2) Cirhuza Badehra Innocent

Holds a BA and works in the information section at the South Kivu Economic Counter in DRC Congo

EMAIL: innocent_cirhuza@yahoo.fr

3) Clement B. Kataraka

Holds a BSc in Biology and is in charge of the department of environment at the Pharmakina Society in Bukavu, DRC Congo

EMAIL: clementkatarak@yahoo.fr

4) Bulambo Wenga Denis

Previously worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross and currently runs own businesses in DRC Congo

5) Bukayafwa Odisila Linda

She is a lawyer working for the Cabinet of Advocates in Kinshasa Gombe.

EMAIL: bukayafwa2006@yahoo.fr

6) Matano M. Jaqueline

She is pursuing a BA in Management at the University of CEPROMAD.

EMAIL: jacquiemap@yahoo.fr

7)Mushagalusa Mutalegwa Fidelie

Pursuing a BA in Management at the University of CEPROMAD.

EMAIL: fidemutam@yahoo.fr

8) Mayundo M Frank

Has a university degree and works as the Focal Person for Peace Tree Network in DRC.

EMAIL: frankmayundo@yahoo.fr

9) Muma N Zephyrin

He is a lawyer and works for Action and Initiative for Community Development in DRC Congo.

EMAIL: zephimumangom@yahoo.fr


10).Bashige Runinga

Holds a Bachelors degree in RuralDevelopment and trains communitty

development workers in Bukavu, DRCCongo.

EMAIL: bashigeruniga@yahoo.fr

11) Albert M Mudema

Holds a Bachelors in law and works as a justice auxiliary in the Congolese law courts.

EMAIL: albertusmundele2006@yahoo.fr

12) Martin Zadiga Zabara

Pursuing a BA in Management at the University of CEPROMAD in DRCCongo.

EMAIL: nzadige@yahoo.fr

13). Tambwe M Mwamba

Pursuing a BA in Management at the University of CEPROMAD in DRC Congo.

EMAIL: medardtams@yahoo.fr

14)Bujiriri N. Sylvie

Holds a B.A in Finance and works with South Kivu Local Economical

Bankin the department of Finance and Administration.

 

EMAIL: sbujiriri@yahoo.fr

Background

Located at the center of the African continent, Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the largest countries after Sudan and Algeria. Its superficies area is about 2,345.000 km 2 . Bordered by nine countries: Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania in the eastern part, Zambia, Angola in the south, Central Africa Republic, Sudan in the north and Popular Republic of Congo in the western part, this large country was a Belgium colony until 1960, the year it got its independence after many political struggle and fight.

DRC is also one of the richest countries in the world with many natural resources, which rather are the root cause of many fights, civil war, and even fight between powerful countries looking at all cost the way of taking control over the country.

Though the richness of the country, something surprising is that it is amongst one of the poorest countries in the world. This is to say that Congolese in one way or another do not beneficiate from their natural resources. They are instead victims of different fights, conflicts, and civil wars because of that richness. The question, which needs to be asked how come a rich like DRC can be classified as one of the poorest in the world.

To respond to that question leads us to deal with the issue of governance.

First of all, let remain that the country was a Belgium colony as mentioned above from 1879 to 1960. The country was under the colonialism power of Belgium. Working mainly for their only interest, the country in the beginning was the King Leopold private possession. The ultimo interest was the king interest.

It is only around 1959 that Belgium began to loose control over events in the country following serious nationalist riots in Leopold (now Kinshasa) leading the country to its independence in 1960. Let recognize that the Congolese leadership was not prepared to handle the post independence situation.

As a result of this lack of preparation, the country went through political crisis with Kasavubu as President and Lumumba as the Prime Minister. It is only thanks to the UN intervention that the country was able to end the civil war. The standoff between the President and his Prime Minister led to another political crisis and allowed the 24 November 1965 Mobutu coup. People really hoped that it was the end of their suffering. It was rather the beginning of worse things.

Mobutu will quick install a dictatorship regime with the following characteristics: Lack of follow up between the central and provincial administration as a means of the country unification and integrity. Favoritism and mismanagement practices ,Development blocking ,Impunity ,Bad governance ,No respect of human rights, Generalized corruption ,A monopartism system ,No implementation of development programs ,Dilapidation of public infrastructures ,Centralization of decision making.

So, this dictatorship power made Congo a private property of Mobutu leading to the suffering of people.

It was only around 1980 that people started seeing things differently at the political level and thanks to the perestroika movement and democracy that Mobutu was forced to end with his monopartism political system but retained substantial power with himself.

Things got worse at all levels (political, economical, social…).

Finally, he was toppled by Kabila, after seven months fight from the Eastern to the west of that large country, making people to believe that it was the country change. Unfortunately, he failed to improve Congolese people’s lot. The ban of multipartism and governance system s led to another civil war, which will take long and will end only after his assassination and the peace process that led to the signing of an inclusive and global peace agreement in Pretoria. The agreement set up a transition government for a term of 3 years and the holding of general election at the national level.

Seeing the all above, Congolese were the ones to suffer, not only from fight, civil wars and also from bad governance as a result of political leaders who do not care about the population. Nothing has change since the country independence; rather things are going worse from the independence.

To conclude, to the main question which was to know why it is that DRC is one the poorest in the word while it has so may natural resources, the answer is clear, because of bad governance, which has characterized different regimes in place. Leaders just think to fill their pockets leaving people suffering.