Democracy In Congo Essay

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DEMOCRACY IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) INTRODUCTION The establishment of democracy in the DRC has been hampered for many years and there are a number of problems affiliated with democratic change in the DRC (Goldfaden:2011). Contrary to what it’s name suggests about its type of regime, in reality, the DRC has been characterized with civil unrest for the past five decades since it gained independence resulting in a very weak and unsteady “democracy”(Goldfaden:2011). The number of problems the country faces today, as in the past, is numerous and ranges from ethnic strife to a fragile and dwindling economy (Goldfaden:2011). This is evident from the fact that instability remains after successive leaders have come to power and promised change (Goldfaden:2011). Ever since the DRC gained independence from Belgium in 1960 it’s history has been characterized by frequent coups d’etat, secession attempts, aggression from foreign troops, civil wars, rebellions, lootings, authoritarian regimes, United Nations interventions, as well as national conferences and dialogues (Mangu: ). The call for political reform and demand for a transition to democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo was brought on by the decreased significance and economic importance of the DRC at the end of the cold war, the departure of Western…show more content…
Kabila’s rise to power was welcomed with open arms as it signaled hope and a new start for the DRC after nearly three decades of dictatorial rule under Mobutu (Mtimkulu 2010:47). In retrospect, Zaire never truly had a democratically elected government after independence from colonialism. As a result Kabila vowed to the people that both presidential and legislative elections will be held (Mtimkulu 2010:47). This was set to occur in April 1999 and Kabila’s promise to hold elections was well received (Mtimkulu
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