DRC uncovers 64,000 ghost police officers in sweeping audit

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is grappling with an unprecedented crisis within its national police force. A government-led audit has exposed a staggering 63,817 officers classified as “ghost” or “inactive” entities out of a total of 157,886 officially registered personnel. This revelation has drastically reduced the number of active officers, pushing the police-to-citizen ratio to critically low levels that fail to meet the country’s pressing security demands.

In response, authorities have initiated a comprehensive verification campaign, requiring all officers to undergo biometric registration. The process will commence in Kinshasa before expanding to the remaining 25 provinces. The initiative aims to establish a secure database, eliminate duplicate registrations and fictitious posts, and streamline salary disbursements, recruitment, and promotions.

Security reform takes center stage

The audit’s findings highlight financial irregularities, estimating that these fictitious positions drain between $99.8 million and $233 million from public coffers annually. This reform aligns with a broader modernization program for the police force, set to run through 2030 with a $2.55 billion budget. Key objectives include recruiting and training 90,000 new officers, restructuring security institutions, and strengthening police-community relations.

This overhaul comes amid growing public concern over rising insecurity, particularly in Kinshasa, where residents report a surge in armed robberies, kidnappings, and violent assaults. In response, President Félix Tshisekedi has urged intensified efforts to dismantle criminal networks while accelerating reforms to enhance the efficiency of security forces.