From Dictatorship and War to Democracy: Alternative Future for the DRC

Authors

Claude Kambuya Kabemba, The Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa

Abstract

With a transitional government in place, peace is now a possibility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Policy options are being considered to sustain the peace and start the work of building a Congolese state that would not repeat the failings of the past. There is hope that the transitional period will produce democratic elections and subsequently a legitimate government, which would start to shake the view of the DRC as the "heart of darkness." There are two main obstacles to state-building in the DRC: lack of consensus on governance and illegal exploitation of resources. The two are interlinked. Unless consensus is reached on governance, it will be difficult to stop the looting of resources and the cycle of violence that goes with it.

Recommended Citation

Kabemba, Claude Kambuya (2005) "From Dictatorship and War to Democracy: Alternative Future for the DRC," New England Journal of Public Policy: Vol. 19: Iss. 2, Article 23.
Available at: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol19/iss2/23