Congo's elections and its political landscape: some key-insights

Based on our research on access to political positions in the DRC, funded by KPSRL's Knowledge Management Fund, this briefing explains the key-characteristics of the political landscape in the DRC. The briefing  first gives an overview of the central dynamics of the Congolese political landscape, and then situates the current electoral dynamics within it. Concretely, this briefing argues how the current electoral dynamics illustrate the key-characteristics of the Congolese political ‘marketplace’: on the one  hand, a strong personalization of the political space, with the President and his inner court behind many of the decisions; and on the other hand, a strong fracturing of the political landscape, with individual actors navigating these paradoxical tendencies for access to positions of power.