IRIN interview with Social Affairs Minister Ingele Ifoto

Ingele Ifoto, minister of social affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), spoke with IRIN on Thursday regarding the development of a national strategy for social protection, following a conference on the matter that was held from 20 - 22 February. The DRC, a vast central African country with some 60 million people, is in the midst of major transition: a government of national unity was inaugurated on 30 June 2003, ostensibly bringing an end to nearly five years of war and leading the country to national elections in 2005. According to Ifoto, the war caused at least three million deaths, and at least 1.7 million people remain displaced. Many other segments of the population also continue to suffer the war's effects, including child soldiers, orphans, raped women, war widows, war injured, and the unemployed, among others, he added. In an effort to categorize vulnerable persons and provide them with appropriate support, pilot studies were carried out nationwide under the aegis of the ministry of social affairs. The findings of these studies were discussed during February's national conference, in an effort to develop a national strategy for social protection. QUESTION: A national workshop on social protection has recently concluded, and its final resolutions were submitted to you so that they could be included in a nationwide strategy. What can you tell us about this workshop? ANSWER: From 20 to 22 February in Mbanza Ngungu, in Bas-Congo Province [southwestern DRC], a national workshop was held to review a preliminary study of risks and vulnerabilities in the DRC. The objective of the workshop was to verify the findings from the various provinces in order to integrate this information in to the drafting of a national strategy for social protection. Q: Who will be taking part in this process? A: Let me put this workshop into its proper historical context. In the absence of a coherent and rational policy, adapted to the problems of vulnerability in the DRC, my ministry initiated a pilot study. The primary objective was to identify and classify the major risks to which the Congolese people are exposed. Secondly, the study sought to identify and take a census of vulnerable groups, that is, the categories of Congolese exposed to various risks. Finally, the study tried to identify possible mechanisms to respond to the social problems that threaten these vulnerable groups. The study began at the grassroots, in the provinces, looking at various sectors. Following regional workshops held in Kisangani [northeastern DRC], Bukavu [east] Lubumbashi [southeast] and Kinshasa [the DRC capital, in the southwest], it was time to convene a national workshop to discuss the findings from the various provinces. Representatives from the provinces came, as did international and national consultants, as well as representatives from the ministry of planning and social affairs, including division chiefs from all provinces. It was a sharing of experiences that will enable us to draft a national strategy for social protection. Q: What are the major risks to which the Congolese people are exposed? A: The study identified a number of risks. There are, for example, political risks due to poor management of the public sector. Political risks can lead to war if we are not careful. There are economic risks. Bad governance can ruin the country's economy and render vulnerable the majority of the Congolese people. Today, you should know that 80 percent of Congolese are considered vulnerable. There can also be risks associated with natural disasters, for example, and those linked with various life events, such as unwanted pregnancies. These are among the risks we identified on the political, social, economic, cultural and natural fronts. Q: Which vulnerable groups are the most significant, according to your studies? A: Children in difficult situations: street children, demobilized child soldiers, orphans, handicapped, children whose parents are living with HIV/AIDS. These constitute some of the most significant vulnerable groups. I should also mention internally displaced persons, war victims, persons left handicapped by the war, and women who have been raped. Q: On what basis do you say that 80 percent of Congolese are vulnerable? A: Of a population of 60 million inhabitants, the war led to the deaths of at least three million people. As I speak to you, there are at least 1.7 million people still displaced by the war. I do not have statistics regarding orphans and those affected by HIV, whose physical and intellectual capacities may be reduced. To this should be added people left vulnerable by the war and the breakdown of the social fabric. The state no longer takes care of its employees. These are also vulnerable people. If these can be considered as "temporarily vulnerable", the other categories can be considered as "structurally vulnerable". If we think that the majority of the active Congolese population should be working, what level should we set for vulnerability if these people are not working? We do not have to look for figures, it is obvious to the eye: the majority of Congolese are vulnerable. Q: Currently, state employees are on strike. What is the government doing to improve conditions for these thousands of employees whom you have classified as being among the vulnerable? A: Well, that's another domain altogether. I do not know what the social consequences will be. Negotiations are underway. A dialogue has been established between the government and the unions. Solutions are in the process of being found. Q: With a national disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme still not in place, what can be done for child soldiers? A: There are an estimated 50,000 child soldiers to be demobilized across the country. They constitute a danger, a ticking time bomb if their demobilization is not taken seriously, because they have learned a trade: that of armed fighting. There are documents in place that allow for the process to begin while waiting for the implementation of that global programme. In fact, this DDR programme - for all categories concerned from the various former belligerent parties - is one of the keystones for stabilization of the political, military and security situations of the country. Child soldiers are more of a threat than street children, who are generally idle and lazy, but whose reintegration into society is nevertheless a major concern. There are more than 25,000 street children in the streets of Kinshasa alone, and more than 8,000 in Mbuji-Mayi, in Kasai Oriental Province. They can be found in all major cities of the country. Their total number must be more than 50,000. Q: Do you have the means to implement the resolutions of this workshop? A: All the crises we have known have had a major impact on the social sector. It has been our ambition at the ministry of social affairs to redefine the social sector. We have thought that success in the social sector could contribute to success in other sectors. Therefore, I can not say that we can not realize this ambition. We have initiated a process of reflection that led us to this study. Today we are happy that this study will result in a social protection strategy. We are carrying out this initiative with the logistical and financial support of the World Bank and the Central Coordination Office (Bureau central de coordination - BCCO). The study is looking at whether social protection measures have been effective on the ground. We must begin with reflection. When we have done this, we will be able to determine the means of implementing on the practical level what the study found at the conceptual level. Q: To what degree is the World Bank supporting this initiative? A: We are at the preliminary stage. We plan to organize a round table discussion with donors. At that point we will know to what degree they will participate. Q: Numerous studies conducted in the DRC have led to nothing. What will become of this study? A: The commitment of the government is certain. All depends on political will. Social protection is one of the government's priorities. Furthermore, donors and other multi-lateral and bi-lateral partners have agreed to help us in improving the social sector.