Report

The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Elections and Beyond

“Firstly there is the need to enhance stability across the whole country. The current violence in North Kivu and the violent incidents in Kinshasa during the electoral period confirmed that the government is unable to provide security and protect its people. A top priority for the next months and years is therefore military reform that would lead to a unified and professional armed forces and the political will to undertake this task. The second main challenge is the need for improvement of state performance (executive, legislative and various other institutions) – radically and quickly. The state now needs to deliver what the Congolese people have been waiting for too long. If the new regime fails to change, fails to deliver and fails to improve in terms of transparency and accountability, there is a potential for dangerous social unrest and protest, increased instability and potential violence.”