6. Intercontinental Citizenship: Europe-based Congolese Migrants and Their Influence on Homeland Governance During 2011 DRC Electoral Crisis

Most studies on the contribution of migrants to their country of origin emphasise remittances, but not so much their political influence on governance back home, when the homeland is experiencing political crisis. Oftentimes, the transnational citizenship exercised by migrants has plunged them into contestation with the governments of both sending and receiving countries. Building on the notion of transnationalism as a site of political engagement and as everyday practices of immigrants engaged in such activities as political participation in both country of emigration and immigration, this study draws lessons and experiences from the 2011 post-general election crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to highlight strategies devised by Europe-based Congolese migrants to politically engage in the restoration of constitutional rule in the DRC. The study extensively reviews the 2011 general elections crisis and the literature on transnationalism and democratic governance. Based on this, it argues that apart from remittances, Europe-based Congolese migrants exercise intercontinental citizenship in order to consolidate existing fragile democratic governance in the DRC. They employed such strategies as the creation of ingeta movements, online campaign against the ruling regime, mutakalization, public protest and demonstrations in Europe and prohibition of Congolese artists from performing in Europe. Thus, Congolese migrants exercise intercontinental citizenship, which also ignites local citizens into action and forces the authorities back home to abandon authoritarian tactics.