DRC: P-DDRCS AND CHESD STRENGTHEN STRATEGIC COOPERATION IN SUPPORT OF PEACE AND STABILITY
Kinshasa, Tuesday August 18, 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo — As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional cooperation, the Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Recovery and Stabilization Program (P-DDRCS) and the College for Advanced Studies in Strategy and Defense (CHESD) held a high-level institutional meeting at CHESD headquarters in Kinshasa.
The engagement included a one-on-one strategic discussion between the heads of the two institutions, followed by exchanges on issues of mutual strategic interest and opportunities for enhanced cooperation.
Discussions focused on strengthening institutional linkages in areas including strategic analysis, research, professional education, knowledge management, capacity development, and the sharing of national expertise related to disarmament and demobilization, socioeconomic reintegration, community recovery, stabilization, and the broader peace and security environment.
For the P-DDRCS, this engagement reflects the importance of connecting field-based operational experience with strategic thinking, policy development, research, and high-level professional training. Such an approach is particularly relevant as the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to address complex security challenges while advancing nationally owned solutions for sustainable peace and stabilization.
Closer cooperation with CHESD also provides an opportunity to systematically capture lessons learned from the DRC’s experience, strengthen evidence-based policy development, and contribute to building a stronger national community of practice in DDR, stabilization, conflict prevention, and post-conflict recovery.
Both institutions expressed their commitment to continue consultations aimed at identifying concrete areas of institutional cooperation and defining practical next steps for a structured partnership.
The engagement reflects a shared strategic objective: to leverage national expertise, operational experience, research, and strategic knowledge to support sustainable peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the broader Great Lakes region.
P-DDRCS Communications Unit
