Background Information:

At the beginning of a year in which elections should be organised in the the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), political tensions have been rising. In January – nearly a year after the large-scale popular mobilisation that left dozens dead in Kinshasa – leading opposition figures, parties and civil society formalised a new platform, the Front Citoyen 2016, rejecting both President Kabila’s proposed political dialogue and the appointment of an African Union mediator. The government also accelerated decentralisation, prompting increased political turmoil, in particular in the province formerly known as Katanga – DRC’s wealthiest region and political centre of gravity since 1997. Further compounding tensions is the increased armed group activity in the East, especially in North Kivu, which continues to have massive humanitarian consequences. The lack of cooperation between the DRC government and the UN mission, MONUSCO, has challenged its mandate implementation. In order to revive a strategic dialogue between the government and the UN, the mission’s new leadership has shown signs it could acquiesce to the government’s calls for downsizing.

Amidst rising tensions, and with elections appearing increasingly untenable, Crisis Group Central Africa staff – who have recently returned from the country and are finalising a report on Katanga – will present challenges the government, the opposition and the international community are likely to face in the coming months. The analysts will focus particularly on the EU given its investment in DRC’s peace and security in the last two decades. The roundtable discussion will also seek to identify conflict mitigation strategies, including ways to bring all major political and social actors into an inclusive political dialogue to reach a consensual timeframe for elections, avoiding a dangerous open-ended transition period.

Framework:

This is the eighth of a series of early warning roundtables co-organised by the International Crisis Group (ICG) and the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO) in the framework of the Strengthening Early Warning and Mobilising Early Action project. The project, co-funded by the European Union, aims to reinforce the EU’s conflict prevention abilities, particularly its conflict early warning and response capacity, through the timely provision of expert conflict analysis to relevant actors within the EU institutions.

Having recently returned from DRC, Central Africa Project Director Richard Moncrieff and Senior DRC Analyst Hans Hoebeke will kick off the discussion. The presentation will be in English and will be followed by comments and a moderated discussion in both French and English.

This event is by invitation only.

For further information, please contact Colin Cogitore or Nabila Habbida