Hope is fading for the Democratic Republic of Congo. On July 30, the country held multiparty democratic elections for the first time in decades, raising hopes that a ballot might provide the foundation for peace and stability that the Congo has not known in its 46-year history. While that dream is not yet dead, it appears more likely that the results will deepen divisions in the troubled country and unleash more violence. The international community has already made a substantial investment in Congo's future: It must demand that all participants respect the election results and press the winners to create an inclusive government that reaches out to all its citizens.
Congo has had a difficult existence since the country was founded in 1960. Mobutu Sese Seko seized power five years later and proceeded to bankrupt one of Africa's richest countries with his greed and corruption. Mobutu was overthrown in 1997 by Laurent Kabila, but that triggered a bloody five-year civil war that ended in 2003. Halfway though the fighting, Kabila died -- killed by his bodyguards -- and was replaced by his son Joseph, who retains the presidency to this day.
A ceasefire was brokered in 2003, and as part of that deal, elections were promised. Since then, the international community has spent some $6 billion in Congo. The election alone cost most than $430 million, and more than 18,000 international soldiers and police officers -- the largest peacekeeping operation in history -- have been sent to the Congo to maintain the peace.