Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In early 1998, the World Bank prepared a paper on the decentralization and participation policies outlined but not fully implemented by the Congolese government in the early days of the third republic. If the country has since receded into war, it...
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2000/01/12384860/towards-inclusive-sustainable-development-democratic-republic-congo http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9849 |
| Summary: | In early 1998, the World Bank prepared a
paper on the decentralization and participation policies
outlined but not fully implemented by the Congolese
government in the early days of the third republic. If the
country has since receded into war, it is perhaps in part
because these ideas were never properly put into practice.
Rather than de-legitimizing them, the renewed war makes it
even more important that these ideas be heard.
Centralization has a long history in the Congo. Though with
different justifications and characteristics, central
government dominated decision-making and execution during
both the colonial period and the second republic. Regarding
decision-making, "everything came from above without
any explanations". Though local authorities had certain
powers, these were more often than not abused rather than
used in the interest of the population. Infrequent contact
between central authorities and the population resulted in
many provinces and territories being, and remaining,
enclaved without access to neighboring regions, much less to
the outside world. |
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