Waging Peace:  Democratic Republic of the Congo

Advancing Human Rights and Democratic Participation

In spring 2007, The Carter Center began working on various programs to help consolidate progress toward democracy following the country's first democratic elections in 40 years. The task of building and sustaining democratic institutions has proven even more difficult than organizing the 2006 election, which was considered one of the world's most complex logistical challenges. In 2011, the DRC once again held a national election that presented similar challenges in a country that is the size of Western Europe.

Civil society organizations are a driving force of society. They are critical partners and actors in the public policy sphere, and as such, they are essential in the protection of fundamental freedoms and the development of democratic governance. They act as independent watchdogs and advocates of human rights and are important service – providers, often responding to the needs of communities at the grassroots level. In collaboration with these organizations and a wide range of other actors in the DRC, The Carter Center designed a series of initiatives to strengthen the justice sector, to create transparency and accountability in the mining sector, and to bolster the capacity of civil society organizations. Read full text >

Monitoring Elections

At the invitation of the Independent Electoral Commission and the welcome of political parties, The Carter Center launched an international election observation mission in August 2011 for the DRC's Nov. 28, 2011, presidential and parliamentary elections.

Ten long-term observers were deployed to six provinces across DRC to gain firsthand knowledge of the activities of the election commission, political parties, civil society organizations, and the international community as well as other domestic and international election observation missions. Read full text >

Election Reports

View Carter Center election reports for the Democratic Republic of the Congo >

Mediating Conflict

Following the Rwandan genocide of 1994, the presidents of Uganda and Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) asked President Carter to facilitate a meeting between themselves and the presidents of Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania – countries collectively known as the Great Lakes region of Africa – to negotiate a regional initiative to combat the climate of genocide, repatriate 1.7 million Rwandan refugees, and curb violence in the region.

President Carter was joined in this effort by former Tanzania President Julius Nyerere, former Mali President Amadou Touré, and South Africa Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Read full text >