The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is going through a difficult period economically and socially. According to the Common Front for Congo (FCC), the political opposition, this deterioration is marked by a fall in the prices of basic necessities, a loss of purchasing power and an unprecedented deterioration of the national currency. In addition, the FCC denounces the chaotic management of the country, characterized by a rise in tribalism, corruption, embezzlement of public funds and a flagrant violation of fundamental rights.
These concerns are not just those of the political opposition. The police repression of the May 20 demonstration, organized by an opposition bloc, provoked widespread indignation from the government, political parties, citizens’ movements and the international community. The FCC now appeals to the impartiality of the international community, so that the sponsors and perpetrators of these violations are punished.
This difficult economic situation in the DRC has also been deplored by international actors. The prices of basic necessities have increased exponentially in recent times, leading to a precipitous drop in purchasing power. Because indeed, the rate of inflation remains galloping with a projection of 10% in 2023 against 6.6% in 2020.
However, efforts are being made to improve the socio-economic situation of the DRC. The government has thus announced a series of measures to relaunch the economy, in particular a tax reform and an improvement in the management of public finances. In addition, projects for the rehabilitation of the Kinshasa-Matadi railway, which should facilitate the import-export of goods and services through the taxi route and penetrate neighboring countries from the seaport of Matadi, the construction of bridges between cities, both in the east and west of the country show some promising progress.
Despite this, the socio-economic situation in the DRC remains precarious and requires joint action by the political class, civil society, national and international partners to remedy this situation.