Transitional Politics in the DRC: The Role of the Key Stakeholders

Abstract

Very few observers, either inside or outside the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), thought that when Joseph Kabila took over from his slain father he would, within a few years, mobilise the Congolese in a negotiation process that would create the best chance for peace and democracy in the country's history. Political negotiation, which began in Lusaka in 1999 and was successfully concluded in South Africa in 2003 under the leadership of South African President Thabo Mbeki, blew gales of change into the DRC with major consequences for the country. The negotiation process has brought former belligerents together in a government of national unity and created a Parliament that has drafted and adopted the Constitution of the 3rd Republic. The country is now ready for its third democratic election in 44 years. But serious challenges remain before an election can be organised and bring sustainable peace to the country.