Who runs local government in Democratic Republic of the Congo?
The DRC has 26 provinces with directly elected assemblies that elect provincial governors. Below them, the law creates 'decentralised territorial entities' (cities, communes, sectors and chiefdoms), but most of their councils have never been elected, so many local executives are appointed or hereditary. Customary chiefs are recognised by the constitution and a 2015 law, and in chiefdoms (chefferies) the customary chief is the head of a local government unit. In the east, armed conflict means parts of North and South Kivu are run by the M23/AFC rebellion rather than the state.
Democratic Republic of the Congo · Unitary presidential republic with strong provinces ('regionalised' state) · Central Africa
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Provinces (26, including the city-province of Kinshasa) | Provincial assembly directly elected (last in December 2023), with some seats for co-opted customary chiefs; the assembly elects the governor | Provincial laws and services, sharing many powers with the national government. |
| Territories (rural) and cities | Territory administrators appointed by the state; city mayors appointed | Territories are deconcentrated units; cities are decentralised entities. |
| Communes, sectors (secteurs) and chiefdoms (chefferies) | Councils provided for by the 2008 organic law, but largely not yet elected; sector chiefs are appointed in practice; chiefdoms are headed by a customary chief designated by custom | Basic local government: local roads, markets, civil registration, local taxes. |
| Groupements and villages | Groupement and village chiefs designated by custom and recognised by the state | Customary administration, land allocation, dispute settlement. |
Three questions about local power in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Are local leaders elected?
Provincial assemblies are elected and choose governors. Most councils of communes, sectors and chiefdoms have not been elected, so mayors and sector chiefs are mostly appointed. Customary chiefs inherit or are designated by custom.
Which laws set up local government?
Provinces and decentralised entities are in the 2006 constitution and the 2008 organic law; customary chiefs are formal under Article 207 and Law 15/015 of 2015. Militias and armed-group administrations are outside the law.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Governors can be removed by provincial assemblies (censure motions are frequent). Appointed local officials answer to the Interior Ministry. Chiefs answer to custom (royal families, councils of notables) and to the state's disciplinary rules; the state settles succession disputes.
Traditional and customary authority
Article 207 of the constitution recognises customary authority, says chiefs must promote national unity, and requires any chief who wants a public elective office to stand for election. Provincial assemblies may co-opt customary chiefs (Article 197). Law 15/015 of 25 August 2015 sets the status of customary chiefs: chiefs of chiefdoms, groupements and villages are designated according to local custom and recognised by the state, have rights and duties, a disciplinary regime and procedures for succession disputes. Chiefdoms are unusual because the customary chief is also the executive of a decentralised local government unit. Chiefs strongly influence access to land under customary tenure, which causes conflict where land is scarce or where succession is disputed.
Community and neighbourhood power
Local development committees, parents' associations, churches (Catholic and Protestant networks run many schools and clinics), and in the east self-defence militias (often called Mai-Mai) and community 'local security' groups. In towns, street and avenue chiefs relay messages from the commune. Most of these groups are informal and link to the state through chiefs and administrators.
Points to know
- The principle often cited is 'one territory, one custom, one chief', which can clash with population movements and conflicts.
- In 2015 the former 11 provinces were split into 26, as the 2006 constitution required.
- North Kivu and Ituri have been under a 'state of siege' since 2021, with military officers replacing civilian governors.
- A customary chief who wants to sit in an elected body must stand for election, except where the law allows co-option into a provincial assembly.
Local terms
- Chefferie
- A chiefdom: a rural local government unit headed by a customary chief.
- Secteur
- A rural local government unit formed from several groupings of villages, headed by an administrative sector chief.
- Groupement
- A grouping of villages under a customary chief, below the chiefdom or sector.
Sources
- Congo (Democratic Republic of the)'s Constitution of 2005 with Amendments through 2011, Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Loi n° 15/015 du 25 août 2015 fixant le statut des chefs coutumiers, FAO FAOLEX, checked 14 October 2026
- Security Council LIVE: DRC peace deals fail to halt fighting as Ebola deepens crisis (29 Sept 2026), UN News, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Democratic Republic of the Congo's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.