Prospects for peace in the DRC: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has a long history of conflict. It has endured a lengthy, difficult and brutal episode in its history since independence in 1960. The country has been engulfed by civil war, especially in the East. A series of peace agreements have been put in place but to no avail even when supported by the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU). Bringing durable peace to the country has proven problematical and highly daunting. Several peace agreements have been signed; these include the Lusaka Peace Accord, the Inter-Congolese Dialogue (ICD) of 2001, under the facilitation of Sir Ketumile Masire, the former President of Botswana, the Sun City Agreement and the Nairobi Peace Agreement. The study seeks to explore the prospects of peace in DRC; the opportunities that have arisen as a result of the changing environment and positive developments in the Great Lakes Region. The aim of this research essay is to consider the various challenges that peace initiatives are faced with and how they affect peace prospects in DRC. These challenges continue to severely undermine the DRC‟s successful transition to peace, which has been constantly threatened with a possible return to full-scale war. The study, therefore intends to better understand the drivers and major players in the conflict and thereby come up with what is essential to end continuous violence.