Papers by Jean-Marie Mbutamuntu
Academia Letters, 2022
This paper briefly deciphers the level of DRC’s dependence on China. It considers it from the poi... more This paper briefly deciphers the level of DRC’s dependence on China. It considers it from the point of view of trade volume, the construction of economic and social infrastructures, the promotion of social mobility and the transfer of skills, and solidarity in the fight against COVID-19. Finally, this article proposes a reading grid which, from the outset, refutes any fixed opinion and any definitive point of view — by apprehending the concept of DRC’s dependence on China from three (3) logical angles: a means of circumventing Western dependence (1); which consequently places DRC in a "complex dilemma" (2), and exposes it to ill — considered risks, especially in times of crisis (3). Hence the need for DRC to anticipate not only to avoid collisions between its main strategic partners, but above all to reduce its economic and even structural dependence on them [both "conservative" and"progressive"] by diversifying its economy and its partners.
Academia Letters, 2022
France’s traditional policy in Africa, born after the independence of cataclysms, does not know h... more France’s traditional policy in Africa, born after the independence of cataclysms, does not know how to make exception to the fundamental notion of the life cycle. It was born, grew up, and continues to age as it heads towards its probable end of cycle — end of its history — as a result of its gradual and continuous decline. This paper therefore briefly outlines the gradual decline of France’s traditional policy in Africa from the 1990s to this new era of globalization. The years of the Cold War between the United States and the USSR are well seen as those of the birth, growth and golden age of the said policy. Rather, the post-Cold War years between the US and the USSR are seen more as the years of its awakening, decline and probable end of history. From the years of its birth — the era of facade independence — to this new era of globalization, the said policy is seen moving from libertinage and coercive prescriber gendarme to "peacekeeper" and reserves; from collusion to the pronounced appearance of arm-wrestling and criticism; from tacit legitimacy to pronounced fed up; switches to the progressive breakdown of privileges, monopolies and abusive dominations; and from the open sky to hypocrisy, taboo and sacrilege. Finally, the question that arises here is: are we heading towards the end of history of the said policy?
![Research paper thumbnail of Understanding the Strategic Opposition between the Build Back Better World [B3W] and Belt and Road Initiative [BRI]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/85241890/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Academia Letters, 2022
This paper discusses the strategic clash between the Build Back Better World [B3W] and the Belt a... more This paper discusses the strategic clash between the Build Back Better World [B3W] and the Belt and Road Initiative [BRI] — and briefly outlines its perspective implications at the global and African levels. It is true, indeed, that developing countries need an estimated $40 trillion in infrastructure and development financing to close an investment gap and propel them toward prosperity, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet for at least two decades, China has been the leading funder of infrastructure development in Africa — thanks in part to its mega-project known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). But last year, the G7 countries also launched the "Build Back Better World" (B3W) initiative — a kind of strategic partnership to mobilize infrastructure investment in low — and middle-income countries, including those in Africa. A close reading of the two initiatives suggests some strategic ambivalence — in terms of objectives, membership, costs, values and sectors. Despite the "geopolitical rivalry" or "geostrategic competition" between the two initiatives, however, this paper sees the B3W as an indispensable complement to the BRI — one that can offer healthy competition to the Chinese initiative, while simply focusing on its core mission of providing high-quality, sustainable infrastructure to developing countries—of Africa in particular.
Academia Letters, 2021
This paper proposes to explain why African youth can be both an “opportunity” (asset) and a“risk”... more This paper proposes to explain why African youth can be both an “opportunity” (asset) and a“risk” (problem) in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The paper begins by defining the theoretical framework of the analysis. It then presents the demographic trends in Africa to illustrate the place of African youth in the paradigmatic renewal of the continent. From these trends, it makes two fundamental arguments justifying the interest of relying on African youth in order to capitalize on the gains of the AfCFTA. Finally, this paper considers that relying on youth for effective implementation of the AfCFTA is of undeniable importance for two reasons: (1) Because youth are a catalyst for the future progress of the continent. (2) Because youth can be a liability if nothing is done to address unemployment; boost quality job creation; change the youth training paradigm; and promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
Open Journal of Social Sciences, 2021
The need to ensure freshwater security remains sacrosanct to the survival and security of humanit... more The need to ensure freshwater security remains sacrosanct to the survival and security of humanity. While various studies on water security continue to draw the world's attention to future threats and risks against humanity's better survival and security-following the current management of our various waterways. It is in this light that this paper proposes to explain why access to water may well be a major stake of conflicts in this 21st century. After debate and discussion, the results that emerge from this paper show that the multiplication of threats arising from climate change, which continues to worsen in this century, coupled with the hybrid policies and activities of various actors at stake, and combined with the singular characteristics of water-including, notably, a resource that guarantees our existence, a scarce resource, an unevenly distributed resource, and a resource that is shared among several states, nationalities and social categories-emerge two fundamental implications. The first is that of the great need for cooperation between riparian states, nationalities and various social categories; and the second is that exhibits the great likelihood of conflicts between them-to the competing uses of the shared water resource and the conquering spirits of one another. By using a few cases of bellicose rhetoric on the Tigris-Euphrates, Jordan, Indus, Syr-Daria, Nile, Congo, Colorado and Rio Grande watersheds, this paper makes a bitter observation of the predominant tendency of the second implication-the conflictual one-over the first-the cooperative one-in this twenty-first century that ostensibly denotes that water should be taken seriously as a major stake of conflicts in this century. Thus, this paper considers that it is important and time for humanity to promote transboundary water cooperation between states and nationalities of shared river basins; and integrated water management in the steps of good governance at all levels, in the sense of avoiding a flare-up of the situation and limiting to the maximum a worsening where the violins do not agree anymore.
Academia Letters, 2021
This paper proposes to explain why African youth can be both an “opportunity” (asset) and a“risk”... more This paper proposes to explain why African youth can be both an “opportunity” (asset) and a“risk” (problem) in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The paper begins by defining the theoretical framework of the analysis. It then presents the demographic trends in Africa to illustrate the place of African youth in the paradigmatic renewal of the continent. From these trends, it makes two fundamental arguments justifying the interest of relying on African youth in order to capitalize on the gains of the AfCFTA. Finally, this paper considers that relying on youth for effective implementation of the AfCFTA is of undeniable importance for two reasons: (1) Because youth are a catalyst for the future progress of the continent. (2) Because youth can be a liability if nothing is done to address unemployment; boost quality job creation; change the youth training paradigm; and promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
Drafts by Jean-Marie Mbutamuntu
by Benjamin Mwadi Makengo, Joseph Mimbale, Gracien Mwadi Kapita, ESPOIR L U K A U MATEZO, scheel mutombo, CHRISTEL MPONGO NZIAZI, Willy Kalala Kankonde, Félicité Langwana, Patience Kamanda, Théo-Macaire Kaminar, Patrice Mukulu Nduku Bénis, Patrice Mukulu Nduku Bénis, Richard Kakesa, Jean-Marie Mbutamuntu, and Germain Kuna Maba Mambuku Preprint, 2022
This article seeks to explain why the confrontation between the "Build Back Better World" [B3W] v... more This article seeks to explain why the confrontation between the "Build Back Better World" [B3W] versus the "Belt and Road Initiative" [BRI] might well place Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as the case for many other developing countries, in a "complex dilemma". The latter is understood here as a situation in which, faced with a choice between two paths to follow, it appears not only difficult to go in one direction against the other, but also to manage to balance the two at the same time, without taking a position [neutrality or third path] and without creating pronounced imbalances between the blocks of the "conservatives" and the "progressives"represented here respectively by the United States and China. The complexity of this dilemma is viewed in the strategic choice to be made and the possible costs in the aftermath of its choice for its survival. By using secondary data extracted from international and national sources, the methodology used in the elaboration of this document is essentially qualitative, based on the strategic analytical approach. However, we privileged not only purely theoretical analyses explaining the reasons for this "complex dilemma", but also numerical illustrations via figures and statistical tables. After analysis and discussion, the results that emerge from this paper clearly show that beyond the different possible opportunities presented by the confrontation between B3W and BRI following to the "conservative-progressive competition", due to its different assets, weaknesses and problems, DRC-as the case for certain developing countries, is in the prey of this "complex dilemma". This is due to a number of fundamental reasons: its strategic character in the eyes of both "conservatives" and "progressives"; its pronounced dependence on both China and the Western world; and its fragility due to problems of leadership and political governance. To conclude, this paper reasoned that it is up to DRC to prepare, preserve itself and learn from its past mistakes in order to better define the fundamental strategic options for its best survival. It is also up to DRC to reshape its political model, in particular by strengthening its political governance, but above all by working towards the formation of an innovative leadership capable of capitalizing on the opportunities arising from such a confrontation-all the while trying to contain, limit, and even prevent the possible risks.
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Papers by Jean-Marie Mbutamuntu
Drafts by Jean-Marie Mbutamuntu