Introduction

This paper, drawing on field research, explores the challenges of pursuing peace, democracy and justice in conflict and post-conflict societies, using the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) as a case study. In early 2006, three key developments precipitated my fieldwork in the DRC:  rapidly changing patterns of violence in the Great Lakes region, the buildup to the DRC’s historic first elections since independence, and new attempts to bring perpetrators of mass crimes to justice.

In the midst of widespread conflict, the DRC confronts a series of fraught questions: Can a highly fragmented state of 250 ethnic groups, with a long history of violence, corruption, and extreme poverty, embrace democracy and create effective political institutions? Can individuals responsible for committing atrocities be held accountable? And can democracy and justice contribute to a stable, vibrant nation in the long term? Given the DRC’s strategic importance, bordered by ten countries in the heart of Africa, these are not merely questions for the nation but for the Great Lakes region and the continent as a whole.

Historical Background to the Congolese Conflict

The last decade in eastern Congo has been one of greed and ethnic hatred, involving a host of local, regional and international actors. This follows a century of ruthless exploitation of people and natural resources since King Leopold II of Belgium fixed the borders of “the Congo” in 1885. After Belgium granted the Congo independence in 1960, national leaders inherited a fragile country. Capitalising on the state’s weakness, General Joseph-Désiré Mobutu seized control of the Congo in 1965, declared himself president, and in 1971 renamed the country Zaire. Mobutu, supported by the West as a bulwark against communism in Central Africa, created a vast kleptocracy, amassing personal wealth and bankrupting the state.