The DRC at 50: Confronting the Challenges of Peace and Territorial Consolidation

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 50 years after independence, focusing on the challenges of territorial consolidation, resource governance, and the transition of UN peacekeeping operations.

• The DRC is facing internal political tension regarding the decentralisation of governance. While the 18 February 2006 constitution suggests increasing the number of provinces from 11 to 26 and decentralising functions like tax collection and financial management, no progress had been made by 2010. This led the Ituri province to announce on 15 May 2010 that it would 'unilaterally' implement its own provincial demarcation.
• Significant oil and natural gas deposits in border regions are creating regional flashpoints. Tensions exist with Uganda over the border location in Lake Albert, and there are claims that companies in Angola may be illegally exploiting oil reserves within DRC territory. The DRC government lacks the technology and capacity to monitor crude oil flows, with an extraction rate of 25,000 barrels per day.
• In eastern DRC, resource governance is complicated by ongoing insurgencies and separatist movements. The Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR) operates in the Kivu provinces, and there are reports of groups promoting an independent state of Vulcania in North Kivu. Additionally, the Front for Patriotic Resistance in Ituri/Popular Front for Justice in Congo threatens investment in Lake Albert oil reserves.
• The UN peacekeeping mission transitioned from MONUC to MONUSCO in June 2010 under Security Council Resolution 1925. While the shift is described as symbolic, MONUSCO maintains a deployment of 19,815 military personnel (after withdrawing 2,000 MONUC members) and focuses on the stabilisation of institutional and territorial space.
• The Stabilisation and Reconstruction (STAREC) programme, launched in November 2009 by the DRC government with UN support, aims to restore state authority and basic infrastructure (police and courts) in areas cleared of rebels to facilitate the return of displaced people.
• International business actors face high insecurity regarding contracts and licences. In 2009, the DRC government suspended the Kingamyambo Musonoi Tailings project, leading Canada-based First Quantum Minerals (FQM) to seek international arbitration. South African firms Sasol and PetroSA have also faced difficulties securing licences for oil and gas in Lake Kivu.
• The DRC is moving toward greater transparency in its extractive industries. The first Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) report covered 120 companies, 63 taxes, and all state and parastatal agencies, with validation as an EITI member expected by 9 September 2010.

APA

de Kock, P. (2010). The DRC at 50: Confronting the Challenges of Peace and Territorial Consolidation. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Policy-Briefing-22.pdf

Chicago

de Kock, Petrus. The DRC at 50: Confronting the Challenges of Peace and Territorial Consolidation. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2010. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Policy-Briefing-22.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Kock |first1=Petrus |title=The DRC at 50: Confronting the Challenges of Peace and Territorial Consolidation |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=22 August 2010 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Policy-Briefing-22.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dekock2010drc, author = {de Kock, Petrus}, title = {{The DRC at 50: Confronting the Challenges of Peace and Territorial Consolidation}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2010}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Policy-Briefing-22.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }