In addition to being in charge of the executory tasks of the government, the president also appoints the prime minister and judges and is commander and chief of armed forces. The population density, of 28 people per square kilometre, is comparatively low, creating intrinsic difficulties for. Conflicts in the democratic republic of congo united nations. Congos government has never effectively represented or. A president was elected by universal franchise for a fiveyear term and a national assembly of 500 representatives, a senate, provincial. Also listed might be any battle that occurred within the territory of. The impacts of warfare, mining, and protected areas on deforestation van butsic a. The 10 best democratic republic of the congo hotel deals may. This is a list of conflicts in democratic republic of the congo arranged chronologically from the early modern period to present day. Democratic republic of the congo, january 23, 2019. This is the 10th ebola outbreak in the democratic republic of congo. The democratic republic of the congo is, within its borders of 30 june 1960, a state based on the rule of law, independent, sovereign, united and indivisible, social, democratic and secular. Peace and conflict resolution from the democratic republic of.
Mar 08, 2011 the democratic republic of the congo has an abundance, as we all know, of valuable natural resources, water, arable land and people, making the drc a potential leader in terms of prosperity and verdate 0ct 09 2002 14. Congolese soldiers from the armed forces of the democratic republic of congo fardc rest in the forest after the army took control of an allied democratic forces adf rebel camp near the town of. The second congo war, also known as africas world war and the great war of africa, began in august 1998 in the democratic republic of the congo formerly called zaire, and officially ended in july 2003 when the transitional government of the democratic republic of the congo took power though hostilities continue to this day. Commercial and industrialscale activities represent major direct longterm threats to the. Many can attest that the momentum to kill and maim is still in full swing despite a peace agreement signed in 2003. Democratic republic of the congo is the very heart of the african continent. Conservation and conflict in the democratic republic of congo. Bulende and kabalole communities 27 4a conflict between banro mining company, artisanal miners and the local community 27 4a. The conflict in eastern congo has been the most deadly one since. The democratic republic of the congo has an abundance, as we all know, of valuable natural resources, water, arable land and people, making the drc a potential leader in terms of prosperity and verdate 0ct 09 2002 14. Democratic republic of the congo page 2 of 78 world.
The country has been dubbed the rape capital of the world and has suffered the deadliest war since the second world war. Since the late 19th century, congos vast natural resources have continually attracted violent intervention from abroad and stoked internal conflicts. Over the past two decades the eastern provinces of the democratic republic of the congo have experienced fighting that has killed more than five million people. Beyond emergency responses in the democratic republic of the congo 3 tanzania before being shipped to smelting and processing companies in asia. It rarely makes global headlines, but more than five million people have been killed in the democratic republic of congo drc in the past 20 years. Introduction we will be speaking about conflicts, wars and the church in the context of the democratic republic of congo. A report by the united states department of state under the heading. Belgiums king leopold ii claimed congo free state as his personal possession. Introduction this study is the result of a mix of ground investigation made in the past few years in the democratic republic of congo from here on, drc and in the neighboring countries of the great lakes region by the school for a culture of peace. Causes, impact and implications for the great lakes region executive summary the democratic republic of congo is recovering from conflicts, posting substantial improve ment in overall macroeconomic performance since the cessation of the war, on the back of robust copper and cobalt exports. The 10 best democratic republic of the congo hotel deals. Insecurity and violence against civilians in the democratic republic of congo drc is on the rise as the countrys president, joseph kabila, delays national elections and his commitment to step down from power.
For example, neighboring uganda has continued to clash with the lords resistance army in northeastern. Violence in the democratic republic of congo global. Democratic republic of congo executive summary despite its vast natural resources, the democratic republic of congo drc is one of the worlds poorest countries ranking 176th out of 188 countries in the 2015 human development report. The stable economic growth recorded in recent years has been jeopardized since 2016. It is with apprehension that the congolese public and the international community await the december 2016 election season, which marks the official end of president joseph. Though the war officially ended in 2003, eastern drc is still one of the most dangerous places on earth, especially for children and women. Transforming it is a priority in order to alleviate the con.
Backed by strong public support of his actions to reduce the violence in the drcs eastern regions, joseph kabila was reelected as president in 2011. Uganda, judgment, 19 december 2005, caserelated116116 20051219jud0100en. The democratic republic of the congo roots of the crisis the crisis in the democratic republic of the congo, or drc, has many layers. Nov 27, 2015 the democratic republic of the congo drc has never gotten a break it has suffered one humanitarian or political crisis after another and has been fraught with civil war and corruption for decades. Unfortunately, these actions were not without their. Violence initially flared in the kasai region of the democratic republic of the congo in august 2016, sparked by tensions between customary chiefs in kasaicentral province and the government. Center for civilians in conflict democratic republic of congo. We will be speaking about conflicts, wars and the church in the context of the. The democratic republic of the congo has an abundance of valuable natural resources, water, arable land, and people, making the drc a potential leader in terms of prosperity and development on the continent. Democratic republic of congo researched and compiled by the. Conflict profile since its period of colonial rule 19081960, dr congo has repeatedly suffered conflict. Conflict minerals and the democratic republic of congo. It is part of the ministry of environment, nature conservation and tourism. In 1960, the drc gained independence from king leopold ii and belgium after nationalist uprisings in now called kinshasa.
Democracy and elections in africa in the democratic republic. We work with authorities and communities in the drc to. Neighboring countries include angola, burundi, central african republic, republic of the congo, rwanda, south sudan, tanzania, uganda, and zambia. Postindependence, under president mobutu, entrenched corruption through the 1970s and 80s caused the country to splinter into city states, some with no formal justice system. The problems associated with democratic reform in the democratic republic of the congo drc are manifold. Presentation for the 2 nd annual global convening of organizations and individuals dedicated to preventing and ending atrocities and deadly violence against civilians root causes of the deadly conflict in the democratic republic of the congo.
In response to a request from the government of the democratic republic of the congo drc, in 2009 the united nations environment programme unep initiated a national, multithematic assessment of priority environmental issues facing the country. Background and current developments congressional research service summary in october 2008, the forces of the national congress for the defense of the congolese people cndp, under the command of general laurent nkunda, launched a major offensive against the. Unicef annual report 2017 democratic republic of congo. Understanding the conflict dynamics in north and south kivu, democratic republic of congo 3 4 mwenga territory. Forty years later, on july 10, 1999, drc, along with angola, namibia, zimbabwe, rwanda, and uganda, signed the lusaka ceasefire agreement for a cessation of hostilities between all belligerent forces in the congo. Conflict analysis summary democratic republic of the. Beyond emergency responses in the democratic republic of the congo 2 cndp. Relations congressional research service 3 historical background due to its resources, vast territory, and location figure 1, drc has long served as an arena of regional and international competition. The democratic republic of the congo page 2 context the democratic republic of the congo is the third largest country by area in africa, at 2. Local humanitarian action in the democratic republic of congo.
The democratic republic of the congo drc is a country located in central africa with a short atlantic ocean coastline. Flow diagram of congos conflict mineral supply chain. This list includes nationwide and international wars, including. Peace and conflict resolution from the democratic republic. Oct 09, 20 root causes of the deadly conflict in the democratic republic of the congo. Congo, democratic republic of kinshasa political corruption, weak rule of law, and violence remained prevalent in the democratic republic of congo drc in 2014. The state of democracy in the democratic republic of congo. Pdf this essay analyzes the role of insurgent groups in the antikabila civil war in the congo. Violence has plagued the democratic republic of congo drc since its emergence from belgian colonial rule in 1960. The root causes of conflict in the democratic republic of congo. Scenarios for the democratic republic of congo prepared on behalf of the drc affinity group august 2014.
Existing intercommunity tensions became part of a wider conflict involving militias, armed groups and security. Background report on eastern democratic republic of the congo. Ensure the protection of civilians, including humanitarian personnel, under imminent threat of physical violence, in particular violence emanating from any of the parties engaged in the conflict. Conflict in the kasai, democratic republic of the congo. The democratic republic of the congo enough project. Democratic republic of the congo page 3 of 78 world.
Root causes of the deadly conflict in the democratic republic. Information about whether they continue to be persecuted or whether this has completely ceased in recent years. Effective management of its mining, oil, and forestry resources is key to its future economic progress. Early in 2012, he sought to extradite multiple leaders of the cndp group, most notably bosco ntaganda, who was accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Deforestation and forest degradation have increased in the democratic republic of congo drc despite the governments commitment to safeguard its forests. Table of contents preamble title i general provisions. Democratic republic of the congo political situation 26. Democratic republic of congo announcement of the provisional results of the presidential election 10. The online version of the world reports democratic republic of congo chapter is an update of the printed edition. Root causes of the deadly conflict in the democratic. A 40year old man shared his opinion of monusco with civic in pinga, democratic republic of congo insecurity and violence against civilians in the democratic republic of congo drc is on the rise as the countrys president, joseph kabila, delays national elections and his commitment to step down from power. List of conflicts in the democratic republic of the congo. On the recent constitutional history of the democratic republic of congo, mangu congo, democratic republic of the in gerhard robbers ed encyclopedia of world constitutions vol 1 2007 2214. Securing forest peoples rights and tackling deforestation. The democratic republic of the congo is the third largest country by area in africa, at 2. Democratic republic of the congo 21 background the resumption of con. Democracy and elections in africa in the democratic.
Commercial and industrialscale activities represent major direct longterm threats to the forests. Conflict minerals and the democratic republic of congo bsr. Sexual violence remains one of the biggest challenges facing the democratic republic of congo. The conflict in the democratic republic of congo drc has claimed more than 5. Securing forest peoples rights and tackling deforestation in. Conflict analysis summary democratic republic of the congo. Table of contents preamble title i general provisions citizen. While the name of the country surely lends itself to an assumption of regime type, in actuality, this area has experienced great civil unrest over the last five decades, resulting in an extremely tenuous socalled democracy.
Controlling conflict resources in the democratic republic of. More than 2,000 people have died since august 2018. Natural resources conflict in the democratic republic of. Conflict in the eastern regions backed rcd rebels, on the other hand, rejected the deal. Now centered in the east of the country, it involves a range of militant groups local militias, congolese and rwandan rebels, and the congolese army that use control over the countrys rich mineral. Its emblem is the skyblue flag with a large yellow star in the upper left corner and crossed diagonally by a red strip lightly framed by yellow. Democratic republic of congo center for civilians in. Conservation and conflict in the democratic republic of. Nations in the democratic republic of the congo monuc, in close cooperation with the government of the democratic republic of the congo, shall. But like too many of its neighbors, it faces enormous challenges. Democratic republic of congo democratic republic of congo after two successive wars 19961997 and 19982003, the democratic republic of congo drc organized its first elections labeled as free, democratic, and transparent after more than 40 years. The mindset of most international actors in drc remains one where. Controlling conflict resources in the democratic republic. New legislation on the organization of the press and broadcasting media, proposed by the ministry of.