This information is derived from the State Department's Office of Investment Affairs’ Investment Climate Statement. Any questions on the ICS can be directed to EB-ICS-DL@state.gov
Last Published: 7/24/2017

For more than two decades, the DRC has been subject to marauding armed groups, bouts of civil unrest, and ethnic and political violence.  Violence in the eastern part of the country in particular has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, large scale rape and mass displacements. The ongoing armed conflicts in the DRC have their origins in several socio-political and economic events, including the massive refugee crisis and spillover from the 1994 Rwandan genocide, tribalism, the illicit trade of minerals, and the failure of the country’s leadership to prepare and proceed with elections in 2016 as required by the Congolese Constitution. At least 70 armed groups are believed to still be operating in the eastern region. These groups range from small criminal enterprises to well organized, armed, and trained military organizations striving to overthrow local and provincial governments.

The lax security environment outside of larger cities in the eastern DRC like Goma and Bukavu has spawned a kidnapping for ransom industry as well as the full spectrum of banditry. US citizens and interests are not being specifically targeted but can easily become targets of opportunity by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

According to reports by the United Nations and various in-country NGOs, some elements of the DRC’s national armed forces also participate in illegal activities.  Militant forces originating in neighboring countries, including Rwanda and Uganda, continue to perpetuate violence in the DRC, often supporting their activities from the proceeds of the illegal exploitation of natural resources. The UN estimates that there are at least 2.2 million internally displaced persons in the DRC and approximately 460,000 refugees from other nations.  The United Nations has one of the largest peacekeeping operations in the world in the DRC.  Known by its French acronym, MONUSCO, it has roughly 16,000 peacekeepers deployed throughout the country, a majority of them in the east. 

In addition to the violence perpetrated by armed groups, the political environment remains tense and unstable.  President Joseph Kabila, in office since 2001, refuses to relinquish power even though his second legally mandated term expired in December 2016.  At the end of March, the Catholic Church suspended talks it was mediating between the government and the opposition, citing the refusal of both sides to make the compromises needed to implement a power-sharing accord that would lead to elections in December 2017.  The international community, including the USG, continues to press both sides to resume meaningful negotiations.

The ongoing political instability, coupled with a deepening economic crisis, is fueling civil unrest and political violence in various parts of the country, such as in the Kasai provinces in south central Congo, as well as in the capital of Kinshasa.  On September 19, 2016, and again on December 19, 2016, clashes between government forces and opposition supporters in Kinshasa resulted in approximately 100 deaths, the looting of a number of businesses, the destruction of opposition party headquarters, and the effective shut down of the capital city for several days. The unstable political and security situation continues to negatively impact the economy, making the DRC a difficult environment for foreign investors despite the tremendous natural resources the country has to offer.

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Dataset tracks political violence in developing countries, including the DRC. In addition, the Department of State continues to warn travelers to avoid all non-essential travel to the DRC.
 

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