Congo, The Democratic Republic of the
Reports on Congo, The Democratic Republic of the See all →
The risks of the post-Kabila era in the DRC
President Felix Tshisekedi came to power in the Democratic Republic of the Congo thanks to an agreement with the former long-reigning president, Joseph Kabila. After the deal fell through in 2020, he began co-opting Kabila loyalists to consolidate his power. However, it seems unlikely that he will undertake the reforms needed to lift the country out of extreme poverty and stabilize its volatile security situation.
In postelection DRC, transition looks like restoration
After delaying elections for two years, former DRC President Joseph Kabila hit upon a clever stratagem to resolve his “third-term” problem. Borrowing a page from Vladimir Putin’s book, he appears to have arranged for a stand-in, nominally from the opposition, to win the presidency in a manipulated ballot. Mr. Kabila ...
Joseph Kabila will not be moved
For long-serving presidents in sub-Saharan Africa, there are few incentives to step down. That applies to President Joseph Kabila in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who has managed to extend his term beyond the constitutional limits. The country has been in a deep crisis since 2015, and conditions are primed ...
DRC’s problems start with a forced unitary state
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is mired in conflict that is causing death and starvation on a huge scale. Violence among tribes or between regions and the central government has been a near-constant feature of the country since its independence from Belgium in 1960. This is because of its ...
Crisis in the DRC
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been one of Africa’s most troubled states since it won independence from Belgium in 1960. Perhaps fittingly, its latest crisis was defused by a last-minute agreement on New Year’s Eve between President Joseph Kabila and the opposition. Will it last?
