The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is helping to promote dialogue to prevent land disputes in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), one of the largest issues facing refugees returning to the region, according to a release posted on the UN website Monday.
"There is now a real window of opportunity to help uprooted Congolese return and rebuild their lives," Nasir Fernandes, the head of the agency's office in Uvira, said.
The main thrust of the UNHCR's efforts is to use a combination of communication, collaboration and reintegration to ensure stable relationships between returnees and those who remained in eastern DRC's province of South Kivu.
In a project called Search for Common Ground backed by the agency, 75 actors have been trained in conflict analysis and to listen to communities' concerns. The actors will set up dialogues allowing audiences to take part in a bid to find constructive ways to end disputes.
The initiative has reached over 400,000 people in the past 18 months in the main areas of return in South Kivu and parts of neighboring Katanga province.
The UNHCR also assists in resolving land disputes with traditional mediation committees, which are often the only means available in the absence of effective government institutions.
Source:Xinhua
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