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This report analyzes poverty and inequality trends in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), highlighting that the country has one of the highest numbers of people living in extreme poverty globally and is unlikely to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals on its current trajectory.

This research paper analyzes the socio-economic dynamics of the mining industry in Kalima, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), specifically comparing the impacts of industrial mining (historically led by Sominki and later Sakima) with current artisanal mining of cassiterite. The author argues that artisanal mining provides better employment, higher incomes, and more democratic working conditions for the local population than the previous industrial model, despite a decline in social services and local agriculture.

This report summarizes a seminar hosted by the African Security Analysis Programme (ASAP) of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) on February 13, 2009. The seminar featured Colonel Nzekani Zena, head of the national DDR programme in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (PNDDR), who detailed the challenges, phases, and costs associated with Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) and Security Sector Reform (SSR) in the DRC.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the prospects of a national dialogue in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) aimed at achieving political consensus and governance reform. It highlights critical challenges facing the dialogue, including an ambitious timeframe, the exclusion of opposition parties, and a lack of implementation mechanisms. The document also discusses the interconnectedness of these political talks with the security crisis in the eastern DRC, specifically the conflict between the government and the M23 rebellion and the role of the UN Intervention Brigade.

This report analyzes the limitations of international interventions in the security sector of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), specifically focusing on Security Sector Reform (SSR) and the International Security and Stabilization Support Strategy (ISSSS). The authors argue that these efforts failed to produce fundamental change because they adopted a technical approach that ignored the neo-patrimonial political nature of the Congolese state and the complex relationship between the military and local communities.

This research paper examines the relationship between the extraction of precious stones—specifically diamonds, coltan, and gold—and the perpetuation of armed conflicts in Southern Africa, with a focus on Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It analyzes how these resources fund rebel movements and governments, the challenges law enforcement faces in policing illicit trade, and proposes regulatory reforms to decouple resource wealth from conflict.

This report details an experts workshop organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and Labor Optimus to discuss defence integration within the peace process of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The document analyzes the historical failures of Congolese military governance, the prioritization of defence integration over demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration (DDR), and the role of regional cooperation through the South African Development Community (SADC) in stabilizing the security sector.

This report documents a workshop held in Kinshasa from May 17 to 19, 2004, organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and Labor Optimus. The event brought together a delegation of SADC (Southern African Development Community) guests and officials from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to share regional experiences on military restructuring, demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration (DDR) to support the DRC's peace process.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzes the political economy of peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), arguing that regional peace agreements are shaped by the shifting economic power between the eastern Kivus and the southern Katanga province.