting president underscored a familiar refrain: progress in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is inextricably linked to durable peace. The province, long at the nexus of security and development debates, faces ongoing challenges including insurgent activity, displacement, and the strain of humanitarian needs on local governance. Leaders argue that without stabilizing security, essential development programs—education, health, infrastructure, and job creation—cannot gain the traction required to lift communities out of poverty.
Analysts note that peace in KP would also have regional resonance, potentially reducing cross-border tensions and improving the environment for investment. As with DRC repatriations, the KP situation illustrates that development and security are mutually reinforcing; a sustainable peace requires both credible security guarantees and predictable, well-funded development strategies at the local and provincial levels.
What This Means for International Peace Efforts
Across these cases, the common thread is the essential link between security and development. Repatriation of combatants in the DRC can contribute to stabilizing border regions if matched with effective DDR and reintegration support. Jonglei’s tensions remind stakeholders that ceasefires are only steps toward durable peace without inclusive governance and equitable service delivery. In KP, peace remains a prerequisite for development investments that can alter incentives for conflict.
Regional and international partners—UN missions, regional blocs, and donor governments—will need to synchronize security operations with development programs, ensuring that gains in one domain are not squandered by weaknesses in the other. The week’s events reinforce the reality that peace processes demand steady funding, sustained political will, and a shared commitment to civilian protection and resilience-building at the community level.
What to Watch Next
Upcoming weeks will likely focus on the implementation of reintegration schemes in the DRC, confidence-building measures in Jonglei, and a renewed push for political consensus and development funding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Observers should track DDR program uptake, local governance reforms, and cross-border security dialogues as indicators of where peace prospects may strengthen or falter.
