Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa, is a central African state that exhibits low levels of performance across all four categories of the Global State of Democracy framework. It is among the bottom 25 per cent of countries with regard to Representation, Rights and Rule of Law. Over the past five years, however, it has seen marked improvements in Rule of Law and has not suffered from any declines.
DRC is economically dependent on its mining industry,which has left it vulnerable to commodity price fluctuations and exploitation. DRC gained independence from over five decades of Belgian colonization in 1960, which was characterised by corruption, human rights abuses, and impunity. These challenges continue in a country that has also endured decades of armed conflict in its eastern provinces and related humanitarian crises, and a history of autocratic clientelist political rule since its independence. Despite being burdened by one of the worst poverty rates in the world, its economic outlook is one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
DRC’s political history has been marked by extreme levels of graft. Former President Joseph-Desire Mobutu, who took power in a bloodless coup and ruled from 1965 to 1997, amassed a personal fortune of between 5 and 10 billion USD while using Western support to maintain political stability. Rampant corruption, often fuelled by the illegal mining of the country’s vast natural resources, has continued to mark the landscape. Armed conflict has also been a defining feature of the context, colouring the entire region; up to eight African countries have been involved at certain points. There are hundreds of rebel groups operating in DRC and some are believed to be supported by neighbouring states which has resulted in strained regional relations. Notably, eastern DRC (North and South Kivu and Ituri) have become the site of ethnic conflict and violent resource competition, which have also resulted in controversial United Nations peacekeeping interventions dating to 1999. Long-standing ethnic tensions have resulted in discrimination and violence against groups such as the Ethnic Twa persons and Rwandaphones, while complex inter-communal violence between different ethnic groups persist.
DRC is among the world’s bottom 25 per cent with regard to performance on Gender Equality. Over the course of the conflict, an estimated one million women have been raped and sexual violence has been used as a weapon of war. UN peacekeepers have also been accused of sexual exploitation. The attainment of gender equality is also challenged by significant gender gaps in the labour market and low representation of women in political leadership despite the law providing for gender parity.
Political influence on DRC courts significantly impairs Judicial Independence. Broader institutional reforms are needed to prevent dubious elections in the future and to promote accountability for the corruption that plagues the country. DRC confronts numerous domestic and regional threats to its human rights and democracy performance, which are worsened by DRC’s lack of control over the use of force. The extensive conflict and instability impact all aspects of democracy, and performance across all categories should be monitored.
Monthly Event Reports
March 2024 | Democratic Republic of the Congo reinstates death penalty
In a circular dated 13 March, the Ministry of Justice revealed that in February the government had decided to lift the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) 21-year moratorium on the use of the death penalty. According to the circular, the decision was motivated by the need ‘to rid our country’s army of traitors…and to stem the resurgence of acts of terrorism and urban banditry.’ A date was not given for the implementation of the decision. The weaknesses of the DRC’s judicial system, recently acknowledged by President Tshisekedi, have given rise to fears amongst Congolese rights activists that the reinstatement of the death penalty will lead to summary executions. Jeune Afrique reported security sources who indicated that the ‘public execution of soldiers’ accused of collaborating with Rwanda and the M23 rebels operating in the east of the country were likely already being planned. Amnesty International called the government’s decision ‘a huge step backward’ and ‘even more alarming’ in the context of growing state repression.
February 2024 | Violence in east increases, as does international involvement
The level of violence in the long-running conflicts in the eastern states of the country increased considerably in the first two months of 2024. In February, the M23 rebel group advanced further towards the city of Goma, causing at least 135,000 people to flee, adding to the hundreds of thousands who have already been internally displaced. There were also credible reports that heavier weaponry, including surface-to-air missiles, rocket artillery, and armed drones, was being used in the conflict. Relations between the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda also deteriorated, suggesting that a further intensification of the conflict is possible in the coming months.
December 2023 | Felix Tshisekedi wins second term as President
General elections (for members of local councils, the National Assembly and the president) were held on 20 December. The context included a lack of transportation infrastructure, violent conflict in the east, and many thousands of internally displaced persons. The voting period was extended in some locations by several days in an attempt to overcome logistical and procedural problems. The official results showed that incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi won re-election with 73.3 per cent of the valid votes. His party, Union for Democracy and Social Progress (Union pour la Démocratie et le Progrès Social, UDPS), won the most seats in the National Assembly, and together with its coalition partners will have a strong majority. Turnout was 41.0 per cent of those registered, down from 45.4 per cent in the last general election in 2018. Women continued to be underrepresented among the candidates for office. Only two of the 26 candidates for President were women, and less than one third of the 100,000 candidates for the various offices were women. Observers noted a large number of logistical and procedural problems, ranging from long delays in opening polling places, to fights, and even polling places that were ransacked or set on fire. Despite these problems, the Supreme Court dismissed appeals and confirmed the official result on 9 January 2024.
October 2023 | State of siege eased in North Kivu and Ituri despite continuing violence
As the Democratic Republic of the Congo prepares for a general election in December, President Felix Tshisekedi announced on 12 October that the state of siege that has been in place in North Kivu and Ituri provinces since 2021 would be eased. Specifically, while the state of siege will not be ended, the curfew has been lifted and peaceful demonstrations are permitted. These measures are part of a transitional process that will re-empower civilian authorities in the two provinces. However, the security situation which the state of siege was supposed to address has not improved.
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GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022
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