The Congolese ‘black hole’

This chapter employs the tools of complexity theory to describe the evolution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) governance system from post-colonial times to the present. It argues that a form of symbiosis emerged among armed groups, traditional leaders, businesses, and state actors, resulting in a highly networked form of governance in eastern Congo. These relationships acted as ‘strong attractors’ in the Congolese governance system, drawing resources and political energy away from state institutions and increasing reliance on violent actors to stabilize the system. During the DRC’s civil wars, this reliance on armed actors grew, while the ability of private businesses to market Congo’s natural resources internationally meant that viable state institutions were never able to develop. The result was a highly resilient, adaptive, largely non-state system of governance that tended to strip central authorities of power and resources even as it appeared to build state institutions.

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