Democratic Republic of the Congo
Although peace agreements in 2002 brought the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) tenuous stability and some institutional progress, armed actors continue to create insecurity in the eastern part of the country, in part, taking advantage of the region’s minerals, timber, and wildlife. The U.S. Institute of Peace is leading an initiative to strengthen prosecutions that address crimes related to these natural resources. The Institute provides research, training, and technical assistance to Congolese legal professionals, and convenes local civil society and foreign experts to develop prosecutorial strategies under Congolese and international law. Learn more in USIP’s fact sheet on Prosecuting Economic and Environmental Crimes in the DRC.
2023 Women Building Peace Award Recipient: Pétronille Vaweka
Pétronille Vaweka, of the DRC's Ituri region, is the 2023 Women Building Peace Award recipient. Vaweka is a senior mediator and coordinator for Engaged Women for Peace in Africa (FEPA), a network of women working in conflict-affected areas in eastern DRC. The award is given each year to a woman peacebuilder who has made a major contribution to preventing conflict, combatting violence and building peace in her country or region.
Featured Publications
In Congo, Peace Means a Halt to ‘Brutal, Illegal Mining’
Pétronille Vaweka, a Congolese grandmother, has mediated local peace accords in her homeland’s wars. But now, she says, one of Africa’s longest, bloodiest conflicts can be solved only if the United States and other democracies “will wake up” to protect their own economic and security interests.
Can the DRC Hold Free and Fair Elections Amid Mass Displacement?
On December 20, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is holding its first elections since the peaceful — but contested — transfer of power in 2019 from former President Joseph Kabila to current President Felix Tshisekedi. The elections come amid a climate of instability throughout the country, underpinned by conflict in the eastern regions, economic and social crises, and mistrust between the government and opposition. USIP’s Wapoenje Dacruz Evora and Elizabeth Murray examine the major candidates and the issues most important to voters, the risk for violence during the electoral process, and whether free and fair elections are possible given the mass displacement of civilians in the eastern DRC.
Challenging China’s Grip on Critical Minerals Can Be a Boon for Africa’s Future
Demand for the critical minerals powering the world’s clean-energy technologies, consumer goods and defense applications is skyrocketing. These metals are what the modern economy runs on: we need them for our phones, electric vehicles and satellites, and so much more. Forecasts estimate that in the coming decades, the world will need many times more cobalt, copper, lithium and manganese, among other minerals, than what is currently being produced. .
Current Projects
Peace and Security Issues in Africa-China Economic Relations
Much of the research that has been conducted on the impact of China’s economic engagement with Africa has focused on their economic exchanges and security engagements in isolation of one another. But few have sought to understand the interconnections between these themes. These interconnections matter, as some Chinese firms are responsible for environmental degradation, population displacement, corruption and illegal extraction activities — all of which are factors that can drive conflict.