DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO FINAL REPORT PUBLICATION NAME (FOOTER IS GILL SANS, 9 PT, ALL CAPS) 1 JULY 2020 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by DPI-MCI. Cover Photos: left: A USAID-supported agricultural cooperative in Lubumbashi; center: the extraordinary wealth enjoyed by a limited elite, as seen in this shiny new mall in Lubumbashi; right: poverty that most Congolese experience, as seen in this street scene in Kinshasa. Credit: Photos provided courtesy of Dr. Timothy Longman. The USAID/DCHA/DRG Assessments Task Order is being implemented under USAID’s Analytical Services IV Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract No. 7200AA19D00006, Task Order No. 7200AA19F00026. This project was made possible by the United States Agency for International Development and the generous support of the American People. DPI-MCI Contact: Kathy Stermer 159 Bank Street, Suite 300 Burlington, Vermont 05401 Tel: (802) 495-0618 Email: [email protected] DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO FINAL REPORT JULY 2020 DISCLAIMER The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................... I ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................ II EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................ IV 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................. 2 1.2.1 A History of Violence and Authoritarianism ........................................................................................ 3 1.2.2 The Kabila Era as Prelude to Present Challenges ............................................................................... 4 1.2.3 Alternation and Continuity ....................................................................................................................... 6 2.0 KEY ELEMENTS OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ............................. 10 2.1 CONSENSUS ................................................................................................................................................. 10 2.2 INCLUSION ................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.1 Women ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.2 Youth ........................................................................................................................................................... 12 2.2.3 People Living With Disabilities, LGBTQ+, and Ethnic Minorities ................................................. 13 2.3 RULE OF LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS ................................................................................................ 14 2.3.1 Modest but Important Improvements in Human Rights ................................................................. 14 2.3.2 Weaknesses in Rule of Law and Access to Justice ........................................................................... 15 2.3.3 The Continuing Challenge of Corruption ........................................................................................... 16 2.4 COMPETITION AND POLITICAL ACCOUNTABILITY .................................................................. 18 2.4.1 Deeply Flawed Elections ......................................................................................................................... 18 2.4.2 Active Civil Society and Media .............................................................................................................. 22 2.4.3 Fractured Political Parties ....................................................................................................................... 24 2.4.4 Hopes for Local Elections ....................................................................................................................... 24 2.5 GOVERNMENT RESPONSIVENESS AND EFFECTIVENESS ............................................................ 25 2.5.1 Hopes and Constraints for the Tshisekedi Regime .......................................................................... 26 2.5.2 Challenges for Public Service Delivery ................................................................................................ 27 2.5.3 Seeking Support Through Populist Policies ........................................................................................ 29 2.6 THE CONTEXT OF CONFLICT AND FRAGILITY ........................................................................... 30 2.7 SYNTHESIS OF DRG ELEMENTS............................................................................................................. 31 3.0 ACTORS AND INSTITUTIONS .................................................................................................................... 32 3.1 THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................................................... 32 3.2 THE EXECUTIVE .......................................................................................................................................... 32 3.3 THE LEGISLATURE AND POLITICAL PARTIES .................................................................................. 34 3.4 THE JUDICIARY AND LEGAL PROFESSIONALS ............................................................................... 36 3.5 PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ...................................................................................... 37 3.6 THE SECURITY SECTOR ........................................................................................................................... 39 3.7 CIVIL SOCIETY, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE MEDIA .......................................... 40 4.0 CONSIDERING USAID’S OPERATIONAL AND PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENT ............... 42 5.0 PROPOSED DRG STRATEGY........................................................................................................................ 45 BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................................................................. 52 DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO i ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ADFL Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo/Zaire CACH Heading for Change CAFCO Permanent Framework of Congolese Women CENI National Independent Electoral Commission CENCO National Episcopal Conference of Congo CRG Congo Research Group DFID Department for International Development DRC Democratic Republic of Congo DRG Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance ECC Church of Christ in Congo ETD Decentralized Territorial Entity FARDC Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo FCC Common Front for Congo FILIMBI Front Line Defenders GDP Gross Domestic Product IRI International Republican Institute LGBTQ+ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning LUCHA Struggle for Change M23 March 23 Movement MLC Movement for the Liberation of Congo MONUSCO United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo NGO Nongovernmental Organization OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development PALU Unified Lumumbist Party PPRD People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy RCD Congolese Rally for Democracy RPF Rwandan Patriotic Front TIP Trafficking in Persons UDPS Union for Democracy and Social Progress UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Program USAID United States Agency for International Development USG United States Government DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO ii Figure 1. The new provincial map put into place in 2015 DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In January 2019, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) experienced its first peaceful transfer of power since independence. Despite the highly contested and controversial nature of the elections, the rise to the presidency of Félix Tshisekedi, leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), has created important political openings in the DRC, and the country has experienced rapid improvements in at least two democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) areas: human rights and competition. Tshisekedi has committed his government to improving the country’s human rights record and fighting corruption. Yet, the challenges facing