The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) shows no real political progress under President Félix Tshisekedi. Human rights abuses, political corruption, and extremely weak state structures persist. Despite several military operations, the state’s monopoly on the use of force is largely deficient in some parts of the country. This is especially evident due to the rebel group M23, which currently occupies several areas and continues to perpetuate violence.
Although the DR Congo saw an improvement in its economic performance during the reporting period, the majority of the Congolese population remains extremely poor. A reason for this is that the country’s elites is more concerned with the constant looting of public funds for personal enrichment than building a sustainable market economy.
An important aspect for the government is to retain the cooperation with international donors. President Tshisekedi has improved the country’s international standing and cooperation with its partners. The government, however, prioritizes short-term policies rather than long-term development and lacks the capacity to formulate as well as implement an appropriate plan of action to kickstart the country’s social, economic, and political course of development.
