Multiparty Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Summer 2006)
The Democratic Republic of Congo reelected its president, Joseph Kabila, in the first multiparty elections in forty-six years. Initial elections, in which thirty-three candidates vied for the presidency, were held on July 30. A run-off occurred in October between Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba, a former rebel leader. Congo?s Supreme Court confirmed the results of the run-off on November 28th. The country has been engulfed in a complex war since 1998 in which an estimated four million people have died. A United Nations monitoring group said the elections in this country, the size of Western Europe with only 300 miles of paved roads, went off with few complications. Since then, small pockets of violence have emerged, some related to the election results and some connected to long-standing conflicts.
The DRC has been plagued by violence and misrule for most of its existence, yet many in the United States are unaware of the country's history. The DRC is one of the most mineral-rich countries in the world, containing a third of the world's cobalt, 10 percent of its copper, and significant reserves of diamonds, gold, silver, oil, uranium, and zinc. The country is home to 50 percent of Africa's natural forests. It is also currently home to one of the largest UN peacekeeping force in the world. Helping students to understand the nature of this conflict, its origins, and the country's future gives students an excellent grounding in the history of imperialism in Africa and in how countries respond to conflict abroad.
The historic election in the DRC has the potential to bring stability to the region and strengthen Africa's place in the international community. As the continent has increasingly been on U.S. economic and foreign aid agendas, helping students to understand the history of this area will enable them to become more informed citizens.
| helps students explore the history of precolonial Congo and European imperialism there. The unit also discusses Congo's independence and the troubles it has experienced since then. |  |
Supplemental Materials
See Supplemental Materials for Colonialism in the Congo: Conquest, Conflict, and Commerce for links to additional web resources.
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