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• [Publication] No rebel without a cause. Shifting the debate about conflict minerals in eastern DRC

  • Precluding conflict financing through the minerals sector has come to be seen as the panacea to ending conflicts in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The US Dodd-Frank-Act (2010) and European draft legislation attempt to reduce the financing of armed groups in conflict zones by asking companies to conduct due diligence along their supply chains to avoid the purchase of “conflict minerals”. This Working Paper lays open the misconceptions that have led to such a narr...

• [Publication] No rebel without a cause. Shifting the debate about conflict minerals in eastern DRC

  • Precluding conflict financing through the minerals sector has come to be seen as the panacea to ending conflicts in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The US Dodd-Frank-Act (2010) and European draft legislation attempt to reduce the financing of armed groups in conflict zones by asking companies to conduct due diligence along their supply chains to avoid the purchase of “conflict minerals”. This Working Paper lays open the misconceptions that have led to such a narr...

• [Project] The Role of External Actors in civil war economies in Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Since 2003, a research programme at BICC on so-called war economies has aimed to shed light on the specific impact of external economic actors, a diverse group that includes multinationals, (neighbouring) countries, private persons, local firms, etc. on the conflict situation. One of the guiding questions was what constitutes a war economy, and how its structural features differ from a 'normal' situation. Subject to analysis were countries and regions in Sub-Sahara Africa, where a vast number of...

• [Project] The Role of External Actors in civil war economies in Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Since 2003, a research programme at BICC on so-called war economies has aimed to shed light on the specific impact of external economic actors, a diverse group that includes multinationals, (neighbouring) countries, private persons, local firms, etc. on the conflict situation. One of the guiding questions was what constitutes a war economy, and how its structural features differ from a 'normal' situation. Subject to analysis were countries and regions in Sub-Sahara Africa, where a vast number of...

• [Project] The Role of External Actors in civil war economies in Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Since 2003, a research programme at BICC on so-called war economies has aimed to shed light on the specific impact of external economic actors, a diverse group that includes multinationals, (neighbouring) countries, private persons, local firms, etc. on the conflict situation. One of the guiding questions was what constitutes a war economy, and how its structural features differ from a 'normal' situation. Subject to analysis were countries and regions in Sub-Sahara Africa, where a vast number of...

• [Staff] Marie Müller-Koné

  • Senior Researcher
  • Publication: Débrouillardise: certifying ‘conflict-free’ minerals in a context of regulatory pluralism in South Kivu, DR Congo, Please find the article here.
  • In her position as researcher with BICC, Marie’s research interests have shifted from grievances in the context of large-scale and small-scale mining and oil extraction projects and the governance of resource extraction in Africa to the politics of land and political contestation and human-nature-relations and socioecological transformation more broadly.   She was centrally involved in the acquiring of funds for the project B03 - “Violent futures? Contestations along the frontier” that is c...

• [Staff] Marie Müller-Koné

  • Senior Researcher
  • Publication: Débrouillardise: certifying ‘conflict-free’ minerals in a context of regulatory pluralism in South Kivu, DR Congo, Please find the article here.
  • In her position as researcher with BICC, Marie’s research interests have shifted from grievances in the context of large-scale and small-scale mining and oil extraction projects and the governance of resource extraction in Africa to the politics of land and political contestation and human-nature-relations and socioecological transformation more broadly.   She was centrally involved in the acquiring of funds for the project B03 - “Violent futures? Contestations along the frontier” that is c...

• [Staff] Marie Müller-Koné

  • Senior Researcher
  • Publication: Débrouillardise: certifying ‘conflict-free’ minerals in a context of regulatory pluralism in South Kivu, DR Congo, Please find the article here.
  • In her position as researcher with BICC, Marie’s research interests have shifted from grievances in the context of large-scale and small-scale mining and oil extraction projects and the governance of resource extraction in Africa to the politics of land and political contestation and human-nature-relations and socioecological transformation more broadly.   She was centrally involved in the acquiring of funds for the project B03 - “Violent futures? Contestations along the frontier” that is c...

• [Staff] Lena Guesnet

  • Researcher, Project Coordinator
  • Publication: No rebel without a cause. Shifting the debate about conflict minerals in eastern DRC, Precluding conflict financing through the minerals sector has come to be seen as the panacea to ending conflicts in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The US Dodd-Frank-Act (2010) and European draft legislation attempt to reduce the financing of armed groups in conflict zones by asking companies to conduct due diligence along their supply chains to avoid the purchase of “conflict m...
  • Publication: How to enforce due diligence? Making EU-legislation on ‘Conflict Minerals’ effective, In the weeks and months ahead, the European parliament has a decisive role in reaching meaningful European legislation on the responsible sourcing of minerals from conflict regions. In mid- May 2015, it is due to vote on an EU regulation drafted by the European Commission. In BICC Policy Brief 2\2015 Marie Müller-Koné and Lena Guesnet give policy recommendations to enhance this process.The authors in particular...
  • MA Political Science 2007Lena holds a Diploma (MA-equivalent) from Marburg University in Political Science, Law, Peace and Conflict Studies.Before joining BICC, Lena studied Political Science in Marburg, Rennes and Berlin. During internships, she acquired knowledge in German development cooperation, e.g. at GTZ Kigali, Rwanda, where she worked within the programme “Support to the democratization and reconciliation process” (2006). At BICC, she started as a Research Assistant in the team on natur...

• [Publication] Implementing DDR in settings of ongoing conflict: The organization and fragmentation of armed groups in the Democratic Republ...

  Stability: International Journal of Security and Development

  • Implementing DDR in settings of ongoing conflict: The organization and fragmentation of armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
  • Although it is common for armed groups to splinter (or “fragment”) during contexts of multi-party civil war, current guidance on Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) does not address the challenges that arise when recalcitrant fighters, unwilling to report to DDR, break ranks and form new armed groups. This Practice Note addresses this issue, drawing lessons from the multi-party context of the DRC and from the experiences of former members of three armed groups: the Rally for