The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Elections and Beyond

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the aftermath of the 2006 elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, detailing the victory of Joseph Kabila, the resulting regional political divides, post-election violence in Kinshasa, and ongoing instability in North Kivu caused by dissident General Nkunda.

• Joseph Kabila was inaugurated as the first elected President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 6 December 2006, ending a three-year post-war transition and a period of more than forty years without a democratically elected government.
• The second round of presidential elections on 29 October 2006 revealed a sharp regional divide: Joseph Kabila won the majority in the eastern part of the country, while Jean-Pierre Bemba won the majority in the western part.
• Post-election tensions in Kinshasa led to violent incidents, including a clash on 11 November involving Bemba's militia and the Republican Guard, and a 21 November attack where Bemba's militia entered the Supreme Court and started a fire.
• The document criticizes MONUC's credibility due to its failure to prevent the 21 November attack on the Supreme Court and the plundering of a EUPOL vehicle, despite having troops stationed in the area.
• In North Kivu, dissident general Nkunda launched an attack on 25 November, partially seizing the town of Saké and later taking the towns of Runyuni and Banagana, allegedly to collect arms from Uganda with the help of 150 to 300 Ugandan People’s Defence Force members.
• The conflict in North Kivu has obstructed the army's reintegration process, as non-integrated FARDC troops were mobilized against Nkunda's offensive instead of undergoing reintegration.
• Jean-Pierre Bemba, who received 41.05% of the vote, accepted the Supreme Court's confirmation of the results on 28 November and intends to act as an opposition leader, though he warned he does not have absolute control over his supporters.
• The author identifies two primary challenges for the new regime: the need for military reform to create a professional armed force to ensure stability, and the urgent need to improve state performance and accountability to prevent social unrest.

APA

de Goede, M. (2006). The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Elections and Beyond. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/DRC SITREP 11-12-06.PDF

Chicago

de Goede, M.J. The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Elections and Beyond. Institute for Security Studies, 2006. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/DRC SITREP 11-12-06.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Goede |first1=M.J. |title=The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Elections and Beyond |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=6 December 2006 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/DRC SITREP 11-12-06.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{degoede2006democratic, author = {de Goede, M.J.}, title = {{The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Elections and Beyond}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2006}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/DRC SITREP 11-12-06.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }