A Role for Diplomats in Postwar Transitions? The Case of the International Committee in Support of the Transition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

This paper examines the contributions made by the International Committee in Support of the Transition (CIAT), a diplomatic mechanism representing fifteen states and international organizations that was mandated by the peace agreements signed between the warring parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo in December 2002. The paper argues that CIAT played an essential managing role in the extremely complex transition process. Not only did CIAT manage the spoilers and facilitate the organization of the elections, it also provided for the much-needed coordination among the multiple international actors involved in the peace and reconstruction process. The experience of CIAT shows that diplomatic mechanisms can be important and effective tools in the transitional architecture. However, it also demonstrates that the success of such a diplomatic mechanism is highly dependent on the parameters set in the peace agreement and the overall strategy of the international community in the Democratic Republic of Congo