Spotlight: Informing global policy on the DRC

The ISS is helping the international community identify challenges and responses to the growing crisis in the DRC.

Published on 26 May 2016 in Impact

On 4 May, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) briefed the high-level International Contact Group in Stockholm, Sweden on latest developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The group, which has been accompanying the DRC peace process for many years, includes diplomats and special representatives directly involved in helping solve crises in the Great Lakes region.

Delegates from Belgium, Germany, France, Sweden, South Africa, the Netherlands, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United Nations and the African Union attended the confidential meeting, which focused on the current crises in Burundi and the DRC.

‘The ISS’ paper on whether elections are necessary to bring stability to the DRC was extremely valuable to the group’, said one participant. ‘It really helped shed light on what is at stake right now’. The briefing was based on in-depth ISS research and analysis conducted recently in the DRC.

This was a unique opportunity to speak frankly about the crisis in the DRC

‘With elections scheduled to take place in the country in November this year, we really wanted to push thinking on what matters’, says Stephanie Wolters, head of the Conflict Prevention and Analysis division at ISS. ‘This was a unique opportunity to speak frankly about the crisis. Our analysis also enabled us to identify challenges and propose possible ways forward – this information is now reaching the right people.’

The ISS provides useful analysis based on original research about African human security issues. Presenting timely information and advice to decision-makers means they are better equipped to respond to crises and can develop clear positions.

The DRC briefing paper argued that the current context of growing uncertainty, both about the timing of the elections and the longer-term intentions of President Joseph Kabila and the ruling party, is contributing to instability. It assessed whether continuity – as represented by Kabila – is a significant factor in the country’s long-term stability.

The ISS will continue to work with and inform key stakeholders on developments in the DRC, including experts from South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation and representatives from the Southern African Development Community.

For more information contact:

Stephanie Wolters, ISS: [email protected], +27 72 433 4808