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Response

Struggle for Peace

International diplomatic activity to halt the violence of the second civil war produced a peace agreement signed in Lusaka, Zambia, in 1999. The Lusaka Accord between Angola, DRC, Namibia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe set a timetable for the removal of foreign forces from DRC and established an interim Congolese government that included representatives of the Congolese rebel groups in the east. In 2003, foreign forces officially withdrew and a transitional government was established.

The military allegiances of the various parties to the conflict, including militias, the Congolese army, and outside forces—particularly the Rwandans—have shifted over the years. These parties have fought against each other or with each other as their interests and opportunities have evolved.

Elections

In July 2006, the DRC held its first election in more than 40 years. In advance of the elections, various political and armed groups jockeyed for power. While the political struggles were often played out in the capital of Kinshasa, in the war-torn eastern region the scramble for power produced violence, much of it ethnically based. Many actors, including Congolese leaders and the neighboring governments of Rwanda and Uganda, manipulated ethnic grievances and fear in eastern DRC to achieve political, military, and economic advantages, which contributed to regional insecurity and instability. Laurent Kabila's son Joseph, who had assumed power after his father's assassination in 2001, won the presidency.

The election signified the end of a three-year transition period during which time the country moved from intense war to a system of power-sharing between the former government, former armed forces, opposition parties, and civil society. However, national and local structures remained incapable of ensuring basic security for communities or providing transparent management of resources and wealth. They were also unable to address corruption, poverty, lack of development, and ethnic and regional tensions. These issues continue to this day.

In November 2011, the people of DRC went to the polls for the second time in their history. Joseph Kabila again won the election, with 49 percent of the vote, but the election was widely contested as flawed and marred by widespread irregularities, particularly in the vote tabulation stage. Most public protests about the election results were shut down.

In 2018, the most recent presidential election was held. Though disputed by many, President Félix Tshisekedi won the presidency, marking the first peaceful transfer of power in the DRC’s history. In December 2023, President Tshisekedi won a second term as President in an election process marred with irregularities and followed by protests from opposition leaders. While Tshisekedi has now been sworn in, grievance and criticism over the elections are likely to fester.

Humanitarian Crisis

Today, numerous international and local nongovernmental and governmental organizations sustain a large-scale humanitarian effort in eastern DRC. They struggle to provide food, shelter, and medical aid to hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced persons caught in upsurges of violence. There are also organizations working on development, disarmament and demobilization, education, and other social programs. However, continuing waves of violence in the region have drastically impaired the ability of relief organizations to serve vulnerable populations. The United Nations peacekeeping force, MONUSCO, is one of the largest in the world, but it remains small compared to the tasks it faces and the area it covers. President Tshisekedi called for the complete withdrawal of MONUSCO by the end of 2024 despite the dire security situation in the east. Tshisekedi has called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to provide troops. In December 2023, SADC dispatched troops to engage insurgents in North Kivu province. Many Congolese remain concerned about the capacity of SADC or the Congolese armed forces to protect the civilian population from powerful armed groups.