Democratic Republic of Congo Enabling Environment Baseline Snapshot

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is governed by a Constitution adopted on 18 February 2006, with certain articles revised by Law No. 11/002 of 20 January 2011.

On 20 December 2023, the DRC held general elections for the fourth legislature. These resulted in the victory of Mr Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, who secured a second and final term as Head of State in accordance with Article 70 of the Constitution. The Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) and its allies also won a large majority of seats in both houses of Parliament. Although the results were confirmed by the Constitutional Court, the elections were marred by numerous irregularities and incidents of fraud, sparking widespread controversy. These included the theft of electoral kits, failures to comply with the electoral calendar, and voting that was officially scheduled for one day but extended over several days. Since then, the ruling party has launched an initiative to revise the Constitution, raising concerns about potential attempts to extend presidential term limits. These developments echo previous periods of unrest, including the deadly protests in 2015 and 2018 sparked by similar constitutional manoeuvres under former President Joseph Kabila Kabange. Freedom House classifies the DRC as “not free,” giving it a score of just 19 out of 100 in its 2024 report due to widespread corruption, electoral manipulation and restrictions on civil liberties.

Social and political tensions persist, fuelled by deep inequalities, a lack of respect for fundamental freedoms and growing political intolerance. Criticism of the current regime, even when well founded, is often rejected by state leaders. In October 2025, a conclave of several opposition figures in Nairobi led to the creation of a political platform entitled “Save the Congo,” aimed at denouncing the poor governance of state affairs. On 31 October 2025, the Minister of the Interior, Security, Decentralisation and Customary Affairs suspended the activities of 12 opposition parties involved in this meeting.

Despite its promises of reform, President Félix Tshisekedi's administration has been criticised for its crackdown on dissent and attacks on human rights defenders, civil society actors, journalists and political opponents. In the judicial sphere, there is a two-tier justice system, with legal proceedings generally targeting only opposition politicians and human rights defenders.

Developments in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri are even more worrying : since May 2021, eastern DRC has been under martial law, transferring civil authority to military authority in response to escalating violence. Under this state of siege, military authorities can search homes, ban meetings and publications, restrict freedom of movement, and arrest anyone accused of disturbing public order.

Furthermore, civilians are tried before military courts rather than civil courts. This exceptional measure, which has been extended more than 20 times, has not improved security, but has instead exacerbated violations of human rights and freedoms. This state of siege has led to abusive restrictions and arbitrary arrests, both against civil society activists and citizen movements during demonstrations and against journalists, also leading to prolonged pre-trial detention and restrictions on freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.

The conflict in eastern DRC, involving more than 100 armed groups, continues to destabilise the region, with civilians and civil society actors being the most affected by violence and displacement. Intense fighting between the Rwandan-backed rebel group March 23 Movement (M23) and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), supported by the Wazalendo (Patriots in Kiswahili) armed militia alliance, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and Burundian troops, has exacerbated tensions in eastern DRC, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.

In early 2025, the M23 rebel group, backed by thousands of Rwandan soldiers, seized control of Goma, a strategic city on the border between the DRC and Rwanda, causing massive population displacement and a humanitarian crisis, with up to 2,000 reported deaths and a unilateral ceasefire declared by the M23 rebels on 4 February 2025. This escalation, which has its roots in decades of resource-related conflict in eastern DRC, intensified political violence across the country following the disputed presidential elections of December 2023, leaving more than one million Congolese refugees and 21 million people in urgent need of assistance.

Despite the signing of a bilateral peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC on 27 June and the Doha Declaration with the M23 on 19 July 2025, the UN OHCHR reported the deaths of hundreds of civilians, highlighting concerns from humanitarian NGOs that little has changed on the ground.

Amidst a complex and protracted conflict in eastern DRC, civil society actors, journalists and other human rights defenders have faced increasing threats and atrocities from the M23 rebel group and its allies on the one hand, and government actors, including the armed forces and authorities, on the other. Atrocities, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions and arbitrary detentions, have been committed, highlighting the shrinking space for civil society in eastern DRC. Many have been forced into hiding or displacement due to direct threats against them and their families. Internet shutdowns, movement restrictions and censorship have severely limited their ability to document abuses. Those who continue their work operate under constant threat of physical attack and surveillance, further reducing the space for civil society.

The socio-economic context in the DRC is characterised by moderate economic growth (around 5.1% to 5.3%), resilience in the non-extractive sector despite the slowdown in mining activity, sustained confidence in the private sector and the adoption of new programmes with the IMF to support reforms. The country's economy remains extroverted. The local currency has appreciated against the US dollar, but the purchasing power of Congolese citizens continues to deteriorate. The Democratic Republic of the Congo now ranks first in the world in terms of extreme poverty. According to a World Bank report, 85.3% of Congolese live on less than £3 a day, the highest rate in the world.

The very high unemployment rate particularly affects young people and women.

* This overview is longer than the other overviews published as part of the EU's SEE project, as it is the result of the work of two members of the network, who together cover the different provinces of the DRC. Particular attention is therefore often paid to the specific situation in the eastern provinces.

Period covered by the report: January 2025 – December 2025.