The current constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) came into effect in 2006 and set out a plan for decentralisation, which included the fragmentation of the existing 11 provinces at the time into 26 new provinces by the end of 2009. In addition to the restructuring of local government, the constitution made provisions for each province to retain 40% of its internally produced revenues. However, more than seven years after...

The government of the DRC and the leaders of the March 23rd Movement (M23) rebels are on the cusp of signing an important peace agreement brokered by members of the African Union (AU), particularly Uganda. The M23 rebels recently ceased military operations following an intense campaign by the DRC forces and the introduction of a beefed up UN ‘intervention brigade’. If the peace deal goes through, it could be a catalyst for greater security in...

After several delays and missed opportunities, DRC was finally connected to the West African Cable System (WACS) in July this year, which links Europe to West Africa and South Africa through a 14,530 km submarine fibre-optic cable system. The connection provides potential for DRC to expand internet connectivity and benefit from faster and cheaper internet access, more reliable connections and more advanced services. However, the national...

The United Nations (UN) deployed a new 3,000 strong ‘intervention brigade’ in July to support MONUSCO operations in eastern DRC. The peacekeeping mission aims to establish a security zone around Goma (near the border with Rwanda) to protect the population from renewed fighting between government forces and M23 rebels, and has a specific mandate to target offensive operations and neutralise and disarm rebel groups. The introduction of the...