IMPROVING SADC RESPONSES TO BRING PEACE TO THE DRC

The document examines the deteriorating security and political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as of October 2017, specifically focusing on the repeated postponement of national elections by President Joseph Kabila and the humanitarian crisis in the Kasai region. It criticizes SADC for its 'lacklustre' response and adherence to 'non-interference', which the author suggests aligns the body with the incumbent regime. The briefing warns that further instability could trigger a full-scale war, exacerbate refugee flows into neighbouring countries like Angola, and undermine previous peace gains. It recommends that SADC pressure President Kabila to hold elections, condemn government involvement in mass killings, and revive its role as a peace facilitator.

• The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing severe political instability due to the repeated postponement of national elections, which were originally scheduled for 2016 and later delayed until 2019 by the Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante (CENI) on 16 October 2017.
• A significant humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the Kasai region bordering Angola, where government forces are implicated in mass killings and the discovery of mass graves, with over 250 people, including 62 children, killed between mid-March and mid-June 2017.
• The scale of displacement in the DRC is exceptionally high; 1.5 million Congolese were displaced between August 2016 and May 2017, contributing to a total of 3.8 million displaced persons by the end of June 2017.
• SADC's response to the crisis has been characterized as 'lacklustre', with the regional body prioritizing state security and the principle of 'non-interference' over human security, effectively aligning itself with the Joseph Kabila regime.
• Instability in the DRC poses a broader regional risk, potentially reigniting ethno-linguistic divisions and increasing refugee flows, specifically noting 32,000 refugees streaming into Angola and the historical role of South Africa as a destination for Congolese refugees.
• The document recommends that SADC take four specific actions: condemn government forces' role in the humanitarian crisis, pressure President Kabila to resolve the electoral crisis, insist on the cessation of hostilities, and commit to protecting the human rights and security of all regional citizens.

APA

LALBAHADUR, A. (2017). IMPROVING SADC RESPONSES TO BRING PEACE TO THE DRC. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Policy-Briefing-166.pdf

Chicago

LALBAHADUR, ADITI. IMPROVING SADC RESPONSES TO BRING PEACE TO THE DRC. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2017. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Policy-Briefing-166.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=LALBAHADUR |first1=ADITI |title=IMPROVING SADC RESPONSES TO BRING PEACE TO THE DRC |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=October 2017 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Policy-Briefing-166.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lalbahadur2017improving, author = {LALBAHADUR, ADITI}, title = {{IMPROVING SADC RESPONSES TO BRING PEACE TO THE DRC}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Policy-Briefing-166.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }