Dangerous slippage in the DRC

This research paper analyzes the political instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) caused by President Joseph Kabila's efforts to delay elections, a phenomenon termed 'le glissement' (slippage). The author argues that the UN and South Africa, both key historical peacebuilding partners, are currently failing to provide the necessary support to prevent a return to civil war and ensure the implementation of the December 2016 political agreement.

• President Joseph Kabila has utilized a strategy of 'le glissement' (slippage) to remain in power beyond his official mandate, which ended in December 2016. This involves repeatedly delaying elections and appointing a government that the opposition claims violates the 31 December 2016 agreement, which stipulated a transition government and elections in late-2017.
• The Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing a cycle where political instability and insecurity feed into each other. In the Kasai region, clashes between rebels and government forces have led to the discovery of at least 42 mass graves and the death of two UN investigators in March 2017. Additionally, conflict is displacing approximately 4,600 people daily, with an estimated 3.7 million internally displaced persons as of March 2017.
• Despite the rising instability, the UN Security Council voted on 31 March to reduce the troop ceiling of the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) by 3,600 military personnel and requested an exit strategy from the Secretary-General.
• South Africa has a history of significant involvement in the DRC, including spending R666 million ($52 million) on the 2006 elections and contributing around 13,000 troops to MONUSCO. However, its current influence is limited by a policy of non-interference rooted in South-South Cooperation and a perceived bias toward President Kabila, which has alienated the opposition.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2017). Dangerous slippage in the DRC. https://saiia.org.za/research/dangerous-slippage-in-the-drc/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Dangerous slippage in the DRC. 2017. https://saiia.org.za/research/dangerous-slippage-in-the-drc/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Dangerous slippage in the DRC |date=20 June 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/dangerous-slippage-in-the-drc/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2017dangerous, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Dangerous slippage in the DRC}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = jun, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/dangerous-slippage-in-the-drc/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }