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Democratic Republic of the Congo

https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/

July 2025

Former President Kabila tried for treason, insurrection and war crimes
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On 25 July, the trial of former president Joseph Kabila began in a military court where he has been charged with treason, war crimes and organising an insurrection, crimes which could carry the death sentence. The charges relate to his alleged support to the M23 rebel group fighting an armed conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the political-military movement of which it is a part, Alliance Fleuve Congo (Congo River Alliance, AFC). Prosecutors described Kabila as one of the alliance’s ‘initiators’. M23 and the AFC both denied the allegations, and Kabila rejected the charges against him as ‘arbitrary’. In May, the Senate stripped Kabila of the lifetime immunity he enjoyed as a former president and in recent months authorities suspended his party, Parti du Peuple pour la Reconstruction et la Démocratie (People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy, PPRD) and banned media coverage of its activities. Kabila is being tried in absentia.   

Sources: BarronsRadio France InternationaleLe MondeJeune AfriqueInternational IDEA 

June 2025

Regulator bans media coverage of former President Kabila’s political party

On 2 June, the Higher Council for Audiovisual and Communication (Le Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel et de la Communication, CSAC)  issued an order banning media coverage of the activities of the political party of former President Jospeh Kabila, the Parti du Peuple pour la Reconstruction et la Démocratie (People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy, PPRD) and ‘offering space’ to its members. The ban was issued by for a period of 90 days, covering all private and public media, as well as digital platforms and social media. The CSAC warned that violators could be suspended and justified the restrictions by repeating government allegations that Kabila and the PPRD is supporting the M23 and allied rebel groups operating in the east of the country. The ban comes amid growing restrictions on the media and the PPRD, which was suspended in April.

Sources: Committee to Protect Journalists, Radio France Internationale, Congo Quotidien, International IDEA          

May 2025

Former Prime Minister convicted of embezzling USD 245 million

On 20 May, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Constitutional Court convicted the country’s former Prime Minister Matata Ponyo Mapon of embezzling USD 245 million of public funds intended for a failed agricultural scheme launched in 2014, during his time in office. On the same day, the Court sentenced Ponyo to 10 years of forced labour. He was tried in absentia alongside former central bank governor, Deogratias Mutombo and South African businessman, Christo Grobler, both of whom were sentenced to five years of forced labour. None of the convicts was in custody at the time of sentencing. The case dates back to 2021 and is one of the most high-profile to have been brought against members of former President Kabila’s administration. Ponyo, who now leads the Leadership and Governance for Development (Leadership et Gouvernance pour le Développement, LGD) party, has maintained his innocence and his lawyer dismissed the verdict as being politically motivated.     

Sources: Jeune Afrique, Reuters, Radio France Internationale, The Africa Report

April 2025

Political party of former President Kabila suspended for ‘ambiguous’ view on M23

On 19 April, the Interior Ministry announced that the Parti du Peuple pour la Reconstruction et la Démocratie (PPRD, People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy) had been suspended due to its ‘ambiguous’ position on the rebel group M23’s occupation of parts of the eastern provinces of the country. This came amid unconfirmed reports that party leader and former President Joseph Kabila had returned from self-imposed exile and was in the occupied city of Goma. The PPRD announced in early May that it had resumed its activities as, in its view, the suspension had expired. However, the government initiated a procedure to dissolve the PPRD (along with three other parties connected to varying degrees to armed groups) on 24 April. These potential dissolutions will now be the subject of court hearings.

Sources: Africa Radio, Al Jazeera, Africa News, Radio France Internationale

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Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2024

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Representation
127/173
Rights
152/173
Rule of Law
152/173
Participation
110/173

Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
109 276 265
System of government
Semi-Presidential system
Head of government
Prime Minister Judith Tuluka (since 2024)
Head of government party
Union for Democracy and Social Progress
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
First Past the Post, List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
12.8%
Women in upper chamber
15.8%
Last legislative election
2023
Head of state
President Félix Tshisekedi
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (plurality)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
5/11/2024
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
82.75%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
No Action
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
No Action
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
State Party
in
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

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Representation neutral Rule of law
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Representation neutral Participation
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Global State of Democracy Indices

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Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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