Small arms in Eastern Congo: A survey on the perception of insecurity

The proliferation of small arms has assumed frightening proportions in Eastern Congo, alongside with wars of rebellion and other related phenomena such as banditry; operations by armed Congolese and foreign groups; ethnic strife; poor discipline among the security forces and the illegal exploitation of natural resources. This toxic combination has created a spiral of poverty and inequality. large numbers of civilians are now armed, either as a means of self-protection or for acts of plunder.