No description available.

Cette étude a pour objectif principal dinventorier les espèces de poissons de la partie congolaise de lInkisi et de contribuer à la connaissance de leur structure de peuplements. A partir des pêches expérimentales et artisanales effectuées entre octobre 2005 et octobre 2008 et des spécimens déposés antérieurement dans les musées, 61 espèces appartenant à 38 genres et 15 familles ont été répertoriées. Trente-sept de ces espèces nétaient pas encore connues du bassin de lInkisi ; huit espèces sont endémiques et sont localisées en amont de la chute de Zongo : Barbus vanderysti, Labeobarbus sp. inkisi, Varicorhinus robertsi (Cyprinidae), Nannopetersius mutambuei (Alestidae), Schilbe zairensis (Schilbeidae) Aphyosemion labarrei (Nothobranchiidae) et Haplochromis sp. snoeksi et Chetia sp. inkisi (Cichlidae). Deux nouvelles espèces ont été décrites, Nannopetersius mutambuei et Haplochromis sp. snoeksi et les descriptions de deux autres sont en préparation. En ce qui concerne les proportions, la famille des Cyprinidae est la plus diversifiée (15 espèces soit 24,6 %); puis viennent les Mormyridae (11 espèces soit 18,0 %), les Cichlidae (9 espèces soit 7,1 %), les Clariidae (7 espèces soit 11,5 %), les Schilbeidae (4 espèces soit 6,6 %), les Mochokidae et les Amphilidae (3 espèces chacune soit 4,9 %) et les Nothobranchiidae (2 espèces soit 3,3 %). La somme des autres familles, représentées par une seule espèce, vaut 6,4 %. Les peuplements des poissons ont été échantillonnés aux filets maillants dans dix stations en prenant en compte 21 variables environnementales. Des analyses canoniques de redondance ont permis de mettre en évidence cinq variables environnementales (la couverture de la canopée, la présence de gros blocs de roches, la largeur de la rivière, le plancher rocheux et le substrat vaseux) qui influent sur la distribution des poissons et un plan spatial de peuplement de cinq types dhabitats : trois sur les affluents (Nsoni, Ngeba et Nua-Luidi-Bongolo-Wungu) et deux sur le cours principal (amont de la chute de Zongo et aval de la chute de Zongo). Les espèces qui caractérisent Nsoni, habitat à canopée sont Parauchenoglanis balayi, en terme dabondance et Barbus vanderysti, en terme de présence. Dans Ngeba, habitat à substrat boueux, les espèces caractéristiques en terme de présence sont Parachanna obscura et Ctenopoma nigropannosum. Dans le complexe Nua-Luidi-Bongolo-Wungu il y a, en terme dabondance, Varicorhinus latirostris, Raiamas kheeli et Garra congensis. Sur le cours principal, en amont de chute Zongo, habitats larges à fond rocheux, on retrouve, en terme dabondance Varicorhinus macrolepidotus, Labeo macrostomus, Doumea alula, Barbus cf. argenteus, et Chetia sp. inkisi. Finalement, en aval de la chute Zongo, habitat à gros blocs de roches, il y a 14 espèces caractéristiques en terme de présence dont les plus abondantes sont Labeo nasus, Steatocranus casuarius, Labeo greeni, Campylomormyrus rhynchophorus et Schilbe grenfelli. Dans la partie congolaise de lInkisi le gradient longitudinal de peuplement nest pas perceptible : laugmentation de la richesse spécifique amont-aval napparaît pas mais la composition spécifique amont-aval est différente. Les indices de diversités (richesse spécifique et équitabilité) variées en fonction des stations ; les plus élevés sont dans la station aval de la chute Zongo et les plus faibles dans la station Nsoni (pour la richesse spécifique) et la station Nua (pour léquitabilité). Les peuplements ichtyologiques semblent équilibrés dans la partie située en aval de la chute Zongo. Des affluents tel que Wungu ont été perturbés suite à lutilisation des techniques destructives (ichtyotoxique). Une planification et une gestion rationnelle des ressources halieutiques dans ce bassin doivent sopérer et être effectives pour préserver sa biodiversité. The present study aimed making a species inventory and contributing to the knowledge of the fish community structure of the Congolese part of Inkisi basin. Based on fishes collected between October 2005 and October 2008 using gill nets and local fishing gear, and specimens previously deposited in musea, a total of 61 species belonging to 38 genera and 15 families have been surveyed. Thirty seven of these species are new citations for the Inkisi basin; eight species are endemic and are only found upstream from the Zongo fall: Barbus vanderysti, Labeobarbus sp. inkisi, Varicorhinus robertsi (Cyprinidae), Nannopetersius mutambuei (Alestidae), Schilbe zairensis (Schilbeidae) Aphyosemion labarrei (Nothobranchiidae) and Haplochromis sp. snoeksi, Chetia sp. inkisi (Cichlidae). Two new species were described, Nannopetersius mutambuei and Haplochromis sp. snoeksi and two others are currently under preparation. The family Cyprinidae is the most diversified (15 species, 24.6 %), followed by Mormyridae (11 species, 18.0 %), Cichlidae (9 species, 7.1 %), Clariidae (7 species, 11.5 %), Schilbeidae (4 species, 6.6 %), Mochokidae and Amphilidae (with 3 species each one), and Nothobranchiidae (2 species, 3.3 %). The remaining families have only one species each and constitute 6.4 %. The fish communities were sampled using gill nets in ten stations taking into account 21 environmental variables. The canonical redundancy analysis retained five important environmental variables (canopy cover, presence of big rock blocs, river width, rocky bottom and muddy bottom) explaining the distribution of the fish species and revealed a spatial plan of five habitat types: three patterns for the affluents (i.e. Nsoni, Ngeba and Nua-Luid-Bongolo-Wungu) and two for the main channel (i.e. upstream of the Zongo fall and downstream of the Zongo fall). For the Nsoni, station with canopy, the typical species are Parauchenoglanis balayi and Barbus vanderysti, respectively, in abundance, and presence. In the Ngeba, station with muddy bottom, the typical species, in abundance, are Parachanna obscura and Ctenopoma nigropannosum. For the Nua-Luidi-Bongolo-Wungu complex, the typical species, in abundance, are Varicorhinus latirostris, Raiamas kheeli and Garra congensis. For the main channel of the Inkisi course upstream of the Zongo fall, wide habitats with rocky bottom, the typical species, in abundance, are Varicorhinus macrolepidotus, Labeo macrostomus, Doumea alula, Barbus cf. argenteus, and Chetia sp. inkisi. Finally, for the Inkisi main channel downstream of the Zongo fall, the station with big rock blocs, 14 species are typical in term of presence, among them the most common are Labeo nasus, Steatocranus casuarius, Labeo greeni, Campylomormyrus rhynchophorus, and Schilbe grenfelli. For the Congolese part of Inkisi no longitudinal gradient of the fish community assemblages was observed along the river. Species richness did not increase from upstream to downstream although the species composition between both is certainly different. Diversity index (species richness and equitability) vary according to station with the highest indexes observed downstream of the Zongo fall and the lower ones at Nua (for the equitability) and Nsoni (for the species richness). Fish communities seem equilibrated downstream of the Zongo fall. On the contrary affluents like the Wungu are being disturbed mainly by bad fishing practice (use of ichthyotoxin). A planification and sustainable use of the natural resources of the Inkisi River must be applied and executed to protect its fish diversity.

Dissertazione--Facultà di scienze sociali--Pontificia università Gregoriana, 2007.

dissertation examines the role of civil society actors in the social service sectors of two cities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Although existing scholarship addresses the nature of state-society relations in collapsed states, less is known about how local institutions act to maintain "state" structures even when the state is absent. My project contributes to this literature by explaining why, in a failed state, some civil society organizations (CSO's) are more successful at providing social services than others. I hypothesize that variations in internal organizational cohesion account for these differences. Using an historical institutional approach, I examine the history, level of engagement with the state, ethnic composition, and level of international support of various CSO's in the eastern D.R. Congo as indicators of a CSO's level of organizational cohesion. I then compare fifteen structural indicators to determine each CSO's level of success in organizing social services, and conclude that CSO's with higher levels of internal organizational cohesion are more likely to successfully organize health and education structures in situations of state collapse. In addition, the portion of the study that addresses ethnic fragmentation in CSO's suggests that certain institutional arrangements can help local groups to overcome the well-documented barriers to inter-ethnic cooperation in public goods provision. / text

No description available.

This study was conducted in order to explore the experiences of survivors of gender based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The aim was to determine the impact of gender based violence on the reproductive health of women. The study was carried out at a hospital in the eastern province of the country. In-depth interviews were conducted with women survivors of rape and informant interviews with staff at the hospital. A total of twenty one participants participated in the study. The findings show that women suffered humiliation, physical and psychological torture during their rape. Some women were raped by a number of men. The rape also had serious consequences for their sexual and reproductive health. Some of the effects of their rape were long-term: it resulted in an unwanted pregnancy or HIV/AIDS. Many of the women expressed their fears for the future. They were particularly worried about their children, especially those who were divorced following their rape and those who lived with HIV/AIDS. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2010.

No description available.

The devastating consequences of the HIV and AIDS epidemic are endangering many lives and shaking weak economies of the Sub-Sahara Africa. The Church of Christ in Africa has decided to join hands with other players who are seeking appropriate responses to the epidemic. The Church has an important role of providing theological understanding upon which the response should be grounded. This study explores how the Free Methodist Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo could participate in the alleviation of suffering and loss due to the HIV epidemic in the region of Kivu. The eastern part of DRC, especially the Kivu region, has experienced a severe outbreak of HIV-related diseases as the aftermath of the six-year war (1996-2002) that has destroyed economic and medical infrastructures in the territory. The recent crisis is the result of rape, which was used as a cheap weapon of war and the impoverishment of the community due to political and economic instability in the area. This study therefore draws the attention of the Free Methodist Church to the urgent need of providing care to many poor people suffering from HIV-related diseases who are unable to access treatment or purchase medicines. It suggests that the doctrine of social holiness that has been the driving force behind the involvement of the Free Methodist Church in providing social services to poor community could be used as a theological framework for its intervention. The doctrine of social holiness is expressed in extending God's love and mercy to people who live in misery and marginalized, My argument is that, in the case of the Kivu region, the doctrine of social holiness could motivate the Free Methodist Church to meet the needs of those living with HIV and AIDS. As a matter of emergency the focus could be put on providing physical and spiritual care, and also care with justice. The doctrine of social holiness could be used to mobilize the community to provide care for the needy by sharing the theological insights about human sexuality, God's love, stewardship, acceptance of the other and restoring dignity to every person created in God's image. These theological themes could be integrated in formulating a theology of HIV that could become a tool in the hands of the Free Methodist church as it ministers to people living with HIV and AIDS in Kivu. This study advocates that, even though the response of the Free Methodist Church in responding to the HIV epidemic is still timid, there are enough potentialities in the doctrine of social holiness that could be re-examined and restated in order to meet the actual needs. The doctrine of social holiness requires that every believer who had received in his/her heart the love of God by faith may share this love with others, especially with the poor and marginalized. The misery and suffering of people living with HIV and AIDS in the Kivu region presents an opportunity to the Free Methodist Church in DRC to mobilize the community towards caring for the sick. The magnitude of the epidemic requires that the Free Methodist Church uses its theological foundation as a motivating factor in networking and lobbying other stakeholders in the region and externally so that those who are abandoned without care can find care and support. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

This study investigates the factors behind the mass rape of women from 1996-2001 in North and South Kivu provinces during the 1996-2003 armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Atrocities against women have always been a significant concern in feminist agendas and discourses. In time of peace as in time of war, women remain at the center stage of male violence. The Democratic Republic of Congo conflicts are reported to have killed more people than in Iraq, Afghanistan and Darfur combined. Sexual violence against women in North and South Kivu, DRC is believed to be the worst in the world. Women in these two provinces were raped, forced into prostitution, mutilated, and to some extent, subjected to further inhumane acts such as shooting and the introduction of objects into their private parts. HIV and AIDS, and other sexual transmitted diseases constitute some of the extra diagnosis associated with the victims. Yet, to date, no one understands why these women continue to be raped on a daily basis. The 1996-2003 Congo conflict has witnessed the involvement of several countries such as Angola, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Yet, none of these interventionist countries have ever condemned sexual atrocities committed against women in DRC, in general and in North and South Kivu, in particular. Despite having a democratically elected government and legitimate institutions such as courts of law and tribunals, crimes of this kind committed against women continue unabated. The policies of militarism and wars either intended for regime change or in the pursuit of the world's resources have increased the threat of armed conflicts which expose women to rape. The continuation of sexual violence in these two provinces has led to the view by many media groups and humanitarian organizations that rape is used as a weapon of war. The Constitution of the DRC prior to the conflict was biased towards women. The post conflict Constitution approved in February 2006 is theoretically accommodating of gender-based discrimination. Nationally, impunity for rape perpetrators has become a norm. Internationally, rape has long been mischaracterized and diminished by military and political leaders which lead to the belief that there is a strong undercurrent of patriarchal phenomenon involving many global institutions of power. The implication of discriminating, gender-based provisions in the constitution and the failure to implement policies that empower women has most of the time strengthened the social construction of masculinity and its idolization which are perceived as the social roots of violence against women during wartime. In many armed conflicts similar to that of the North and South Kivu, women have always been the victims. Yet, men involved in combat have often negotiated peace between themselves rather than justice for the victims. Justice for women in this part of the world remains elusive. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Increasing and unsustainable demands on Africa's natural resources are having a profound effect on wild primate populations. Whilst wild populations are decreasing, numbers of orphaned primates, sanctuaries and attempts to reintroduce primates back to the natural environment, are increasing. Data were collected on the present status of African ape sanctuaries from questionnaires distributed to sanctuary managers. Across Africa there are 18 sanctuaries housing over 500 African great apes. Facilities and ideologies vary but the majority of sanctuaries profess a commitment to conservation through education, local capacity building, facilitating the enforcement of wildlife laws and other activities. From 1996 to 2001 the non-governmental organisation Habitat Ecologique et Liberte des Primates has released 37 wild-born chimpanzees(Pan troglodytes troglodytes) from an island sanctuary to mainland forest in the Conkouati-Douli National Park, Republic of Congo. Twenty-seven chimpanzees have been successfully reintroduced, three are known to have died and the status of seven remains unknown. This thesis investigated the behavioural adaptation of 15 of these released chimpanzees and reviews the reintroduction process employed. Analyses of post-release behavioural data revealed that activity budgets and diet were comparable to those of wild chimpanzees, and that seasonal variation influenced feeding behaviour and plant speciess election. The chimpanzees utilised both terrestrial and arboreal zones and all nested in trees. A number of recommendations are made for future reintroduction projects. These include selecting a release site that has no, or a low density of, wild conspecifics; developing a relationship of trust between chimpanzee and caretakers without excessive dependency; using the release site for pre-release training; use of radio telemetry; post-release support and monitoring. This study has revealed the many complex factors that are involved in the reintroduction process. Future attempts to reintroduce chimpanzees should be guided by the experiences and recommendations of the present study to maximise success.