** Entitled: The economic resilience of the DRC in the face of turmoil: analysis of budgetary and economic policies in time of conflict **
On April 3, 2025, during a scientific morning held at the University of Kinshasa, the Minister of Finance of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Doudou Fwamba Likunde, explained his reflections on the economic challenges that the country crosses in the east. While armed conflicts are a major destabilizing factor for most vulnerable economies, a question arises: how does the DRC manage to maintain encouraged economic indicators despite a tense geopolitical context?
### A climate of confidence in the titles market
The Minister has highlighted a paradoxical climate of trust in the public securities market, an area where uncertainty usually allows little visibility. Indeed, while in 2021, the emission rates of good treasurys and bonds flirted around 10%, they now dropped to remarkable levels of 8.5%to 9%. Such a reversal testifies not only to an improvement in the perception of the solvency of the State, but also of a relaxation of the fears of investors.
The figures speak for themselves: at the beginning of 2025, 93% of the titles issued were long maturity titles. This point is crucial; It indicates an evolution of the confidence of lenders towards the Congolese government, while traditionally this financial space was dominated by short -term loans, a reflection of a lack of confidence. In comparison, many countries prey to prolonged conflicts, such as Syria or Yemen, are experiencing a total collapse of confidence in their ability to issue state titles. The DRC is distinguished here by its determination to stabilize its financial environment despite the difficulties.
### A reasonable debt for regionalization
The rate of Congolese interior debt, fixed around 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP), is well below the average of 58.4% observed in sub -Saharan Africa. This reassuring image suggests that, even in a conflicting context, the management of public finances should not necessarily be chaotic. On the contrary, the DRC, with prudent management, could consider economic recovery once peace has returned, inspired by examples of countries like Rwanda, which was able to straighten its economy after the 1994 genocide.
### The challenges of financial governance
However, the Minister was also able to recall that the path remains strewn with pitfalls. The DRC, rich in natural resources, suffers from a curse of raw materials, a well -documented phenomenon which can cause inequalities and internal struggles. The fact that natural resources are often targeted by foreign actors, such as Rwanda, requires financial governance of absolute rigor to avoid any looting or exploitation harmful to the local population.
Doudou Fwamba also underlined the importance of the university as a center of constructive proposals. This is an approach that deserves to be put forward. A close collaboration between the academic environment and the public sector could lead to innovative solutions for the management of public finances. This may include the development of more effective financial control systems, economic forecasting models or transparency mechanisms that would promote the confidence of investors and donors.
### Conclusion: a call for mobilization and invention
Faced with the complexity and dangers of the current context, the DRC shows that reflected and structured management can, even in wartime, produce solid economic results. The resilience of the economic indicators mentioned by Doudou Fwamba testifies to an adaptability in the face of adversity. However, to progress towards sustainable peace and real economic prosperity, it is imperative that the country more than ever is mobilized around transparent, participative, and innovative financial governance.
An appeal to introspection and creativity is essential, not only on the government scale, but also within civil society and the academic environment. The DRC, rich in its advantages, has all the means in hand to transform this conflict into an opportunity for economic renaissance, and this call to the collective may well be the key to leaving the crisis.