Humanitarian Agenda 2015: Democratic Republic of Congo Case Study

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire, is the second largest country in Africa and rich in gold, diamonds and minerals in the East of the country. It has been plagued by violent conflict for a decade, though both the Congolese and the West have hopes that elections held in 2006, the first in 40 years, are the first step towards peace and reconstruction. However, the country faces considerable challenges — continuing violence in the East (due to fighting between various armed groups from other countries, mainly Rwanda, and between these armed groups and the Congolese national army), the near absence of healthcare and education facilities in many areas and the lack of roads and other infrastructure. This case study is part of a larger research project undertaken by the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University, titled “Humanitarian Agenda 2015: Principles, Power and Perceptions” (HA2015). The purpose of this study is to examine the relevance of the four issues that, in the coming years, are likely to challenge the resourcefulness and effectiveness of the international community and its humanitarian practitioners.