Congolese Youth: Refusing to Be Conjugated in the Mode and Tense Where the Subject Undergoes the Action

Abstract In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), young people constitute the majority of the population while remaining largely excluded from meaningful political decision-making processes. Too often, they are treated as political objects—mobilized during electoral periods, instrumentalized in armed conflicts, or reduced to passive recipients of decisions made by political elites. This paper conceptualizes this condition as a form of “passive conjugation,” in which youth are forced to undergo political action rather than actively shape it. Situated within the field of Resistance Studies, this contribution adopts a critical and interdisciplinary approach, drawing on political sociology, social movement theory, and nonviolent resistance studies. It examines the mechanisms of manipulation, marginalization, and repression that confine Congolese youth to a subordinate political position. Particular attention is given to the militarization of governance, especially under the state of siege in eastern Congo, and to the criminalization of youth-led civic engagement. The paper highlights the emergence of youth-driven citizen movements, such as Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA), which represent a clear rupture with imposed passivity. Through nonviolent resistance, civic education, and collective action, these movements challenge authoritarian practices and reclaim youth agency. They contribute to redefining Congolese youth as conscious political subjects capable of resistance, ethical commitment, and democratic imagination. In conclusion, this paper argues that Congolese youth should no longer be viewed as a generation to be controlled or instrumentalized, but as a central force in the country’s political and social transformation. Refusing to be “conjugated in the mode and tense where the subject undergoes the action” means asserting an active, conscious, and collective form of resistance aimed at reclaiming political dignity and shaping a democratic future in the DRC.