Pour des raisons de limitation, cette thèse analyse le thème de la réconciliation à partir des pratiques traditionnelles des Baluba du Katanga; elle concerne et s'applique également aux autres ethnies bantu en Afrique Centrale où ces pratiques sont similaires. / La détérioration des relations et la fragilité de la cohésion entre certains groupes sociaux en RD Congo remontent à 1958, peu avant l’indépendance du pays en 1960. Depuis ce temps, les conflits socio-politiques affectent profondément les groupes ethniques et les conditions économiques sont de plus en plus mauvaises. Depuis son indépendance, le pays a traversé de nombreuses périodes de conflits, sans aucune accalmie durable. De 1960 à 1964, les fréquentes guerres de sécessions, des rébellions et des guerres interethniques ont déstabilisé toute la structure sociale du pays. Les tentatives de réconciliation ont eu des résultats mitigés et parfois des solutions de courte durée. Le coup d’État de 1965, a plongé davantage le pays dans la violence : le pouvoir a été confisqué par les membres du parti unique et la gestion des biens publics a été confiée à quelques groupes ethniques privilégiés. Les frustrations et les injustices suscitèrent des insurrections et des soulèvements populaires, souvent réprimés dans le sang. Les efforts de démocratisation de 1990 n’ont pas rétabli l’équilibre des pouvoirs. Plusieurs groupes ethniques lésés se sont radicalisés et ont étayé leurs revendications par des actions violentes et meurtrières. La situation ne s’est guère améliorée depuis la fin de la dictature et perdure encore de nos jours. Pourtant, l’histoire montre qu’en RD Congo, les ethnies avaient un système traditionnel de résolution des conflits de diverses natures. Grâce à un enquête de terrain, nous avons reconstitué ce processus qui conduisait à une réconciliation durable parce qu’elle résultait d’une concertation communautaire sous l’arbre-à-palabre. Selon nos interlocuteurs, ces pratiques traditionnelles de réconciliation ont fait leurs preuves. Dans une perspective d’inculturation de l’Évangile, elles peuvent être interprétées et adaptées, puis intégrées à la vie de l’Église et à sa mission de réconciliation en RD Congo. Dans cette thèse, nous proposons un modèle chrétien et inculturé de réconciliation, élaboré à partir des pratiques et des rites traditionnels des Baluba. Pour constituer ses composantes essentielles, nous avons fait une sélection critique de ces éléments traditionnels, qui ont des potentialités de paix. Nous les avons ensuite mis en corrélation avec ceux retenus d’une analyse du récit de la réconciliation entre Jacob et Ésaü (Gn 32–33) et de son appropriation chrétienne à partir des enseignements de Jésus (Mt 5. 21-26) et de Paul (2 Co 5. 11-21). Ce modèle chrétien inculturé est proposé à l’Église et ses partenaires pour être mis en œuvre auprès de la communauté chrétienne, dont les Baluba, et dans l’ensemble de la société congolaise. La première étape de cette mise en œuvre sera un travail de conscientisation et de concertation débouchant sur des expériences pratiques et concrètes de la réconciliation dans des communautés locales, qui pourront servir d’inspiration à d’autres niveaux. La démarche réalisée ici invite aussi à poursuivre des réflexions interdisciplinaires sur la réconciliation durable à partir des pratiques de la culture africaine traditionnelle. / The deterioration of relations and the fragility of cohesion between several social groups in the DR Congo date back to 1958, shortly before the country’s independence in 1960. Since then, socio-political conflicts have profoundly affected ethnic relations and economic conditions have even worsened. Since its independence, the country has gone through many periods of conflict, without any lasting peace. From 1960 to 1964, frequent secession wars, rebellions and inter-ethnic conflicts have destabilized the entire social structure of the country. Attempts for reconciliation have had mixed results and sometimes short-lived solutions. The 1965 coup plunged the country further into violence: power ended up in the hands of members of the sole ruling party and the management of public assets got entrusted to select members of influential ethnic groups. Frustrations and lack of distributive justice engendered insurrections and popular uprisings, which were often quelled by bloody repression. Attempts to democratization since 1990 have not restored the balance of powers. Several ethnic groups, feeling unfavourably treated, have become radicalized and have used deadly violence in support of their claims. The situation has hardly improved since the end of dictatorship and persists even these days. Yet, history shows that in the DR Congo, ethnic groups had a traditional system of resolving various kinds of conflicts. Through a field survey, we have reconstructed the process which usually brought about lasting reconciliation, since it was grounded in community consultations under a palaver tree. Accounts by participants in our survey suggest that such traditional practices of reconciliation have demonstrated their efficiency. From the theological perspective of an inculturation of the Gospel, they can be reinterpreted and adapted, then integrated into the life of the Church and into its mission of reconciliation in the DR Congo. In this dissertation, we propose a Christian and contextualized model of reconciliation, grounded in the traditional practices and rites of the Baluba. To constitute its essential components, we have critically selected traditional elements which have shown their potential for peace. We have then correlated them with elements from a narrative analysis of the reconciliation between Jacob and Esau (Gen. 32–33) and its Christian reinterpretation through the teachings of Jesus (Mt 5. 21-26) and Paul (2 Co 5. 11-21). This contextualized Christian model is being proposed to the Church and its partners for implementation within the Christian community, including the Baluba, and within the entire Congolese society. The first step of this implementation process will consist of the raising of awareness and of consultations, thus leading to practical and actual experiences of reconciliation in local communities, which, in turn, will serve as a source of inspiration at further levels. The approach taken here also invites continued interdisciplinary reflections on lasting reconciliation grounded in traditional African cultural practices.

La thèse questionne les facteurs permettant la pratique et l’usage des technologies numériques en soutien à la scolarisation dans le domaine des technologies éducatives au niveau des écoles secondaires. A partir d’un regard croisé entre différents terrains de l’espace francophone et s’appuyant sur les pratiques, le chercheur analyse des éléments comparatifs dans le secteur des technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) en éducation entre les pays suivants : le Viêt Nam, la Moldavie, le Burkina-Faso et la République Démocratique du Congo. Un regard croisé permet de comparer les conditions influençant l’usage des TIC au sein de la Francophonie institutionnelle. La recherche s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une thèse de doctorant menée au sein de Laboratoire Éducation et Apprentissage (ea 4071) à l’université Paris René Descartes et présente les résultats de quatre études de cas effectuées de 2010 à 2013 auprès d’élèves (n = 3 236) et des enseignants (n = 467) des pays ciblés membres de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). Le chercheur décrypte les données collectées en liens aux conditions d’accès, aux pratiques et à l’usage des technologies numériques dans les établissements du niveau secondaire. La recherche a été effectuée par questionnaire pour collecter les données quantitatives. Le chercheur a également eu recours aux groupes d’entretien focalisé pour colliger les données qualitatives. La démarche croise, la territorialité du phénomène d’usage des technologies numériques en soutien à l’apprentissage en milieu éducatif. En Moldavie et au Viêt Nam, la recherche a porté une attention particulière à l’analyse de l’usage des TIC en soutien à l’enseignement et à l’apprentissage du français langue étrangère (FLE). Le champ de la recherche se situe dans l’espace Francophone, dans sa diversité et sa pluralité. Nous analyserons les évolutions et tenterons d’expliquer les raisons des retards pour certains pays ainsi que les nombreux obstacles d’accès aux TIC. Nous chercherons à jeter les voiles de l’usage des TIC dans des contextes qui semblent austères. Les résultats de l’enquête dévoilent que la démarche d’appropriation des TIC par les professeurs de français connaît un processus qui semble s’accroître au Viêt Nam et en Moldavie. Il ressort des pratiques contrastées lorsque l’on croise les résultats des enquêtes. L’analyse de l’accès aux outils informatiques et leur intégration en classe révèlent que les usages sont nettement plus soutenus par les enseignants dans les pays de l’est de l’Europe (Moldavie) et en Asie (Viêt Nam) par rapport aux pratiques observées sur le continent Africain (plus spécifiquement au Burkina-Faso et en République Démocratique du Congo). Enfin, une étude de cas a été menée au sein des espaces publics numériques : Maisons des savoirs de la Francophonie. / The thesis questions the different elements which allows the practice and use og Information and Communication Technologies in educational teaching in secondary schools. From a cross analysis between different fields within the francophone space and by leaning on the educational practices, the rechearcher analyses the comparing elements in the ICT sector in education between the following countries : Vietnam, Moldavia, Burkina-Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo. A cross analysis allows the comparasion between the different inflencing conditions in the practices and use of the ICTs within the environment composing the diversity of the institutional Francophonie. The research has taken place during a doctorac theses at the Laboratoire Education et Apprentissage (ea 4071) at the Pris René Descartes university and presents the results of four case studies done between 2010 and 2013 with students (n=3236) and teachers (n=467) in target countries within members of the Organisation international de la Francophonie (OIF). The researcher analyze the data that has been collected related to the conditions of access, practises and the use of digital technologies in the secondary school level. The research has be done by questionnaires in order to collect the quantitative data. The researcher has also used focalized group interviews in order to collect quanlitativ data. The compared approach, the territoriality of the phenomenon of the use of digital technology as a support in an educational learning environment. In Moldavia and i Vietnam, the research has paid special attention to the analysis ot het use of ICT as a support in teaching and learning French as a second language, français langue étrangère (FLE). The research fiel is situated within the Francohpone space, with all its diversity and plurality. We analyse the evolution and seek to explain the reasons for the delays of certain countries as well as numerous obstacles to ICT access. We seek to reveal the use of ICT in austere contexts. The results reveal that the CTI appropriation process by French teachers is a growing process in Vietnam and Moldavia. Contrasting practices are standing out when crossing the survey results. The analysys of access to IT tools and the integration in teaching reveals that the user is significantly more sustained by teachers in eastern Europe (Moldavia) and Asia (Vietnam) as to practices on the African continent (specificity Burkina-Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo). Finally, a study has been done within the public digital space as Multimedia center named : Maisons des savoirs de la Francophonie. / Teza examinează factorii care permit practica și utilizarea tehnologiei digitale pentru susținerea școlarizării, în domeniul tehnologiilor educaționale din școlile de nivel secundar. Plecând de la o nouă perspectivă între diverse teritorii din lumea francofonă și bazându-se pe practicile din mediul educațional, cercetătorul analizează elementele comparative din domeniul tehnologiilor de informație și a comunicațiilor (TIC) în domeniul educației dintre următoarele țări : Vietnam, Moldova, Burkina Faso și Republica Democrată Congo. O nouă perspectivă permite compararea condițiilor care influențează utilizarea TIC în zona care constituie diversitatea Francofoniei instituționale. Cercetarea este parte a unei teze de doctorat din cadrul Laboratorului de Educație și Învățământ (ea 4071) la Universitatea Paris René Descartes și prezintă rezultatul a patru studii de caz efectuate între 2010 și 2013 pe lângă elevii (n=3 236) și profesori (n=467) din țările vizate, membre ale Organizației Internaționale a Francofoniei (OIF). Cercetătorul decriptează informațiile culese cu privire la condițiile de acces, practicile și utilizarea tehnologiei digitale pentru școli la nivel secundar. Cercetarea a fost efectuată printr-un chestionar pentru a culege datele cantitative. Cercetătorul a recurs de asemenea la focus-grupuri pentru a colecta date calitative. Noua abordare combină teritorialitatea fenomenului de utilizare a tehnologiei digitale susținând sistemul educațional. În Moldova și în Vietnam, studiul a acordat o atenție deosebită analizei utilizării TIC pentru susținerea predării și a învățării limbii franceze ca limbă străină (FLE). Domeniul cercetării este în spațiul Francofon, în diversitatea și pluralitatea acestuia. Vom analiza evoluțiile și vor încerca să explicăm motivele întârzierii în anumite țări, precumși numeroasele obstacole de acces la TIC. Vom încerca să influențăm utilizarea TIC în contexte care par a fi austere. Rezultatele cercetării arată că demersul de familiarizare cu TIC a profesorilor de franceză prezintă o creștere în Vietnam și Moldova. Acest lucru reiese din practicile contrastante în momentul în care sunt comparate rezultatele cercetărilor. Analiza accesului la mijloacele informatice și integrarea acestora în clasă arată faptul că utilizările sunt mult mai susținute de către profesorii din țările din estul Europei (Moldova) și Asia (Vietnam) decât din Africa (mai specific în Burkina-Faso și Republica Democratică Congo). În plus, s-a făcut un studiu de caz în cadrul spațiilor publice numerice : Maisons des savoirs de la Francophonie. / Luận văn đặt vấn đề về những nhân tố cho phép thực hành và sử dụng công nghệ số hỗ trợ dạy học trong lĩnh vực công nghệ giáo dục ở khối trung học. Từ một góc nhìn chéo giữa nhiều vùng miền khác nhau của không gian Pháp ngữ và dựa vào thực tiễn trong môi trường giáo dục, người nghiên cứu phân tích các yếu tố so sánh việc ứng dụng công nghệ thông tin (CNTT) trong giáo dục ở những quốc gia sau đây : Việt Nam, Moldavie, Burkina-Faso và Cộng hòa dân chủ Congo. Một góc nhìn chéo cho phép so sánh các điều kiện ảnh hưởng đến việc thực hành và sử dụng CNTT trong một không gian đa dạng của Tổ chức cộng đồng Pháp ngữ. Nghiên cứu thực hiện trong khuôn khổ luận văn tiến sĩ được tiến hành ở Phòng Nghiên cứu Giáo dục và Học tập (ea 4071) ở trường Đại học Paris René Descartes và trình bày kết quả của bốn trường hợp nghiên cứu thực địa từ năm 2010 đến 2013 đối với học sinh (n=3.236) và giáo viên (n=467) các quốc gia nói trên là thành viên của Tổ chức quốc tế Pháp ngữ (OIF). Người nghiên cứu giải mã các dữ liệu thu thập liên quan đến những điều kiện tiếp cận, thực hành và sử dụng các công nghệ số ở trường trung học. Nghiên cứu đã được thực hiện bằng bảng câu hỏi để thu thập dữ liệu định lượng. Người nghiên cứu cũng đã phỏng vấn một nhóm giáo viên và học sinh nhằm thu thập các dữ liệu định tính. Phương pháp tiến hành gặp nhau ở tính lãnh thổ của hiện tượng sử dụng công nghệ số hỗ trợ học tập trong môi trường giáo dục. Ở Moldavie và Viêt Nam, nghiên cứu đã đặc biệt lưu tâm phân tích việc sử dụng CNTT trong dạy và học tiếng Pháp ngoại ngữ (NN). Trường nghiên cứu trong phạm vi không gian Pháp ngữ đa dạng và đa chiều. Chúng tôi sẽ phân tích sự tiến triển và cố gắng giải thích lý do chậm trễ của một số quốc gia cũng như nhiều trở ngại khi tiếp cận CNTT. Chúng tôi cũng tìm hiểu việc sử dụng CNTT trong những bối cảnh tưởng như khó khăn. Kết quả điều tra hé lộ rằng tiến trình chiếm hữu CNTT của các giáo viên tiếng Pháp có gia tăng ở Việt Nam và Moldavie và làm nổi bật thực tế tương phản khi giao hòa các kết quả điều tra. Phân tích việc tiếp cận và đưa công cụ tin học vào lớp học đã tiết lộ rằng việc sử dụng CNTT nhận được sự ủng hộ rõ nét của giáo viên các nước Đông Âu (Moldavie) và châu Á (Việt Nam) so với thực tế quan sát được ở châu Phi (đặc biệt là ở Burkina-Faso và CHDC Congo). Cuối cùng, việc nghiên cứu trường hợp cụ thể đã được tiến hành ở các không gian số công cộng : các Nhà tri thức Pháp ngữ.

Cette étude analyse l’impact du processus libéral de paix en République Démocratique du Congo sur la poursuite des violences dans les provinces du Nord et du Sud Kivu. Elle soutient que les dynamiques conflictuelles dans ces deux régions sont entretenues par l’établissement d’un programme de partage de pouvoir (power sharing), inclusif, jumelé à l’application des réformes économiques libérales. En se concentrant sur la réforme du secteur de sécurité et l’harmonisation de la politique nationale (en vue des élections post-conflictuelles de 2006), le processus de paix néglige les enjeux politiques et socio-économiques locaux. Le désengagement de l’État et la libéralisation du secteur minier accentuent le taux de corruption du gouvernement de transition et renforcent l’exploitation illégale des ressources par les groupes armés. Cette recherche soutient que l’implantation massive d’entreprises minières multinationales dans les provinces du Nord et du Sud Kivu aggrave la déformation des tissus socio-économiques locaux, accentue la dépendance des populations aux réseaux de gouvernance informelle et renforce les divers groupes armés présents sur le terrain. Par conséquent, les réformes structurelles menées dans le cadre du processus libéral de paix font perdurer les violences et occasionnent de nouvelles dynamiques conflictuelles localisées autour du contrôle des ressources locales, qu’elles soient d’ordre économique ou politique. / This study analyzes the impact of the liberal peace process on the continuation of violence in the provinces of North and South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The study finds that conflict dynamics in the two regions are maintained by the establishment of an inclusive power sharing program that is paired with the application of liberal economic reforms. By focusing on reforms in the security sector and on the harmonization of national politics (with the post-conflict elections of 2006 in view), the peace process neglects local political and socio-economic issues. The disengagement of the state and the liberalization of the mining sector increase the corruption levels of the transition government and reinforce the illegal exploitation of resources by armed groups. This research supports that the massive establishment of multinational mining companies in the provinces of North and South Kivu contributes to the deformation of the local socio-economic fabric, increasing the dependence of local populations to informal governance networks and strengthening the diverse armed groups present in the region. Thus, the structural reforms carried within the framework of the liberal peace process perpetuate violence and cause new conflict dynamics centered around the control of local resources, whether economic or political.

Dans un pays où le pouvoir se conquiert et ne se conserve que par la force, la fonction du président de la République est en République démocratique du Congo, celle d'un élu du peuple sans l'être réellement; de facto il exerce le pouvoir d'un monarque absolu. Depuis son accession à l'indépendance en juin 1960, la République démocratique du Congo a fait le choix de l'élection comme seul et unique moyen de dévolution du pouvoir politique, notamment de la fonction présidentielle; celle-ci n'a jamais connu d'alternance démocratique. A partir du coup d’État militaire du Lieutenant Général Mobutu, destituant en novembre 1965 Joseph Kasa­vubu, alors démocratiquement élu en juin 1960 par les deux Chambres du Parlement, le recours à la force s'est imposé dans les faits comme l'unique moyen par excellence d'accès au pouvoir. C'est dans cette optique, que s'explique la conquête du pouvoir de Laurent Désiré Kabila par les armes en mai 1997, et son remplacement par son fils, le Général major Joseph Kabila, qui à l'instar d'un prince, a hérité la présidence de la République en janvier 2001, alors que le Congo est une République théoriquement démocratique ! Devenue comme un grand village et une grande chefferie moderne, organisée autour d'un homme, ayant le monopole de l'autorité et revendiquant la grâce et la sacralité du pouvoir (chef) des chefferies traditionnelles, qu'il combine régulièrement avec les habitus patrimonialistes et monarchistes hérités du roi Léopold II, la République démocratique du Congo paraît être un Etat de droit que dans les textes. Le président congolais n'est autre qu'un monarque à la tête d'une République, il a personnalisé l’État, concentré tous les pouvoirs étatiques et exerce sa fonction sans admettre ou tolérer aucun contre-pouvoir. / In a country where power is conquered and maintained only by force, the office of President of the Republic is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that of an elected representative of the people without really being one; de facto he exercises the power of an absolute monarch. Since its independence in June 1960, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has chosen elections as the only means of devolving political power, particularly for the presidential office, which has never experimented democratic political change The use of force has become technically the ultimate means of accessing power since the military coup d'état in November 1965 by Lieutenant General Mobutu which finally deposed Joseph Kasa-Vubu who had been democratically elected in June 1960 by the two houses of Parliament. Laurent Désiré Kabila 's conquest relying on weapons power in May 1997 can then be explained. Then Major General Joseph Ka bila took over from his father. He inherited the presidency of the Republic of the Congo like a prince would do in January 2001, though Congo being a democratic republic! The Democratic Republic of Congo has become a great village and a great modern chiefdom, organized around a man, having the monopoly of authority and claiming the grace and sacredness of power (chief) of the traditional chiefdoms, which he regularly combines with the patrimonialist and monarchist habitus inherited from King Leopold Il, but it seems to be a State of law only in the texts. The Congolese president is none other than a monarch at the head of a Republic, he has personalized the state, concentrated ail state powers and exercised the presidential function without admitting or tolerating any counter-power.

Cette étude analyse l’impact du processus libéral de paix en République Démocratique du Congo sur la poursuite des violences dans les provinces du Nord et du Sud Kivu. Elle soutient que les dynamiques conflictuelles dans ces deux régions sont entretenues par l’établissement d’un programme de partage de pouvoir (power sharing), inclusif, jumelé à l’application des réformes économiques libérales. En se concentrant sur la réforme du secteur de sécurité et l’harmonisation de la politique nationale (en vue des élections post-conflictuelles de 2006), le processus de paix néglige les enjeux politiques et socio-économiques locaux. Le désengagement de l’État et la libéralisation du secteur minier accentuent le taux de corruption du gouvernement de transition et renforcent l’exploitation illégale des ressources par les groupes armés. Cette recherche soutient que l’implantation massive d’entreprises minières multinationales dans les provinces du Nord et du Sud Kivu aggrave la déformation des tissus socio-économiques locaux, accentue la dépendance des populations aux réseaux de gouvernance informelle et renforce les divers groupes armés présents sur le terrain. Par conséquent, les réformes structurelles menées dans le cadre du processus libéral de paix font perdurer les violences et occasionnent de nouvelles dynamiques conflictuelles localisées autour du contrôle des ressources locales, qu’elles soient d’ordre économique ou politique. / This study analyzes the impact of the liberal peace process on the continuation of violence in the provinces of North and South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The study finds that conflict dynamics in the two regions are maintained by the establishment of an inclusive power sharing program that is paired with the application of liberal economic reforms. By focusing on reforms in the security sector and on the harmonization of national politics (with the post-conflict elections of 2006 in view), the peace process neglects local political and socio-economic issues. The disengagement of the state and the liberalization of the mining sector increase the corruption levels of the transition government and reinforce the illegal exploitation of resources by armed groups. This research supports that the massive establishment of multinational mining companies in the provinces of North and South Kivu contributes to the deformation of the local socio-economic fabric, increasing the dependence of local populations to informal governance networks and strengthening the diverse armed groups present in the region. Thus, the structural reforms carried within the framework of the liberal peace process perpetuate violence and cause new conflict dynamics centered around the control of local resources, whether economic or political.

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The ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has caused sustained trauma on a number of levels and stressors that could easily have debilitating consequences on the mental health of Congolese citizens. The literature further reveals that immigration brings with it a host of additional stressors. The stress related to immigration, an appreciation of diverse cultural understandings of mental health, the burdens and costs of adequate mental health policy and provisioning within developing countries, are concepts that are not well understood nor fully documented. The present study explored the cultural understanding and help-seeking behaviours of Congolese immigrants in South Africa. The purpose of the study was to understand the ways in which Congolese cope with stressors related to immigration. Using SocialIdentity Theory as a partial conceptual framework, the role of acculturation processes in their understanding and help-seeking behaviours regarding mental health challenges, were examined. A platform for participants to suggest suitable ways of responding to improving the management of mental challenges in their community was provided. A qualitative approach, based on Participatory Action Research (PAR) and content analysis to explore the emerging narratives, was used with a Gauteng-based sample to gather the accounts of the lived experiences of Congolese immigrants. A snowball sampling technique enabled twenty-seven respondents to participate in one paired conversation and five focus groups. The emerging findings are critically discussed aligned to the six categories of inquiry structured by the interview schedule, namely, coping strategies since immigration, the understanding of mental health challenges, the possible impact of being immersed in the South African culture, perceptions of mental challenges and persons affected within the Congolese community, the preferred help-seeking behaviours regarding mental health challenges and, finally, their recommendations for improving the management of mental health challenges. The layered meta-analysis of the data consisted of interrogating the thematic categories, then conducting an analytical review aligned to both the pertinent research aim and objectives, as well as related theoretical positions and research findings. v | P a g e The key research question underpinning this study was formulated as follows: “Will immigrating from the DRC to South Africa change the understanding and help-seeking behaviours of Congolese?” The study drew on the processes of acculturation from Social Identity Theory to examine these processes. Participants reported experiencing the effects of acculturation but in different ways. Patterns of assimilation, separation and integration were found. The study therefore served to contribute to our understanding of the effects of acculturation with regard to the cultural understanding and help-seeking behaviours of Congolese immigrants in South Africa regarding mental health. Most significantly, the assumption of high levels of trauma and stress within this vulnerable community were unfounded. Rich and complex survival strategies have emerged requiring refinement of our knowledge about migrant communities. The strengths and relative weaknesses of the study are shared as well as a set of recommendations for future research in this domain. / Psychology / M. Sc.(Psychology)

Armed conflict and violence against civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has persisted for years starting in the 1990s. The Eastern, Western and North-Eastern parts of the country have seen the presence of a multiplicity of armed groups that have caused an escalation of the humanitarian crisis. The United Nations, in the interest of civilian protection, peacekeeping and security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared a mission under The United Nations Organisational Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). In spite of this mission, civilians continued in the Congo to suffer attacks and to endure human rights abuses by the armed militants that are fighting government and the government forces in shape of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC). This study examines the problematique of the mandate of MONUC in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in light of the challenges that have made its success debatable. The success of MONUC has become debatable in light of the fact that in spite of its presence and implementation in the DRC, between 2007 and 2010, conflict and the violence against civilians escalated to unprecedented levels. This study examines the causalities of the failure and observes its effect while making propositions towards amelioration of the challenges and the failure of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. / Political Sciences / M.A. (International Politics)

The focus in this dissertation is on the rise of secessionism and its curtailment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Theories pertaining to centre-periphery relations, as well as right-sizing the state, are used for this purpose. Factors such as the DRC’s vast territory and colonial policies affected the centre-periphery relations after independence. The weak ties between the centre and the peripheries were important factors in the attempts at secession that followed independence. In addition, the political and administrative centre (Kinshasa) was too weak to keep the restive peripheries in check. International military intervention, thus, played an important role in defeating attempts at secession. The strategies of President Mobutu in strengthening the centre, as well as the lack of secessionism in the DRC after the collapse of the centre towards the end of Mobutu’s presidency, receive attention. / Political Sciences / M.A. (Politics)

The one of the most important Eras of the Earth history, i.e. Neoproterozoic (1000-542 Ma),<p>was an enigmatic period characterized by the development of the first stable long-lived ~1.1-<p>0.9 Ga Rodinia and 550-500 Ma Gondwana supercontinents, global-scale orogenic belts,<p>extreme climatic changes (cf. Snowball Earth Hypothesis), the development of microbial<p>organisms facilitating the oxidizing atmosphere and explosion of eukaryotic forms toward the<p>first animals in the terminal Proterozoic. This thesis presents a multidisciplinary study of two<p>Neoproterozoic basins, i.e. Bas-Congo and Sankuru-Mbuji-Mayi-Lomami-Lovoy, in and around the Congo Craton including sedimentology, geochemistry, diagenesis, chemostratigraphy and radiometric dating of carbonate deposits themselves.<p><p>The Mbuji-Mayi Supergroup sequence deposited in a SE-NW trending 1500 m-thick siliciclastic-carbonate intracratonic failed-rift basin, extends from the northern Katanga Province towards the centre of the Congo River Basin. The 1000 m-thick carbonate succession is related to the evolution of a marine ramp submitted to evaporation, with ‘deep’ shaly basinal and low-energy carbonate outer-ramp environments, marine biohermal midramp (MF6) and ‘very shallow’ restricted tide-dominated lagoonal inner-ramp (MF7-MF9) settings overlain by lacustrine (MF10) and sabkha (MF11) environments, periodically<p>submitted to a river water source with a possible freshwater-influence. The sequence stratigraphy shows that the sedimentation is cyclic in the inner ramp with plurimetric ‘thin’ peritidal cycles (± 4 m on average) recording a relative sea level of a maximum of 4 m, with fluctuations in the range of 1-4 m. The outer/mid ramp subtidal facies are also cyclic with ‘thick’ subtidal cycles characterized by an average thickness of ± 17 m, with a probable sealevel<p>fluctuations around 10 to 20 m. The geochemistry approach, including isotopic and major/trace and REE+Y data, allows to infer the nature of the dolomitization processes operating in each carbonate subgroup, i.e dolomitization may be attributed to evaporative reflux of groundwater or to mixing zones of freshwater lenses. The latest alteration processes occured during the uplift of the SMLL Basin. New ages, including LA-ICP-MS U-Pb laser ablation data on detrital zircon grains retrieved in the lower arenaceous-pelitic sequence (BI group), combined with carbon and strontium isotopic analyses, yielded a new depositional time frame of the Mbuji-Mayi Supergroup between 1176 and 800 Ma reinforcing the formerly suggested correlation with the Roan Group in the Katanga Province.<p><p>In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Sturtian-Marinoan interglacial period was previously related to pre-glacial carbonate-dominated shallow marine sedimentation of the Haut-Shiloango Subgroup with stromatolitic reefs at the transition between greenhouse (warm) and icehouse (cold) climate periods, commonly marked by worldwide glacigenic diamictites and cap carbonates. This thesis highlights that these deposists record as a deepening-upward evolution from storm-influenced facies in mid- and outer-ramps to deepwater environments, with emplacement of mass flow deposits in toe-of-slope settings controlled by synsedimentary faults. In absence of diagnostic glacial features, the marinoan Upper Diamictite Formation is interpreted as a continuous sediment gravity flow deposition along carbonate platform-margin slopes, which occurred along tectonically active continental margins locally influenced by altitude glaciers, developed after a rift–drift transition. The maximum depth of the deepening-upward facies is observed in the C2a member. The<p>shallowing-upward facies exibit a return of distally calcareous tempestites and semi-restricted to restricted peritidal carbonates associated with shallow lagoonal subtidal and intertidal zones submitted to detrital fluxes in the upper C2b to C3b members.<p>The geochemistry highlights (i) the existence of a δ13C-depth gradient of shallow-water and deep-water carbonates; (ii) the carbonate systems were deposited in oxic to suboxic conditions; and (iii) all samples have uniform flat non-marine shale-normalized REE+Y distributions reflecting<p>continental detrital inputs in nearshore environments, or that the nearshore sediments were<p>reworked from ’shallow’ inner to mid-ramp settings in deep-water slope and outer-ramp<p>environments, during the rift-drift transition in the basin. The pre-, syn- and post-glacial<p>carbonate systems could record a distally short-lived regional synrift freshwater-influenced<p>submarine fan derived from nearshore sediments, including gravity flow structures, which are<p>attributed to regional tectonic processes due to a sudden deepening of the basin caused by<p>differential tilting and uplifting of blocks, related to the 750-670 Ma oceanic spreading of the<p>central-southern Macaúbas Basin.<p><p>Combining sedimentology, isotopes and trace elemental geochemistry, the thesis highlights<p>that the δ13C variations in the Neoproterozoic carbonates are complex to interpret, and can be<p>related to: (i) the existence of a δ13C-depth gradient; (ii) the exchange between isotopically<p>light carbon in meteoric waters and carbonate during lithification and early diagenesis; and<p>(iii) isotopic perturbations due to regional metamorphism. Considering the possible englaciation of the Earth (Snowball Earth hypothesis), the Mbuji-Mayi Supergroup and West<p>Congolian Group seem reflected the intimate relationship between glaciations and tectonic<p>activity during the break-up of the Rodinia supercontinent, followed by the rift–drift<p>transition, and finally the pre-orogenic period on the passive continental margin. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished