List of political parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

This is a list of notable political parties and alliances in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, both past and present. The country has a multi-party political system: one in which the number of competing political parties is sufficiently large as to make it almost inevitable that, in order to participate in the exercise of power, any single party must be prepared to negotiate with one or more others with a view to forming electoral alliances and/or coalition agreements.

Many parties in the country are "drawer" or "briefcase" parties, those set up from scratch for electoral purposes, with little to no real presence on the ground. Many lack headquarters, a distinct visual identity, or even an active base of supporters. Since the replacement of the pure proportional representation with a 1% electoral threshold in 2017, these nominal parties have tended to merge into broader political alliances, often incorporating figures from major parties rather than establishing large, unified parties. The more parties an alliance has, the more lists it can field, increasing the likelihood of surpassing the threshold and securing seats. Some of these parties are only made up of immediate family members, represented in a single corner of a city or in a single province.

Some political coalitions, such as the Common Front for Congo, have previously flirted with the idea of transforming itself into a single majority party, with the Moïse Katumbi's political platform, Together for the Republic, merging six of its member political parties and groups into a single political party on 18 December 2019.

In 2014, there were 602 parties registered with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and 910 in 2023, an increase of 51%.

History

Pre-Mobutu Under the Belgian Congo, the formation of political organizations was banned. Instead, évolués formed "associations" based primarily on ethnic interest or alumni affiliations. In December 1957, the colonial administration instituted reforms that permitted municipal elections and the formation of political parties. Some Belgian parties attempted to establish branches in the colony, but these were largely ignored by the population in favour of Congolese-initiated groups.

As independence neared, political activity blossomed, leading to the establishment of over 200 political parties, though nationally based parties struggled to remain cohesive due to ethnic divisions and leadership conflicts, causing larger coalitions to fragment. By the 1960 elections, some 250 political parties competed for just 137 seats, dropping down to 233 parties contesting 167 seats in the 1965 elections.

Mobutu era Following Mobutu's accession to power in the Second Mobutu coup d'état, he founded the Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR) on 17 April, 1966, later declaring it the supreme organ of state and sole legal party on 23 December 1970, fusing with the government in 1972. Many early political leaders aligned themselves with the new regime, while those who opposed it faced exile or imprisonment.

Facing mounting pressure from both domestic and international actors to introduce democratic reforms, Mobutu announced an end to single-party rule in a speech on April 24, 1990, and resigned as head of the MPR. Various illegal parties, such as the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, declared their intention to register, while prominent politicians left the MPR to establish their own parties. However, on May 3, Mobutu attempted to limit the number of legal parties to just two additional groups, though his decree was widely ignored. After months of public demonstrations, he ultimately conceded on October 6, announcing that there would be no restrictions on political parties. This was formalized on November 25 with the passage of a decree allowing unrestricted party registration.

Post-Mobutu After the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire toppled the Mobutu regime in May 1997, all political party activity was immediately and indefinitely suspended. In late January 1999, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila lifted the ban on forming new political parties, though he did not address the status of pre-existing parties. The requirements for registering new parties were stringent, demanding organizational and financial prerequisites that posed significant obstacles to prospective parties, with additional restrictions including a ban on affiliations with international organizations. All barriers to party activity were lifted in May 2001, and by the end of that year, more than 150 political parties had reportedly been officially registered. Coalitions Active Name Est. Leading party Position Ideology Leader Senate Assembly Sacred Union of the Nation2020Union for Democracy and Social Progress/TSHISEKEDIFactions:Left-wingright-wingAnti-KabilaBig tentPopulismFélix Tshisekedi Together for the Republic2022Together for the Republiccentre-leftLiberalismMoïse Katumbi Lamuka2018Engagement for Citizenship and DevelopmentLiberalSocial liberalismMartin Fayulu Common Front for Congo2018People's Party for Reconstruction and DemocracyCentre-leftto left-wingSocial democracyJoseph Kabila

Defunct Name Leading party Position Ideology Leader Founded Dissolved Alliance of the Presidential MajorityPeople's Party for Reconstruction and DemocracyCentre-left to left-wingPro-Joseph KabilaJoseph Kabila20062018 Front Démocratique CongolaisBig-tentAnti-Moïse TshombeVictor Nendaka Bika19651966 Convention Nationale CongolaiseCONAKATRight-wingFederalismPro-Moïse TshombeMoïse Tshombe19651966Organisation de l'Entente KasaienneKasaian interest1965?Coordination du Kivu CentralCongolese Regrouping/CONACOEdmond Rudahindwa1965?

Active parties/political groups

Hold national office or elected to parliament Name Founded Nationalcoalition Position Ideology Leader Senate AssemblyUnion for Democracy and Social Progress/TSHISEKEDI1982USNProgressivismSocial democracyFélix Tshisekedi 2010USNSocial democracyModeste Bahati LukweboAllied Actions–Union for the Congolese Nation2010USNSocial democracyVital Kamerhe Act and BuildUSN Action of Allies/All for the Development of the CongoUSNJean Claude Tshilumbayi Alliance of Stakeholders for the People2023USNTony Kanku Shiku Alliance bloc 502023USNDecentralizationAnti-separatismAnti-corruptionJulien Paluku Movement for the Liberation of the Congo2003USNRight-wing tocentre-rightChristian democracyNationalismEconomic liberalismLéon Bourgeois's SolidarismHumanismJean-Pierre Bemba Together for the Republic2019LiberalismMoïse Katumbi Alliance for the Advent of a Prosperous and Great Congo2023USNPius Muabilu Alternative Action of Stakeholders for the Love of the CongoUSN Alliance 2024USN For Us to Build the CongoUSNGuy Loando Action of Allies for the ConventionUSN Coalition of Democrats2023USNJean-Lucien Bussa Action of Allies of the Convention for the Republic and DemocracyUSNChristophe Mboso Alliance of Progressive Congolese and AlliesUSNGentiny Ngobila Mbaka Alliance for Democratic Alternance and AlliesUSN Action for National UnityUSNPatriotismJean-Jacques Panga Audible Actions for Good GovernanceUSN Alliance for ValuesUSN Alliance for the Triple A and AlliesUSNClémence Sangana Bilonda Action of Allies for the Rise of the CongoUSN Alliance of NationalistsUSNAction of Allies for the Convention-Unified Lumumbist Party1964USNLeft-wingLumumbismPan-AfricanismAfrican socialismAfrican nationalismLeft-wing nationalismDidier Mazenga Alliance of Solidarity Movements for ChangeUSN Alliance of Unified Tshisekedists and AlliesUSNBudgetary disciplinePaul Tshilumbu Avançons-MS Another Vision of Congo and Allies2023USNLiberalismAnti-CorruptionHuman rightsDidier BudimbuAlliance and Action for the Rule of LawUSNPolitical Forces Allied with UDPSUSNChristian Alternative for the CongoUSNChristian democracyAndré LiteAlliance 2025USNAlternative Vital Kamerhe 2018USN New MomentumAdolphe Muzito 2021ProgressivismUDPS/KIBASSA-A1982 (UDPS founding)1996 (split)USNProgressivismSocial democracyAugustin KibassaAlliance of Political Parties Allied to the Congo Liberation MovementUSNAlliance for the Reform of the RepublicUSNAction for the Federative CauseUSNAlliance for the Rise and Democracy of the Congo and AlliesUSNAlliance for Development Actions of the Congo and AlliesUSN Leadership and Governance for Development2022Matata Ponyo MaponAction by Allies Acquiring DemocracyUSN People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy2002FCCCentre-leftto left-wingSocial democracyJoseph KabilaAction for Rupture and DevelopmentUSNAction for Reconstruction and WorkN/AMichel kanyimbuCurrent of Renovating DemocratsUSNCongo Federal ConventionUSNLumbist Social MovementUSN

Extra-parliamentary parties/political groups