STRENGTHENED COOPERATION BETWEEN P-DDRCS AND IOM: TOWARDS A STRATEGIC AND SOVEREIGN COORDINATION FRAMEWORK FOR LASTING PEACE IN THE DRC
Kinshasa, 30 April 2025 — The National Program for Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Stabilization (P-DDRCS) attended a high-level working meeting with a visiting delegation from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), led by Ms Sungah Lee, IOM’s Deputy Director General for Management and Reform.
This strategic meeting provided a platform for assessing the current state of IOM-supported reintegration initiatives, while discussing priority needs considering the humanitarian–development–peace (HDP) nexus. Both parties explored pathways to reinforce institutional partnership in support of national peacebuilding and stabilization efforts.
Professor Jean de Dieu Désiré NTANGA NTITA, National Coordinator of the P-DDRCS, presented the vision, mission, and operational challenges of the Program. He emphasized the sovereign and nationalist philosophy of His Excellency President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo. He further underlined the need for national ownership, institutional strengthening, and durable investment in local implementation capacities, while advocating for the empowerment of grassroots community organizations.
In accordance with Article 3 of Presidential Ordinance No. 21/038 of 4 July 2021, the P-DDRCS remains the sole national coordination authority on all DDRCS-related interventions. Professor Ntanga Ntita called upon partners—including IOM—to align their efforts with the strategic priorities and principles enshrined in the National Strategic Plan. He informed of the P-DDRCS’s designation, alongside the Local Development Program (PDL-145), as one of two national priorities for the 2025–2030 Peacebuilding Fund eligibility framework. As such, he advocated for a transparent and coordinated partnership mechanism, capable of delivering measurable impact across communities.
Ms Sungah Lee reiterated IOM’s commitment to supporting the Congolese Government, through a robust collaboration with the P-DDRCS, and affirmed the Organization’s resolve to help deliver sustainable, community-rooted solutions.
This meeting marks a pivotal step towards enhanced cooperation grounded in sovereignty, complementarity, and national leadership—pillars essential to securing sustainable peace and development across the Democratic Republic of Congo.
P-DDRCS Communication Cell
