Briefing Paper

Regional and Continental Responses to the DRC Election Crisis

The recent Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) elections are a useful measure of the willingness of continental and regional bodies to address contested election outcomes in Africa. They also show the extent to which international players are willing to use leverage to influence the behaviour of a government. Finally, the DRC election crisis demonstrates how divergent positions among regional and continental stakeholders can ultimately lead to a non-response.