DRC elections: voters pin hope for jobs and peace, as violence threatens vote

As citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prepare to head to the polls on Wednesday (20 December), Congolese authorities need to act urgently to prevent violence around the vote to stop a dangerous situation from getting even worse, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

As election-related violence across the DRC risk undermining the upcoming elections for president, members of national and provincial parliaments, and local offices, HRW urges the authorities in the central African nation to avoid attacks and prioritize accountability. “Political parties and candidates should publicize their anti-violence stance and help to ensure that people have the opportunity to vote for the candidates of their choice,” HRW says in its latest report, as more than 1.5 million citizens will not be able to vote in areas of active conflict.

With armed groups plaguing much of eastern DRC, a legacy of regional wars that flared during the 1990s and 2000s, it is hardly surprising that ending conflict is also top of the agenda for many voters. As a result of the protracted conflict, millions of internally displaced people, mainly in the eastern North Kivu province, may also not be able to cast their ballots.

Another priority for many young people in the deeply impoverished central African nation is that the new government can deliver a better future. With over 60% of the country of 100 million people under 20 years old, young people, many of whom suffer from chronic underemployment, make up an important voting bloc. The major candidates, including the 60-year-old incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi who is running for re-election, have all pledged to deliver more jobs. The DRC is one of the world’s poorest countries, despite its vast mineral wealth, with about two thirds of the population surviving on under $2.15 per day, according to the World Bank.