A Conversation with:

Dr. Pierre Englebert

H. Russell Smith Professor of International Relations at Pomona College; 

Senior Fellow, Africa Center

Atlantic Council

Ms. Lisa Jené

PhD Candidate

Claremont Graduate University

 Moderated by:

Ms. Bronwyn Bruton

Director of Programs and Studies and Deputy Director, Africa Center

Atlantic Council

From allegations of irregularities to the suspension of polls in Beni State, flawed elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been widely criticized. However, as President Félix Tshisekedi Tshilombo claimed victory, few discussed a deeper phenomenon that has altered the political structure of the DRC. The 2015 découpage split the DRC's eleven provinces into twenty-six smaller polities, changing the way politics and government function in Congo.

Please join the Atlantic Council's Africa Center on Wednesday, April 10, for a conversation with Dr. Pierre Englebert and Ms. Lisa Jené on how the 2015 découpage has impacted political power structures in Congo. From fueling corruption through provincial 'godfathers,' to inflaming ethnic competition, the political consequences will be discussed by Englebert and Jené as they present their recent publications:

  • Tangled! Congolese Provincial Elites in a Web of Patronage
  • Where Does State Capacity Come From? Conjectures from DRC's New Provinces
  • Provincial Tribalization: The Transformation of Ethnic Representation Under Decentralization in the DR Congo

Atlantic Council

1030 15th Street, NW, 12th Floor

Washington, DC 20005

This event is open to press and on the record.