The Congo River is the world’s deepest. It is the second largest in terms of flow after the Amazon and Africa’s second longest after the Nile. On its banks in the western Democratic Republic of Congo, about 300km downriver from its capital, Kinshasa, is the site of the Grand Inga Dam project, the world’s largest proposed hydropower scheme. If built, this power complex could light up as many as 500m households, or about half the continent, according to the World Bank. Though two power stations, Inga I and Inga II, were built in 1972 and 1982 respectively, they have fallen…
Stephanie Wolters
Democratic Republic of Congo: post-conflict elections by Stephanie Wolters Do-gooding outsiders can make or break elections in countries emerging from war. These nations are usually broke and have a difficult time organising and paying for polls. The United Nations (UN) often steps in to help. In 2006, after 32 years of kleptocratic rule by Mobutu Sese Seko and years of civil war which left several million dead, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) held its first multiparty elections in nearly 40 years. The UN rallied huge amounts of funding and organisational support and the elections were considered a success. Five…
