The political crisis unfolding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been a long time in the making — but so has the diplomatic effort to push President Joseph Kabila to relinquish his hold on the presidency.
Devex spoke with Tom Perriello, U.S. special envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa, about the prospects for fostering a peaceful, democratic transfer of power — the first in the country’s history — and the challenging work of tipping probabilities in favor of a better outcome.
This week saw renewed conflict when government security forces continued their violent repression of opposition groups. Hundreds of protesters and political opponents to Kabila have been detained, and Human Rights Watch confirmed at least 26 deaths as a result of the crackdown.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
