This semester for my geopolitics class I have been tasked to blog about a country of my choosing. After much consideration, I selected the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In a previous class, I had the opportunity to study the Bambuti pygmies, an indigenous culture residing in this country. This assignment allows me to learn more about the country where the Bambuti live.
For my first blog post I want to look at the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country with a history of violence and social turmoil. The DRC gained its independence from Belgium in 1960, with Joseph Dasavubu as President and Patrice Lumumba as Prime Minister. Five years later Mobutu Sese Seko staged a coup d’etat and overthrew the government. Mobutu was a brutal dictator, who fostered corruption in the government system (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13283212). The DRC lived under this dictatorship until 1996, when a rebellion began led by Laurent Désiré Kabila. In 1997 the neighboring countries of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda backed the rebellion and Mobutu was soon deposed, and Kabila named president. A year later, Kabila ordered his Rawandan and Ugandan allies out of the country and a civil war erupted (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jan/23/congo.international). Although a cease-fire was signed in July of 1999, all parties continuously violated the agreement. In 2001 Kabila was assassinated by one of his bodyguards, and his son, Joseph Kabila, became the head of state. Finally, in December 2002 a peace accord, known by its French name ‘Accord Global et Inclusif, was signed. A transitional government was set up in July 2003, which managed to adopt a new constitution as well as hold elections in 2006 (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/31/world/africa/31congo.html?_r=0). Kabila was inaugurated as president in February 2007. Coup attempts and sporadic violence continued to cause many problems in the DRC and the region still remains volatile.
Although the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country with extensive economic resources, its history and continued social conflict make it a failed state. The history of conflict in this nation has greatly impacted the state as a whole. Having only gained their independence from colonial rule in 1960 creates a host of problems. A dictatorship was established soon after independence, and this regime did little to establish a solid political identity. Instead, the regime fostered distrust in politicians and their policies due to the outright corruption of the political system. In freeing the DRC from a dictatorship, civil war erupted, causing many humanitarian issues. The civil war finally ended in late 2002 and the first president was elected in 2007. Therefore, the DRC has only had a limited time to implement a new political structure and create effective policies. A few years is not enough time to establish a government that can provide its citizens with important services. Also, this is not enough time to ensure the legitimacy of the government in this region. Despite the major strides the DRC has taken, social unrest is still visible.
samanthaeasby 