After the election, the ruling party will focus on finding a replacement for the 89-year-old president.
Finding the Lord's Resistance Army rebels is complicated by persistent geographic constraints.
The effects of history and geography are visible in the country's current struggles.
This is an internal Stratfor document listing significant meetings and events for the next week.
The runner-up in the vote is in no position to instigate violence.
Foreign pressure and constitutional changes reduce the risk of a return to fighting.
The apparently imminent disintegration of M23 would be messy but beneficial for Kinshasa.
Fighters fleeing anti-militant operations in the south are finding refuge in the mountains of Puntland.
Escalating activism could hamper the government's attempts to develop natural resources and infrastructure.
Increasing solar activity could affect communications and harm electrical equipment in orbit and on Earth.