ABSTRACT
The international community, which played a prominent role in brokering peace agreements, restoring national unity and reshaping the political system of the Democratice Republic of Congo (DRC) after the official end of the war in July 2003, continues to have a significant influence on the way the Congolese government manages its affairs (Vircoulon 2007, Cuvelier 2011a, Trefon 2011, Reyntjens 2007). This is particularly evident in the mining sector, where international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, have urged the Congolese state to embark on a major reform of the mining business, consisting of the adoption of a new mining code and the introduction of a new set of standards for mining practices (Vlassenroot and Van Bockstael 2008, Mazalto 2009, Geenen 2011).
