De la guerra a la democracia: la República Democrática del Congo

Since December 2002, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is undergoing a complex period of transition towards democracy. This transition has only come after a long period of war that began with the decline of Mobutu's regime. This article describes first of all the geographical, population and economic situation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country that is little known in our part of the world. We then go on to narrate the conflict's recent history (1996-2005), briefly going back to the period of pre-independence and Mobutu's time. Finally, the key-points of the transition from war to democracy are analysed: the complexity of the process ("transitions"); interference on the part of neighbouring eastern countries; financing the conflict with the plundering of natural resources; the ethnic factor; the role of the international community.