South Kivu

A República Democrática do Congo tem sofrido, nos último 20 anos, os momentos mais trágicos de sua história. O país foi palco da Primeira e da Segunda Guerra do Congo – esta também chamada de "Guerra Mundial Africana", conflito armado que mais matou desde a Segunda Guerra Mundial. Contudo, mesmo após o fim formal das conflagrações, o país vive um "estado de violência", no qual milhões de pessoas já morreram e outras centenas de milhares estão deslocadas, refugiadas ou têm sido vítimas de violência sexual. O autor questiona as razões para a continuidade dos conflitos armados nesse riquíssimo país africano, trazendo respostas instigantes, relacionadas ao processo de construção dos Estados africanos.

ABSTRACT
Assessing agronomic and economic efficiencies of NPK rates on maize (Zea mays L.) production in Kalehe and Ruzizi Plain.
KAMOLE MULASHE Rodrigue, MULUMUNA WA LOLA Janvier, WALANGULULU MASAMBA Jean
rodrigue.mulashe@gmail.com
In the South-Kivu Province, maize is the most cultivated cereal, although yields are low due mainly to low soil fertility and underuse of appropriated agricultural inputs such as fertilizers because of the low financial capacity. However, those who use fertilizers apply rates that, sometimes, are not fitted with the local pedo-climatic and socio-economical context, implying often wastage and lack of fertilizer use efficiency.
Thus, to assess both agronomic and economic efficiencies of six NPK fertilizer rates [T0 (NPK 0-0-0), T1 (NPK 15-15-10 + 10t FYM), T2 (NPK 45-15-10 + 10t FYM), T3 (NPK 90-30-15 + 10t FYM), T4 (NPK 120-50-40 + 10t FYM) and T5 (NPK 0-0-0 + 10t FYM)]; a multi locations trial was installed in 3 locations in Kalehe (Kalehe-centre, Kasheke and Muhongoza) and in Ruzizi plain (Kiliba, Biriba and Muhongoza). Results have shown that:
NPK 15-15-10 + 10t FYM gave the highest yield in Biriba, in Kalehe-centre and Muhongoza; NPK 45-15-10 + 10t FYM and NPK 90-30-15 + 10t FYM rates gave the highest yield respectively in Runingu and Kiliba while application of 10tons of farm-yard manure gave the best yield in Kasheke.
The highest Agronomic efficiency was obtained by NPK 15-15-10 + 10t FYM in all sites except in Runingu where NPK 45-15-10 + 10t FYM gave the highest value of Agronomic efficiency. EA/EAmax ratio globally followed a downward trend as the fertilizer rates increased, suggesting losses of nutrients.
On the economic point of view, NPK 15-15-10 + 10t FYM brought the most interesting income and the highest benefit cost ratio in Biriba, Kalehe-centre and Muhongoza, and so the highest economic efficiency in these 3 sites, and also in Kasheke and Kiliba (respectively BCR of 15,3 ; 20,9 ; 4 ; 16,17 ; and 12,1 clearly superior than 2 which is the profitability critical level according to the FAO criterion). In Runingu, NPK 45-15-10 + 10t FYM was the most economically interesting treatment, with an economic efficiency value of 6,2 also superior than 2, therefore economically efficient.
Key-words: Agronomic efficiency, NPK rates, maize, Kalehe, Ruzizi plain
Contacts: (+243) 971007990, 850764586, 819411936
Mail: rodrigue.mulashe@gmail.com

Ce mémoire a pour objet l’étude des processus de Désarmement, Démobilisation et Réintégration (DDR) en parallèle de la problématique des enfants soldats. Elle essaie de comprendre la manière dont sont pris en charge ces derniers dans les programmes de DDR élaborés et mis en œuvre en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC), plus spécifiquement dans le Plan National de DDR III lancé en mai 2015, en se basant sur les standards internationaux traitant de la question.

L'instabilité actuelle en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) a son origine dans le règne de l'ancien Président Mobutu Sese Seko au cours des années 1980. La décadence économique du pays fut exacerbée par la fin de la Guerre Froide en 1991 ainsi que la rupture avec le système économique et politique international. La RDC est devenue la source de plusieurs conflits pendant de nombreuses années. La décennie 1990 a coïncidé avec une forte dégradation de la situation de paix et de sécurité dans le pays, créant une situation de crise grave qui continue à préoccuper le monde jusqu'à ce jour. Ces dernières années, les provinces du Nord-Kivu et du Sud-Kivu (le Kivu) sont devenues l'épicentre de la violence en RDC. Les dynamiques dans les deux provinces sont complexes, entrainant de graves conséquences en ce qui concerne la sécurité humaine dans la région des Grands-Lacs. Cet article vise à contribuer à une meilleure compréhension du lien entre les conflits au Kivu et la persistance de l'instabilité périodique en RDC. Il analyse et critique les efforts de stabilisation post- conflit entrepris dans le pays depuis la fin de la Deuxième Guerre du Congo. L'article conclut que la résolution de différents conflits en RDC exige une meilleure compréhension des causes des foyers spécifiques des tensions, notamment ceux du Kivu, et ceci devra contribuer à l'identification des solutions durables aux confrontations armées. Enfin, l'article fait un nombre de propositions qui, une fois mises en oeuvre, pourront contribuer à sortir le Kivu et, par extension, la RDC, de sa longue période de crise.

Promotion of improved crop varieties is an effective means of increasing farm productivity and alleviating poverty in rural areas. A successful dissemination of such varieties requires a deep understanding of target farmers’ attitudes, preferences and socio-economic status. This study aimed at assessing factors linked to smallholder farmers’ adoption decision for improved sweet potato varieties (ISPVs) in South-Kivu. A household survey was conducted on 360 smallholder farmers from four South-Kivu territories, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including Idjwi, Kabare, Kalehe and Walungu, and data were analyzed using a logit regression model. The adoption decision was negatively affected by farmers’ age and the field-to-house distance. In contrast, the ISPVs adoption was favored by farmers’ education level, reduced farm size, off-farm incomes, high monthly income and use of hired farm labor. Besides, farmers’ cooperative membership, access to credit and planting materials, and contacts with extension services were instrumental in adopting improved sweet potato varieties in South-Kivu. This study highlighted the need to strengthen extension services, seed delivery systems, and amending the credit systems for increased impact on improved varieties adoption among South-Kivu sweet potato farmers.

Promotion of improved crop varieties is an effective means of increasing farm productivity and alleviating poverty in rural areas. A successful dissemination of such varieties requires a deep understanding of target farmers’ attitudes, preferences and socio-economic status. This study aimed at assessing factors linked to smallholder farmers’ adoption decision for improved sweet potato varieties (ISPVs) in South-Kivu. A household survey was conducted on 360 smallholder farmers from four South-Kivu territories, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including Idjwi, Kabare, Kalehe and Walungu, and data were analyzed using a logit regression model. The adoption decision was negatively affected by farmers’ age and the field-to-house distance. In contrast, the ISPVs adoption was favored by farmers’ education level, reduced farm size, off-farm incomes, high monthly income and use of hired farm labor. Besides, farmers’ cooperative membership, access to credit and planting materials...

Soil erosion risk assessment in South-Kivu longs for the colonial epoch, while the province faces the problem of extreme degradation of land in the form of soil erosion. Thus, the study attempts to assess the soil erosion at the province level using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in conjunction with the Geographical Information System (GIS), and remote sensing data. The estimated total soil erosion was 2.084 million tons; with an annual average of 138.2 t ha-1 yr-1. Moreover, the soil loss greater than 100 t ha-1 yr-1 accounts for 45.2% of the total erosive land. The soil erosion worsening nearly the entire territories range between 87 t ha-1 yr-1 in Shabunda to 248 t ha-1 yr-1 in Uvira. Under high aggressiveness of rainfall with mean of 1857.19 mm/y, the highest rate found in Perennial crop, Trees, and Cropland in contrast to Shrub and closed Forest was mainly due to the mean slope of 22% found in the former Land cover categories compared to 17% of Shrubland and closed forest. The adoption of terracing could reduce by 76% the current rate of cropland i.e. from (162.12 t ha-1 yr-1 to 38 t ha-1 yr-1). Therefore it is strongly recommended.