Living together in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Several levels operate together in everyday life. A city (ville), an urban municipality (commune), a sector (secteur) and a customary chiefdom (chefferie) are decentralized territorial entities with legal personality and, in principle, self-government. A territory (territoire), neighborhood (quartier), administrative grouping (groupement) and village (village) are decentralized administrative structures. Depending on the location, authorities, customary chiefs (chefs coutumiers), churches, non-profit associations (ASBL), NGOs (ONG) or local peace groups may help with matters concerning peaceful coexistence. There is no single nationwide contact point for such matters. Language, documents, transport, the security situation and actual control of an area significantly affect access. The Constitution protects equality and prohibits discrimination on grounds including religion, family origin, social status, place of residence, political opinion, race, ethnicity, tribe, and cultural or linguistic minorities. It also protects freedom of expression, information, religion, association, assembly and demonstration. Anyone wishing to organize a public assembly or demonstration must inform the competent administrative authority in writing. Law, public order and the rights of others set limits. Citizens are expected to respect the rights of others, treat fellow citizens without discrimination, promote unity, respect and tolerance, and protect property and public goods. French is the official language. Kikongo, Lingala, Swahili and Tshiluba are national languages; other languages are considered part of the cultural heritage. Ethnic, tribal and linguistic identities may be relevant to protection, mediation and conflict. No reliable official overall number of all ethnic groups is available for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In an everyday dispute, formal courts, the police, the territorial administration, traditional authorities or mediation bodies may be responsible. In tensions between communities, community dialogue forums (Baraza), peace committees, territorial peace councils and mediation by women’s, youth, faith-based or civil-society groups may be relevant. These structures are not uniform nationwide. Their neutrality, protection from outside influence, legal effect and referral to the police or justice system must be assessed locally. Documented projects included 25 peace clubs, three territorial peace councils and one provincial peace committee in Tanganyika. In Ituri, more than 80 women worked as mediators, and in Kasai there were more than 200 community mediators. In cases of immediate danger or displacement, local protection and humanitarian structures are more likely to provide a way forward than an ordinary administrative process. By September 2025, according to UNHCR, there were approximately 5.8 million internally displaced people, particularly in the eastern provinces. Damaged housing, school and health infrastructure, host communities, return and renewed displacement consequently change everyday coexistence. Formal civic engagement is possible through a non-profit association or an NGO. Under Law 004/2001 (Loi 004/2001), a non-profit association needs at least seven members, notarized articles of association and an application to the Ministry of Justice. The governor may grant a provisional operating authorization. After six months, legal personality is deemed accepted by law; the ministerial act is supposed to follow within one month, and the articles of association are supposed to be published within 45 days. Churches, youth and women’s structures, local radio stations, peace committees and other civil-society groups also participate informally. The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) is the country’s electoral body. Local elections were not held in 2025 and 2026 for funding reasons; further planning was scheduled for 2028. Political rights and elections are generally reserved for Congolese nationals. Foreigners who are lawfully present in the country enjoy the protection of applicable laws and treaties. Practical participation may nevertheless be restricted by language, missing documents, transport problems, insecurity or de facto control. Conflict-free participation nationwide cannot be assumed. There is no documented national standard system for shared housing equivalent to the European co-housing or tenant-protection model. Families, host communities, internally displaced persons’ camps, and church, community and humanitarian accommodation often perform this function informally. Rental agreements, housing rights and utilities mainly belong to the housing field and are considered here only when they directly affect coexistence. Digital communication also shapes information, organization and conflict communication. In 2024, 19.7 percent of the population used the internet. In the fourth quarter of 2024, there were 63.96 million active mobile connections and mobile internet penetration was 34.6 percent; these figures are based on different denominators. Messaging services and social media facilitate communication and mobilization but can also spread disinformation and hate speech. Access costs, network coverage and enforcement of digital rules differ locally. Law 20/017, the national cybersecurity strategy, and ARPTC and CADRAN form the documented framework for data and digital regulation. The research identifies no uniform nationwide fees for formal association procedures, mediation or participation; costs may arise for transport, documents, registration and communication.