The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to skirt crisis, as the elections first postponed in 2016 to December 2017 appear once again to be postponed indefinitely. Amid opposition accusations that he is clinging to power, President Joseph Kabila continues to insist that the necessary conditions to hold free and fair elections are not being met. These claims are supported by the DRC’s independent electoral authority, the Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante (CENI). Meanwhile, concerns about the government’s involvement in mass killings along its border with Angola in the Kasai region have resulted in calls for intervention by the international community. Yet despite the furore, SADC has, at best, maintained a peripheral interest in the DRC. This policy briefing unpacks the relevance of events in the DRC for the SADC region, and encourages the regional body to become more involved to mitigate the fallout.
