Democratic Republic of Congo has a long history of exploitation and conflict. To move past turmoil to a functioning state, it must promote government capacity and institution building, according to Eric Kashambuzi. Kashambuzi was a member of an African Union (AU) team sent to DRC in January and February to study the issues hindering post-conflict reconstruction and make recommendations for the AU's Peace and Security Council. The full report will be released in the next month.
Kashambuzi emphasized the historical context of DRC's conflicts. Since being taken over by King Leopold II of Belgium in 1885 the Congolese people have been trampled upon and forced to labor for external actors keen to access the country's vast natural resources. When the colony was transferred from Leopold's personal possession to a Belgian state colony, the regions were divided to facilitate easier governmental control. Congolese were also kept out of educational and state institutions, so when they gained independence in 1960 there was little capacity for Congolese to effectively run their country. Mobutu Sese Seko took power in 1965 and with the support of western governments, including the United States, maintained dictatorial control until 1997.
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