The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has experienced violent conflict since the start of the First Congo War in 1996–97. The Second Congo War (1998–2003) was the deadliest conflict since World War II. Despite several peace agreements, the DRC continues to experience political instability, crackdowns on civil liberties, humanitarian crises, and the proliferation of rebel groups operating in its east and northeast regions. Armed conflict in these regions has made civilians vulnerable to killings, sexual violence, and displacement. The risk of a new mass killing in the DRC remains high, and our Early Warning Project has ranked the country in the top-20 highest-risk countries every year since the project began in 2014. Learn about the recent history of instability and conflict, and the continued search for justice and accountability.
For more than three decades, inter-ethnic tensions and regional instability have threatened the country’s security.
Our quantitative assessment, from the Early Warning Project, estimates the risk of a new mass killing in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Learn about the role of non-state actors in perpetrating atrocities in countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This Section
Find information on historical cases of genocide and other atrocities.