DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC CONGO: Election backgrounder

When The Congo held its independence ceremony in 1960 it should have launched one of Africa's wealthiest states. The country, rich in minerals, water and timber, had won its independence from one of the bloodiest and most repressive colonial regimes - headed by Belgian's King Leopold II - ever. Local hero and anti-colonial leader Patrice Lumumba was sworn as prime minister. But foreign powers interfered almost immediately. Soon the new government was battling a military rebellion in the secessionist province of Katanga. Ten weeks after assuming power, Lumumba was in jail and by January 1961, he was dead. Colonel Joseph Mobutu assumed power in 1965 following a coup. He later renamed the country Zaire. He killed off political opponents, many at public executions and lived a lavish lifestyle, accumulating a personal fortune worth billions of US dollars, while his people languished in poverty. Mobuto's rule saw the economy of this mineral-rich country crippled by corruption and mismanagement. He managed to remain in power because of his opposition to Soviet influence, at a time when the world was preoccupied with the Cold War. After the end of the Cold War, Mobuto's backers soon abandoned him. His support for the Hutus during the 1994 genocide in neigbouring Rwanda was the beginning of the end for Mobuto. Tutsi rebels, backed by Rwanda and Uganda, launched an attack on the east of the country and in May 1997, anti-Mobutu rebels led by Laurent Kabila, marched into the country's capital, Kinshasa, forcing Mobuto into exile,where he died in September 1997. Laurent Kabila soon took over as president and Zaire changed names to become the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). But the country's instability did not end with a new ruler in Kinshasa, or a new name. Laurent Kabila and his backers fell out, plunging the country into war again. Peace seemed elusive. International Crisis Group's Caty Clement explains that peace in the region is difficult for any one country to attain because of conflict across so many different countries: "It (the DRC) is bordering many countries that are very unstable themselves or where there are wars. So the risk is that you have wars in neighbouring countries (and) if - should - fighting resume in the Congo that they could be feeding on each other, basically, these various conflicts. So just the sheer size of the Congo and the amount of countries it is bordering - if you manage to stabalize the Congo then you manage to stabilise most of Africa, or at least sub- Saharan Africa to a large extent," she said. The assassination of Kabila in 2001 thrust his son, Joseph Kabila, into power as the world's youngest head of state. The young Kabila's early aim was to find a peaceful end to the country's civil war and create room for democracy. The successful culmination of peace talks and the arrival of the world's largest UN peace-keeping force paved the way for elections. But as Clement explains, the danger of further conflict remains. "Positive steps have been taken but a lot still needs to be done, particularly in the army. The integration of the army is still remains an issue. It's particularly difficult. Many of the soldiers are still paid, today, less than a dollar a day. When you have someone who has a gun in his hand and lives below poverty (the poverty line) then everyone in the country is at risk," Clement explained. Other risks to peace include the violence that still grips several regions in the DRC, particularly in the east of the country. Despite the presence of the world's biggest United Nations peacekeeping force of 17,000 troops, a large number of rebel groups and militias continue to roam the country, some living offthe proceeds of illegal minig activities, others funded by neighbouring countries that have political and financial agendas in the DRC. Easily accessible deposits of gold, diamonds, copper, cobalt, cassiterite and coltan -- a mineral used to manufacture mobile phone chips - and a failure by the central government to regulate the industry, have led to the growth of a huge illegal mining sector. Human Rights activists have accused Uganda of allying with rebels in order to plunder natural resources in the Ituri region, while the United Nations has pointed a finger at the Rwandans, who deny their soldiers are still operating in Congo. The country's interim government formed three years ago, accommodates former rebel groups and opposition politicians. The DRC is scheduled to hold its first free multiparty polls on 30th July 2006, and 26 million people have already registered to cast their ballot despite the logistical problems electoral organizers have faced in getting things in order. Kabila is set to battle for the presidential seat with 30 other candidates. Whoever wins these elections will have the Herculean task of providing the country's 56 million people with food security and social services, while also trying to get the economy back on track. Clements points to basic infrastructure as key to successful transformation. "I guess the first thing that you need to do in a country like the DRC is to start rebuilding some of the basic infrastructure, start rebuilding a safe environment in terms of rule of law, to have a welcoming economic environment and all that needs revival of state infrastructure. So definitely the issue of rebuilding a strong state would be something that should be at the forefront of whomever wins the election," she said. Elections were initially set to take place in June 2005, but poor planning and legislative problems resulted in delays. The U.N. and foreign governments will oversee the polls, at a cost of 400 million US dollars, one of the most expensive ever supervised by the world body. Kabila's foes say the international community is clearly backing the incumbent president and accuse him of abusing his control over state media and the security services to gain an unfair advantage over other contenders.

ITN Source | July 26, 2006

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