SA’s post-conflict development and peacebuilding experiences in the DRC

The document evaluates South Africa's interventions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) across sectors such as security sector reform, governance, and economic development. It finds that while South Africa possesses significant moral authority and technical expertise, its efforts have often been uncoordinated, short-term, and hampered by inadequate funding and strategic planning. The brief recommends the creation of a coherent national post-conflict strategy and the development of a specialized pool of peacebuilding experts to move beyond demand-driven, dispersed engagements.

• South Africa's post-conflict interventions in the DRC have generally been characterized as uncoordinated, short-term programs that lack sustainable impact, often lacking follow-up or systematic monitoring and evaluation.
• Despite significant contributions to security sector reform (SSR)—including the development of a master plan for defense forces and training for the National Congolese Police (PNC)—South Africa is no longer considered a key player in SSR in the DRC and is perceived as working in isolation from other donors.
• South Africa's support for the DRC's Diplomatic Academy is one of its most successful interventions, providing high-caliber training in conflict resolution, negotiation, and leadership, though funding for some training has been discontinued.
• Efforts to reform the DRC's public service through the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) and PALAMA have faced significant challenges, including incomplete infrastructure projects, halted census data collection due to funding issues, and a perceived lack of relevance in training.
• South Africa has a strong economic presence in the DRC, with two-way trade increasing from R4.8 billion in 2009 to R7.8 billion in 2011, and it accounts for 21 percent of the DRC's total imports.
• South Africa has failed to sufficiently promote gender mainstreaming in its post-conflict and peacebuilding efforts in the DRC, despite having extensive experience in this area.
• South Africa's engagement is primarily demand-driven, responding to requests from the DRC rather than following an overarching strategic vision, which limits its ability to create sustainable change.

APA

Hendricks, C., & Lucey, A. (2013). SA’s post-conflict development and peacebuilding experiences in the DRC. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief47_9Oct2013.pdf

Chicago

Hendricks, Cheryl, and Amanda Lucey. SA’s post-conflict development and peacebuilding experiences in the DRC. Institute for Security Studies, 2013. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief47_9Oct2013.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hendricks |first1=Cheryl |last2=Lucey |first2=Amanda |title=SA’s post-conflict development and peacebuilding experiences in the DRC |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=October 2013 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief47_9Oct2013.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hendricks2013sas, author = {Hendricks, Cheryl and Lucey, Amanda}, title = {{SA’s post-conflict development and peacebuilding experiences in the DRC}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2013}, month = oct, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolBrief47_9Oct2013.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }