These do not lend themselves to quick or easy solutions, especially those imposed from outside. For example, seven years of transition have produced neither effective governance nor viable democratic institutions. Zaire's economy is in shambles. Its vast mineral wealth remains largely untapped. The country's infrastructure is in an advanced state of decay.
Inflation is rampant, the gross domestic product continues to decline.
Civil service, military and other government workers are often unpaid for months. Moreover, within days of the team's departure from Zaire, the simmering crisis in the eastern regions of North and South Kivu erupted into open warfare, resulting in the Zairian government's loss of control of large parts of those regions. The situation in eastern Zaire has at least temporarily affected the political landscape, and further complicated the prospect of meaningful elections taking place in the near-term future. The ongoing health problems of President Mobutu add another complicating factor. There are a number of more directly election-related concerns.