Bread and peace for the Democratic Republic of Congo : is decentralisation the answer?

Abstract

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been ravished by internal conflicts for the past two decades. These conflicts have come at a great cost to the people of the DRC, often resulting in a number of human rights atrocities. These atrocities range from the loss of life, resulted in internal displacement and creation of refugees’ communities, as well as the destruction of property and infrastructure , all contributing to prevailing conditions of poverty and deep societal divisions. While there are many underlying factors that fuel these conflicts, the key drivers of the conflict are linked to the unequal distribution of the DRC’s national resources and the mismanagement of public services. Intense frustration and a sense of helplessness to change the status quo have repeatedly manifested itself in a cycle of war and ethnic cleansing. In this regard, the pattern of conflicts has been the manifestation of the frustration of the Congolese people as a whole.