DRC: 62 Years Later, the Executive Adopts the Defense Policy

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is finally adopting a national defense policy for the first time since 1960. The executive adopted the text on Friday September 09, 2022, during the 68th meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by the Chief of the State, Félix Tshisekedi, by videoconference. The draft defense policy was presented by the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs.

The document, indicated Gilbert Kabanda, takes up the main principles and political, strategic and military options with a view to ensuring the defense of the country. Also, he added, this project establishes the major pillars on which will then be defined and built the organizational and functional trunk of the army. The Minister of Defense underlined that the implementation of the defense policy should be done within a logical framework of the six classic strategic functions, namely: knowledge, prevention, anticipation, deterrence, protection and ‘intervention.

Permanent and formal functional bridges will have to be established between military and civilian defense with a view to effective global defence, he said, adding that the current laws and regulatory texts of defense and the FARDC will have to be reviewed accordingly. . It is for the first time since 1960 that the DRC has adopted a defense policy commensurate with its natural status as an African power and its multifaceted vulnerability which is its corollary.

Alexis Emba