Armed conflict and the increasing use of child soldiers in the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan: Implications for regional security

South Sudan is situated in north-eastern Africa bordered by Sudan, Ethiopia, Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Kenya. It is 619,745 square kilometres (km) and has a population of 12.58 million. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on 9 July 2011, making it the most recently recognized independent country. South Sudan, which is officially known as the Republic of South Sudan, comprises the three former southern provinces of Bahr el Ghazal, Equatoria, and Upper Nile in their boundaries as they stood on 1 January 1956 and the Abyei Area, as defined by the Abyei Arbitration Tribunal Award of July 2009. The capital of South Sudan is Juba.

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Dynamics of Child soldiers’ Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Well-being: Perspectives from Bioecological Systems Theory in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Child Psychiatry & Human Development ◽

10.1007/s10578-020-01022-4 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jean Chrysostome K. Kiyala

Keyword(s):

Systems Theory ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Psychosocial Rehabilitation ◽

Well Being ◽

Child Soldiers ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Bioecological Systems Theory

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The Catholic Church and the Kivu Conflict

Journal of Religion in Africa ◽

10.1163/157006601x00103 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 139-162 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Gérard Prunier

Keyword(s):

Catholic Church ◽

Armed Conflict ◽

International Conflict ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Two Dimensions ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

North And South ◽

The Catholic Church

AbstractThis paper examines the role of the Catholic Church in the armed conflict that has engulfed the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 1993. The conflict itself has two dimensions. Since 1996 the DRC has been at the centre of a major war that has spilled well beyond its borders, embroiling neighbouring states and others further afield. Less well known is the local struggle, in the eastern part of the country in the two provinces of North and South Kivu, which began three years earlier. While having a dynamic of its own, Kivu's fate has become entwined in the wider international conflict. Given its large constituency and immense wealth and infrastructure, the Catholic Church has come to wield enormous influence in the DRC, particularly in the context of a declining state. It was a key player in the movement for democratisation in the early 1990s and more recently it has sought to offer moral guidance on the conflict. But its attempts to adopt a superior moral outlook have been severely tested by the fact that its clergy are now thoroughly zairianised, and have come to embody the ethnic and political prejudices of their respective communities.

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Qualitative study of antibiotic prescription patterns and associated drivers in Sudan, Guinea-Bissau, Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036530 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. e036530

Author(s):

Tonka Eibs ◽

Alena Koscalova ◽

Mohit Nair ◽

Paul Grohma ◽

Gisa Kohler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Central African Republic ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽

Antibiotic Prescription ◽

Self Medication ◽

Project Staff ◽

Republic Of Congo ◽

Treatment Protocols ◽

Guinea Bissau ◽

Consumption Habits

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to address the knowledge gap regarding antibiotic use in Medecins Sans Frontiéres (MSF) projects located in Africa by exploring antibiotic prescription and consumption habits and their drivers at different healthcare levels.DesignThis study used an exploratory study design through thematic analysis of semistructured, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs) and field observations in order to understand the main drivers influencing current antibiotics prescription habits and consumption habits of patients in different geographical settings.SettingThe study took place in MSF centres and towns across four countries: Guinea-Bissau, Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan.Participants384 respondents participated in the study, which includes project staff, prescribers, community members, patients, among other groups.ResultsTreatment protocols were physically present in all countries except DRC, but compliance to protocols varied across contexts. A failing health system and barriers to accessing healthcare were perceived as major drivers of overuse and inconsistent prescription practices. Patient demands influenced prescription decisions, and self-medication was commonly reported in the context of failing health systems. Additionally, there was a strong demand for quick cures and communities preferred injections over pills. Patients tended to stop antibiotic treatment once symptoms abated and had major gaps in understanding antibiotic intake instructions and functions.ConclusionsWhile there were specific findings in each context, the larger trend from these four MSF projects in Africa indicates widespread use of antibiotics based on unclear assumptions, which are often influenced by patient demands. There needs to be a broader focus on the balance between access and excess, especially in such fragile contexts where access to healthcare is a real challenge.

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