Maintaining continuity
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has been present in the Great Lakes region since 1963. The objective of Swiss cooperation has always been to help reduce poverty by providing technical expertise and financial resources. Following the civil wars of the 1990s, that ravaged Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the SDC has concentrated its commitments to social reconciliation and peace building, aimed to create conditions for stability and economic development in the region. The SDC programmes have targeted the strengthening of participatory democracy and supported the establishment of regional initiatives.
