DFID | Country Profiles | Africa | Democratic Republic of Congo

The Congolese people have never experienced a government that has truly been accountable to them. Instead government institutions have exploited the people they should serve. Now for the first time in 40 years, the DRC has an elected president and national assembly and a legitimate government. This is a huge step forward but is only the beginning of democratisation in the DRC. There is a long way to go before democratic culture is truly embedded and there is an effective state which provides security and essential services for citizens. Corruption is also a major problem and depletes government resources for fighting poverty. The Congolese people suffer massive levels of human rights abuses, including sexual violence and rape, carried out with impunity often by members of the police or army. DRC needs capable and accountable military, police and justice systems which protect the population rather than threaten them.

The UK was the biggest bilateral donor to the electoral process in DRC contributing £36 million over three years. The elections were a success and declared free and fair by all international and national observer networks. DFID funding to the elections included support to the media to ensure fair and objective coverage of the elections. As a result, 31% of Congolese said they were prompted to vote by the national radio station

Radio Okapi, which is funded by DFID.

DFID is now working to strengthen key state institutions, such as parliament, and the senate, as well as supporting the ability of civil society and other groups to hold the DRC authorities to account. We will shortly begin a major five year programme implemented through the United Nations Development Programme to improve democracy and accountability. This will include building the capacity of parliament, at national and provincial levels, and continuing to support the Congolese electoral commission so it can prepare for local elections in 2008 and the next national elections in five years time. It also includes tackling corruption, which currently paralyses the Congolese state, through support to the Congolese audit office.

We are providing £8 million over four years in partnership with France Cooperation Internationale and the French Embassy to strengthen and professionalise the media in DRC. Our funding will support community radios and the training of journalists as well as improving regulation of the media. Radio programmes supported by DFID to promote dialogue and peace-building amongst conflict-affected communities currently reach an estimated 30 million people in DRC and the Great Lakes region.

UK support to the 2006 elections in DRC:

logistical and technical support that covered 55,000 polling stations across 11 provinces
community conflict mediation panels across DRC
national and international observation networks
equipment and police training to secure the elections
nationwide civic education campaigns
support to the justice system to deal with electoral disputes
support to free and objective media coverage of the election, especially through the media regulatory body which clamped down on hate media when it arose

Improving security and access to justice

Police officer in Isiro Image courtesy of Carine Escoffier

Meaningful development is impossible without security and justice. DRC needs a capable and accountable military, police and justice system. During the last few years DFID provided support to strengthen the capacity of the police and justice systems to manage the 2006 elections securely and fairly.

Security and justice: facts and figures
Number of courts of justice per 30,000km2 in DRC	1
Monthly soldier’s salary	£12
No. of sexual violence offences in North Kivu province, eastern DRC	25,000 per year (est.)
DFID support in 2007	£3m

There are extremely high levels of human rights abuses in DRC. The UN Emergency Coordinator John Holmes has described the levels of sexual violence in particular as “almost unimaginable with an intensity and frequency worse than anywhere else in the world”. DFID is providing direct support to help reduce human rights abuses in DRC including sexual violence and rape. We are providing £2 million to ensure justice for victims of the most serious human rights abuses in eastern DRC. This includes a specific target of increasing the number of prosecutions for sexual violence offences. For longer-term care for victims of sexual violence we have funded the construction of a specialist ward at Panzi hospital in eastern DRC (Read more about Panzi hospital) and also provide medical and psychosocial assistance for victims through our humanitarian funding.

Panzi hospital in eastern DRC The UK is supporting the Congolese authorities to reform the army so that it is subject to proper civilian oversight and fulfils its basic task of protecting the Congolese people. Through the EU Mission in DRC we are supporting reforms to ensure that soldiers in the Congolese army get properly paid meaning they are less likely to extort and steal from the local populations. Since our support began in 2006 the lowest paid soldiers’ salaries have already increased from £5 to £20 month helping them to provide for themselves and their families. In eastern DRC we are also providing £5 million to improve the accommodation, infrastructure and equipment for three reformed Congolese army brigades. Longer term, we are designing a major five year programme to provide support to DRC authorities in reform of the security and justice sectors from 2008.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Governance: building an accountable and effective state

UK support to the 2006 elections in DRC:

Improving security and access to justice