Conflict and Social Transformation in Eastern DR Congo: General conclusions

The preceding contributions have provided a detailed study into the impact of conflict on grassroots livelihoods in eastern Congo. Making use of a sustainable livelihoods approach, a number of specific case-studies were presented in order to evaluate the impact of chronic conflict on grassroots coping mechanisms. In addition, these micro-level findings were mirrored against the larger context of the DRC conflict. Throughout, our intention has been to explain the social, economic and political transformations that have resulted from a situation of enduring internal conflict in the eastern parts of the DRC (e.g. Kivu and Ituri). Our guiding premise has been that such a ‘view from below’ provides a valuable addition to conventional explanations of the Congolese conflict. These mainstream accounts – which concentrate primarily on the struggle between politico-military adversaries or the pillaging of Congolese resources – are not so much ‘wrong’ as they are limited