THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

History

A Katanga Cross, an obsolete form of currency

A wave of early people was identified in the Northern and North-Western parts of
Central Africa during the second millennium BC. They produced food (pearl millet),
maintained domestic livestock and developed a kind of arboriculture mainly based on
the oil palm. From 1,550 BC to 50 BC, starting from a nucleus area in South Cameroon
on both banks of the Sanaga River, the first Neolithic peopling of northern and western
Central Africa can be followed south-eastwards and southwards.
In D.R. Congo, the first villages in the vicinity of Mbandaka and the Lake Tumba are
known as the 'Imbonga Tradition', from around 650 BC. In Lower Congo, north of the
Angolan border, it is the 'Ngovo Tradition' around 350 BC that shows the arrival of the
Neolithic wave of advance.
In Kivu, across the country to the east, the 'Urewe Tradition' villages first appeared
about 650 BC. The few archaeological sites known in Congo are a western extension of
the 'Urewe' Culture which has been found chiefly in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and
Western Kenya and Tanzania. From the start of this tradition, the people knew iron
smelting, as is evidenced by several iron-smelting furnaces excavated in Rwanda and
Burundi.
The earliest evidence further to the west is known in Cameroon and near to the small
town of Bouar in Central Africa. Though further studies are needed to establish a better
chronology for the start of iron production in Central Africa, the Cameroonian data
places iron smelting north of the Equatorial Forest around 650 BC to 550 BC. This
technology developed independently from the previous Neolithic expansion, some 900
years later. As fieldwork done by a German team shows, the Congo River network was
slowly settled by food-producing villagers going upstream in the forest. Work from a
Spanish project in the Ituri area further east suggests villages reached there only around
1,150 BC.
The supposedly Bantu-speaking Neolithic and then iron-producing villagers added to
and displaced the indigenous Pygmy populations (also known in the region as the
"Batwa" or "Twa") into secondary parts of the country. Subsequent migrations from
the Darfur and Kordofan regions of Sudan into the north-east, as well as East
Africans migrating into the eastern Congo, added to the mix of ethnic groups. The
Bantu-speakers imported a mixed economy made up of agriculture, small-stock raising,
fishing, fruit collecting, hunting and arboriculture before 3,500 BP; iron-working
techniques, possibly from West Africa, a much later addition. The villagers established
the Bantu language family as the primary set of tongues for the Congolese.
The process in which the original Upemba society transitioned into the Kingdom of
Luba was gradual and complex. This transition ran without interruption, with several
distinct societies developing out of the Upemba culture prior to the genesis of the Luba.
Each of these kingdoms became very wealthy due mainly to the region's mineral wealth,
especially in ores. The civilization began to develop and
implement ironand copper technology, in addition to trading in ivory and other goods.
The Luba established a strong commercial demand for their metal technologies and
were able to institute a long-range commercial net (the business connections extended
over 1,500 kilometres (930 mi), all the way to the Indian Ocean). By the 16th century,
the kingdom had an established strong central government based on chieftainship. The
Eastern regions of the precolonial Congo were heavily disrupted by constant slave
raiding, mainly from Arab/Zanzibari slave traders such as the infamous Tippu Tip.
The African Congo Free State (1877–1908)

Force Publique soldiers in the Belgian Congo in 1918. At its peak, the FP had 19,000
African soldiers, led by 420 white officers.
European exploration and administration took place from the 1870s until the 1920s. It
was first led by Sir Henry Morton Stanley, who undertook his explorations under the
sponsorship of King Leopold II of Belgium. Leopold had designs on what was to
become the Congo as a colony. In a succession of negotiations, Leopold – professing
humanitarian objectives in his capacity as chairman of the Association Internationale
Africaine – played one European rival against another.
Leopold formally acquired rights to the Congo territory at the Conference of Berlin in
1885 and made the land his private property and named it the Congo Free State.
[
Leopold's regime began various infrastructure projects, such as construction of the
railway that ran from the coast to the capital of Leopoldville (now Kinshasa). It took
years to complete. Nearly all such projects were aimed at increasing the capital which
Leopold and his associates could extract from the colony, leading to exploitation of
Africans.
In the Free State, colonists brutalized the local population to produce rubber, for which
the spread of automobiles and development of rubber tires created a growing
international market. The sale of rubber made a fortune for Leopold, who built several
buildings in Brussels and Ostend to honor himself and his country. To enforce the
rubber quotas, the army, the Force Publique (FP), was called in. The Force Publique
made the practice of cutting off the limbs of the natives as a means of enforcing rubber
quotas a matter of policy; this practice was widespread. During the period of 1885–
1908, millions of Congolese died as a consequence of exploitation and disease. In some
areas the population declined dramatically, it has been estimated that sleeping
sickness and smallpox killed nearly half the population in the areas surrounding the
lower Congo River. A government commission later concluded that the population of
the Congo had been "reduced by half" during this period, but determining precisely how
many people died is impossible as no accurate records exist.
The actions of the Free State's administration sparked international protests led by E. D.
Morel and British diplomat/Irish rebel Roger Casement, whose 1904 report on the
Congo condemned the practice. Famous writers such as Mark Twain and Arthur Conan
Doyle also protested, and Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness was set in Congo
Free State.
Belgian Congo (1908–1960)
In 1908, the Belgian parliament, despite initial reluctance, bowed to international
pressure (especially that from Great Britain) and took over the Free State as a Belgian
colony from the king. From then on, it was called the Belgian Congo and was under the
rule of the elected Belgian government.
Political crisis (1960–1965)
In May 1960, a growing nationalist movement, the Mouvement National Congolais or
MNC Party, led by Patrice Lumumba, won the parliamentary elections. The party
appointed Lumumba as Prime Minister. The parliament elected Joseph Kasavubu, of
the Alliance des Bakongo (ABAKO) party as President. Other parties that emerged
included the Parti Solidaire Africain (or PSA) led by Antoine Gizenga, and the Parti
National du Peuple (or PNP) led by Albert Delvaux and Laurent Mbariko. (Congo
1960, dossiers du CRISP, Belgium) The Belgian Congo achieved independence on 30
June 1960 under the name République du Congo ("Republic of Congo" or "Republic of
the Congo" in English). Shortly after independence, the provinces of Katanga (led
by Moise Tshombe) and South Kasai engaged in secessionist struggles against the new
leadership. Most of the 100,000 Europeans who had remained behind after
independence fled the country, opening the way for Congolese to replace the European
military and administrative elite.
Patrice Lumumba
As the French colony of Middle Congo (Moyen Congo) also chose the name "Republic
of Congo" upon achieving its independence, the two countries were more commonly
known as "Congo-Léopoldville" and "Congo-Brazzaville", after their capital cities.
Another way they were often distinguished during the 1960s, such as in newspaper
articles, was that "Congo-Léopoldville" was called “The Congo” and "Congo-
Brazzaville" was called simply “Congo.” A constitutional referendum after Mobutu's
coup of 1965 resulted in the country's official name being changed to the "Democratic
Republic of the Congo." In 1971 it was changed again to "Republic of Zaïre."
On 5 September 1960, Kasavubu dismissed Lumumba from office. Lumumba declared
Kasavubu's action "unconstitutional" and a crisis between the two leaders developed.
(cf. Sécession au Katanga – J.Gerald-Libois -Brussels- CRISP) Lumumba had
previously appointed Joseph Mobutu chief of staff of the new Congo army, Armée
Nationale Congolaise (ANC). Taking advantage of the leadership crisis between
Kasavubu and Lumumba, Mobutu garnered enough support within the army to create
mutiny. With financial support from the United States and Belgium, Mobutu paid his
soldiers privately. The aversion of Western powers to communism and leftist ideology
influenced their decision to finance Mobutu's quest to maintain "order" in the new state
by neutralizing Kasavubu and Lumumba in acoup by proxy.
On 17 January 1961, Katangan forces and Belgian paratroops – supported by the United
States' and Belgium's intent on copper and diamond mines in Katanga and South Kasai
– kidnapped and executed Patrice Lumumba. Amidst widespread confusion and chaos, a
temporary government was led by technicians (Collège des Commissaires)
with Evariste Kimba. The Katanga secession was ended in January 1963 with the
assistance of UN forces. Several short-lived governments, ofJoseph Ileo, Cyrille
Adoula, and Moise Tshombe, took over in quick succession.
Zaire (1971–1997)

The new president Joseph-Désiré Mobutu had the support of the United States because
of his staunch opposition to Communism. Western powers appeared to believe this
would make him a roadblock to Communist schemes in Africa. Historians have also
argued that Western support for Mobutu was related to his allowing businesses to export
the many natural resources of Zaire without worrying about environmental, labor, or
other regulations.
A one-party system was established, and Mobutu declared himself head of state. He
periodically held elections in which he was the only candidate. Relative peace and
stability was achieved; however, Mobutu's government was guilty of severe human
rights violations, political repression, a cult of personality and corruption. (Mobutu
demanded every Congolese bank note printed with his image, hanging of his portrait in
all public buildings, most businesses, and on billboards; and it was common for
ordinary people to wear his likeness on their clothing.)
Corruption became so prevalent the term "le mal Zairois" or "Zairean Sickness" was
coined, reportedly by Mobutu himself. By 1984, Mobutu was said to have $4 billion
(USD), an amount close to the country's national debt, deposited in a personal Swiss
bank account. International aid, most often in the form of loans, enriched Mobutu while
he allowed national infrastructure such as roads to deteriorate to as little as one-quarter
of what had existed in 1960. With the embezzlement of government funds by Mobutu
and his associates, Zaire became a "kleptocracy".

Bank note of Zaire

In a campaign to identify himself with African nationalism, starting on June 1, 1966,
Mobutu renamed the nation's cities: Léopoldville became Kinshasa [the country was
now Democratic Republic of The Congo – Kinshasa], Stanleyville became Kisangani,
Elisabethville became Lubumbashi, and Coquihatville became Mbandaka. This
renaming campaign was completed in the 1970s.
In 1971, Mobutu renamed the country the Republic of Zaire, its fourth name change in
11 years and its sixth overall. The Congo River was renamed the Zaire River. In 1972,
Mobutu renamed himself Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (roughly
translated as The Great Unstoppable Warrior who goes from Victory to Victory,
Leaving Fire in his Trail.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Mobutu was invited to visit the United States on several
occasions, meeting with U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan andGeorge H.
W. Bush. In June 1989, Mobutu was the first African head of state invited for a state
visit with newly elected President Bush. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union,
however, U.S. relations with Mobutu cooled, as he was no longer deemed necessary as
a Cold War ally.
Opponents within Zaire stepped up demands for reform. This atmosphere contributed to
Mobutu's declaring the Third Republic in 1990, whose constitution was supposed to
pave the way for democratic reform. The reforms turned out to be largely cosmetic.
Mobutu continued in power until the conflict forced him to flee Zaire in 1997.
Thereafter, the nation chose to reclaim its name of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, since the name Zaire carried such strong connections to the rule of Mobutu.
Rwandan/Ugandan invasions and civil wars
By 1996, tensions from the neighboring Rwandan Civil War and Rwandan
Genocide had spilled over to Zaire. Rwandan Hutu militia forces (Interahamwe), who
had fled Rwanda following the ascension of aTutsi-led government, had been using
Hutu refugees camps in eastern Zaire as a basis for incursion against Rwanda. These
Hutu militia forces soon allied with the Zairian armed forces (FAZ) to launch a
campaign against Congolese ethnic Tutsis in eastern Zaire.
In turn, a coalition of Rwandan and Ugandan armies invaded Zaire under the cover of a
small group of Tutsi militia to fight the Hutu militia, overthrow the government of
Mobutu, and ultimately control the mineral resources of Zaire. They were soon joined
by various Zairean politicians, who had been unsuccessfully opposing the dictatorship
of Mobutu for many years, and now saw an opportunity for them in the invasion of
Zaire by two of the region's strongest military forces.
This new expanded coalition of two foreign armies and some longtime opposition
figures, led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila, became known as the Alliance des Forces
Démocratiques pour la Libération du Congo-Zaïre (AFDL). They were seeking the
broader goal of ousting Mobutu and controlling his country's wealth. In May 1997,
Mobutu fled the country and Kabila marched into Kinshasa, naming himself president
and reverting the name of the country to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Civilians waiting to cross the DRC-Rwanda border (2001). By 2008 the Second Congo
War and its aftermath had killed 5.4 million people.[22]
A few months later, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila thanked all the foreign military
forces had helped him to overthrow Mobutu, and asked them to return back to their
countries because he was very fearful and concerned that the Rwandan military officers
who were running his army were plotting a coup d'état against him in order to give the
presidency to a Tutsi who would report directly to the President of Rwanda, Paul
Kagame. This move was not well received by the Rwandan and Ugandan governments,
who wanted to control their big neighbor.
Consequently, Rwandan troops in DRC retreated to Goma and launched a new militia
group or rebel movement called the Rassemblement Congolais pour la
Democratie(RCD), led by Tutsis, to fight against their former ally, President Laurent-
Désiré Kabila. To counterbalance the power and influence of Rwanda in DRC, the
Ugandan troops instigated the creation of another rebel movement called the Movement
for the Liberation of Congo (MLC), led by the Congolese warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba,
son of Congolese billionaire Bemba Saolona. The two rebel movements started the
second war by attacking the DRC's still fragile army in 1998, backed by Rwandan and
Ugandan troops. Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia became involved militarily on the
side of the government to defend a fellow SADC member.
Kabila was assassinated in 2001 and was succeeded by his son Joseph, who upon taking
office called for multilateral peace talks to end the war. In February 2001 a peace deal
was brokered between Kabila, Rwanda and Uganda, leading to the apparent withdrawal
of foreign troops. UN peacekeepers, MONUC, arrived in April 2001. The conflict was
reignited in January 2002 by ethnic clashes in the northeast, and both Uganda and
Rwanda then halted their withdrawal and sent in more troops. Talks between Kabila and
the rebel leaders led to the signing of a peace accord in which Kabila would share
power with former rebels. By June 2003 all foreign armies except those of Rwanda had
pulled out of Congo. Much of the conflict was focused on gaining control of substantial
natural resources in the country, including diamonds, copper, zinc, and coltan.
DR Congo had a transitional government until the election was over. A constitution was
approved by voters, and on July 30, 2006 the Congo held its first multi-party
electionssince independence in 1960. After this Joseph Kabila took 45% of the votes
and his opponent, Jean-Pierre Bemba took 20%. The disputed results of this election
turned into an all-out battle between the supporters of the two parties in the streets of
the capital, Kinshasa, from August 20–22, 2006 . Sixteen people died before police and
the UN mission MONUC took control of the city. A new election was held on October
29, 2006, which Kabila won with 70% of the vote. Bemba made multiple public
statements saying the election had "irregularities," despite the fact that every neutral
observer praised the elections. On December 6, 2006 the Transitional Government came
to an end as Joseph Kabila was sworn in as President.
The fragility of the state government has allowed continued conflict and human rights
abuses. In the ongoing Kivu conflict, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of
Rwanda (FDLR) continues to threaten the Rwandan border and the Banyamulenge;
Rwanda supports RCD-Goma rebels against Kinshasa; a rebel offensive at the end of
October 2008 caused a refugee crisis in Ituri, where MONUC has proved unable to
contain the numerous militia and groups driving the Ituri conflict. In the
northeast, Joseph Kony's LRA moved from their original bases in Uganda (where they
have fought a 20-year rebellion) and South Sudan to DR Congo in 2005 and set up
camps in the Garamba National Park.[24][25] In northern Katanga, the Mai-Mai created by
Laurent Kabila slipped out of the control of Kinshasa. The war is the world's deadliest
conflict since World War II, killing 5.4 million people.
Impact of armed conflict on civilians
In 2009 people in the Congo may still be dying at a rate of an estimated 45,000 per
month, and estimates of the number who have died from the long conflict range from
900,000 to 5,400,000. The death toll is due to widespread disease and famine; reports
indicate that almost half of the individuals who have died are children under the age of
5. This death rate has prevailed since efforts at rebuilding the nation began in 2004.
The long and brutal conflict in the DRC has caused massive suffering for civilians, with
estimates of millions dead either directly or indirectly as a result of the fighting. There
have been frequent reports of weapon bearers killing civilians, destroying property,
committing widespread sexual violence, causing hundreds of thousands of people to
flee their homes or otherwise breaching humanitarian and human rights law. An
estimated 200,000 women have been raped.
Few people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been unaffected by
the armed conflict. A survey conducted in 2009 by the ICRC and Ipsos shows that three
quarters (76%) of the people interviewed have been affected in some way–either
personally or due to the wider consequences of armed conflict.
In 2003, Sinafasi Makelo, a representative of Mbuti pygmies, told the UN's Indigenous
People's Forum that during the war, his people were hunted down and eaten as though
they were game animals. In neighbouring North Kivu province there has
been cannibalism by a group known as Les Effaceurs ("the erasers") who wanted to
clear the land of people to open it up for mineral exploitation. Both sides of the war
regarded them as "subhuman" and some say their flesh can confer magical powers.
]International Community Response
The response of the international community has been incommensurate with the scale of
the disaster resulting from the war in the Congo. Its support for political and diplomatic
efforts to end the war has been relatively consistent, but it has taken no effective steps to
abide by repeated pledges to demand accountability for the war crimes and crimes
against humanity that were routinely committed in Congo. United Nations Security
Council and the U.N. Secretary-General have frequently denounced human rights
abuses and the humanitarian disaster that the war unleashed on the local population. But
they had shown little will to tackle the responsibility of occupying powers for the
atrocities taking place in areas under their control, areas where the worst violence in the
country took place. Hence Rwanda, like Uganda, has escaped any significant sanction
for its role.

Geography

The map of Democratic Republic of Congo from the CIA World Fact book.
The Congo is situated at the heart of sub-Saharan Africa and is bounded by (clockwise
from the southwest) Angola, the South Atlantic Ocean, the Republic of Congo,
the Central African Republic,
the Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania across Lake Tanganyika, and Zambia.
The country lies between latitudes 6°Nand 14°S, and longitudes 12° and 32°E. It
straddles the Equator, with one-third to the North and two-thirds to the South. The size
of Congo, 2,345,408 square kilometers (905,567 sq mi), is slightly greater than the
combined areas of Spain, France, Germany, Sweden, and Norway.
As a result of its equatorial location, the Congo experiences high precipitation and has
the highest frequency of thunderstorms in the world. The annual rainfall can total
upwards of 80 inches (2,000 mm) in some places, and the area sustains ccc. This
massive expanse of lush jungle covers most of the vast, low-lying central basin of the
river, which slopes toward the Atlantic Ocean in the West. This area is surrounded by
plateaus merging into savannas in the south and southwest, by mountainous terraces in
the west, and dense grasslands extending beyond the Congo River in the north. High,
glaciated mountains are found in the extreme eastern region.

The Congo River

The landscape south-east of Kinshasa in the plains surrounding Mount Mangengenge

The tropical climate has also produced the Congo River system which dominates the
region topographically along with the rainforest it flows through, though they are not
mutually exclusive. The name for the Congo state is derived in part from the river. The
river basin (meaning the Congo River and all of its myriad tributaries) occupies nearly
the entire country and an area of nearly 1,000,000 km2 (390,000 sq mi). The river and
its tributaries (major offshoots include the Kasai, Sangha, Ubangi, Aruwimi,
and Lulonga) form the backbone of Congolese economics and transportation. They have
a dramatic impact on the daily lives of the people.
Satellite image of Democratic Republic of the Congo, generated from raster
graphics data supplied by The Map Library
The sources of the Congo are in the highlands and mountains of the East African Rift,
as well as Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru. The river flows generally west
from Kisangani just below Boyoma Falls, then gradually bends southwest, passing
by Mbandaka, joining with the Ubangi River, and running into the Pool Malebo(Stanley
Pool). Kinshasa and Brazzaville are on opposite sides of the river at the Pool (see
NASA image).
Then the river narrows and falls through a number of cataracts in deep canyons
(collectively known as the Livingstone Falls), and then running past Boma into the
Atlantic Ocean. The river also has the second-largest flow and the second-
largest watershed of any river in the world (trailing the Amazon in both respects). The
river and a 45 km wide strip of land on its north bank provide the country's only outlet
to the Atlantic.
The previously mentioned Great Rift Valley, in particular the Eastern Rift, plays a key
role in shaping the Congo's geography. Not only is the northeastern section of the
country much more mountainous, but due to the rift's tectonic activities, this area also
experiences volcanic activity, occasionally with loss of life. The geologic activity in this
area also created the famous African Great Lakes, three of which lie on the Congo's
eastern frontier: Lake Albert (known previously as Lake Mobutu), Lake Edward,
and Lake Tanganyika.
The Rift Valley has exposed an enormous amount of mineral wealth throughout the
south and east of the Congo, making it accessible to mining. Cobalt, copper, cadmium,
industrial and gem-quality diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium,
uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, and coal are all found in plentiful supply, especially
in the Congo's southeastern Katanga region.

Mount Nyiragongo
On January 17, 2002 Mount Nyiragongo erupted in Congo, with the lava running out at
40 mph (64 km/h) and 50 yards (46 m) wide. One of the three streams of extremely
fluid lava flowed through the nearby city of Goma, killing 45 and leaving 120,000
homeless. Four hundred thousand people were evacuated from the city during the
eruption. The lava poisoned the water of Lake Kivu, killing fish. Only two planes left
the local airport because of the possibility of the explosion of stored petrol. The lava
passed the airport but ruined the runway, entrapping several airplanes. Six months after
the 2002 eruption, nearby Mount Nyamulagiraalso erupted. Mount Nyamulagira also
erupted in 2006 and again in January 2010. Both of these active volcanos are located
within the boundaries of Virunga National Park.
World Wildlife Fund ecoregions located in the Congo include:

 Central Congolian lowland forests – home to the rare bonobo primate

 The Eastern Congolian swamp forests along the Congo River
 The Northeastern Congolian lowland forests, with one of the richest
concentrations of primates in the world
 Southern Congolian forest-savanna mosaic
 A large section of the Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands
 The Albertine Rift montane forests region of high forest runs along the eastern
borders of the country.

World Heritage Sites located in Democratic Republic of Congo are: Virunga National
Park (1979) Garamba National Park (1980) Kahuzi-Biega National Park (1980) Salonga
National Park (1984) Okapi Wildlife Reserve (1996)
Provinces
The country is divided into 11 provinces and one city:
1. Bandundu
2. Bas-Congo
3. Équateur
4. Kasai-Occidental
5. Kasai-Oriental
6. Katanga
7. Kinshasa (city)
8. Maniema
9. Nord-Kivu
10. Orientale
11. Sud-Kivu

 An Ituri Interim Administration also

exists in the Ituri region of Orientale
Province
The provinces are subdivided into territories.

Kinshasa, 2003.
Population of major cities (2008)

City Population (2008)

Kinshasa 7,500,000

Mbuji-Mayi 2,500,000

Lubumbashi 1,700,000

Kananga 1,400,000

Kisangani 1,200,000

Kolwezi 1,100,000

Mbandaka 850,000

Likasi 600,000

Boma 600,000

Proposed 26 province structure

The new constitution approved in 2005 proposes to divide the country into 26 fairly
autonomous provinces, including the capital, Kinshasa which were to be formed by 18
February 2009.[35] As of October 2010, the 11 province structure remains in place.[36]
The proposed new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Province Capital Province Capital

1. Kinshasa Kinshasa 14
Ituri Bunia
.

2. Kongo central Matadi

15
Haut-Uele Isiro
.
3. Kwango Kenge

16
Tshopo Kisangani
4. Kwilu Kikwit .

5. Mai-Ndombe Inongo 17
Bas-Uele Buta
.

6. Kasaï Luebo
18
Nord-Ubangi Gbadolite
.
7. Lulua Kananga

19
Mongala Lisala
8. Kasaï oriental Mbuji-Mayi .

9. Lomami Kabinda 20
Sud-Ubangi Gemena
.

10
Sankuru Lodja 21
. Équateur Mbandaka
.
11 22
Maniema Kindu Tshuapa Boende
. .

12 23
Sud-Kivu Bukavu Tanganyika Kalemie
. .

13 24
Nord-Kivu Goma Haut-Lomami Kamina
. .

25
Lualaba Kolwezi
.

26
Haut-Katanga Lubumbashi
.

Government

Joseph Kabila (November, 2003).

After a four-year interim between two constitutions that established new political
institutions at the various levels of all branches of government, as well as new
administrative divisions for the provinces throughout the country, politics in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo have finally settled into a
stable presidential democratic republic. The 2003 transitional constitution[37] established
a system composed of a bicameral legislature with a Senate and a National Assembly.
The Senate had, among other things, the charge of drafting the new constitution of the
country. The executive branch was vested in a 60-member cabinet, headed by
a pentarchy of a President, and four vice presidents. The President was also the
Commander-in Chief of the Armed forces. The unusual organization of the
executive — considering the large number of vice presidents — had earned it the very
official nickname of "The 1 + 4".
The transition constitution also established a relatively independent judiciary, headed by
a Supreme Court with constitutional interpretation powers.
The 2006 constitution, also known as the Constitution of the Third Republic, came into
effect in February 2006. It had concurrent authority, however, with the transitional
constitution until the inauguration of the elected officials who emerged from the July
2006 elections. Under the new constitution, the legislature remained bicameral; the
executive was concomitantly undertaken by a President and the government, led by a
Prime Minister, appointed from the party with the majority at the National Assembly.
The government – not the President – is responsible to the Parliament.
The new constitution also granted new powers to the provincial governments with the
creation of provincial parliaments, which have oversight over the Governor, head of the
provincial government, whom they elect.
The new constitution also saw the disappearance of the Supreme Court, which was
divided into three new institutions. The constitutional interpretation prerogative of the
Supreme Court is now held by the Constitutional Court.

Corruption
Mobutu Sese Seko ruled Zaire from 1965 to 1997. A relative explained how the
government illicitly collected revenue: "Mobutu would ask one of us to go to the bank
and take out a million. We'd go to an intermediary and tell him to get five million. He
would go to the bank with Mobutu's authority, and take out ten. Mobutu got one, and we
took the other nine."[38] Mobutu institutionalized corruption to prevent political rivals
from challenging his control, leading to an economic collapse in 1996. Mobutu
allegedly stole up to US$4 billion while in office.[40]
President Joseph Kabila established the Commission of Repression of Economic Crimes
upon his ascension to power in 2001.
Corruption Perception Index

Year Ranking Countries ranked Rating

2004 133 145 2.0[42] –

2005 144 158 2.1[43] –

2006 156 163 2.0[44] –

2007 168 179 1.9[45] –

2008 171 180 1.7[46] –

In 2006 Transparency International ranked the Democratic Republic of the Congo 156
out of 163 countries in the Corruption Perception Index, tying Bangladesh, Chad,
and Sudan with a 2.0 rating.
Foreign relations and military
The global growth in demand for scarce raw materials and the industrial surges
in China, India, Russia, Brazil and other developing countries require that developed
countries employ new, integrated and responsive strategies for identifying and ensuring,
on a continual basis, an adequate supply of strategic and critical materials required for
their security needs. Highlighting the DR Congo's importance to U.S.national security,
the effort to establish an elite Congolese unit is the latest push by the U.S. to
professionalize armed forces in this strategically important region.
There are economic and strategic incentives to bringing more security to the Congo,
which is rich in natural resources such as cobalt. Cobalt is a strategic and critical metal
used in many diverse industrial and military applications. The largest use of cobalt is
in superalloys, which are used to make jet engine parts. Cobalt is also used in magnetic
alloys and in cutting and wear-resistant materials such as cementedcarbides.
The chemical industry consumes significant quantities of cobalt in a variety of
applications including catalysts for petroleum and chemical processing; drying agents
for paints and inks; ground coats for porcelain enamels; decolorizers for ceramics and
glass; and pigments for ceramics, paints, and plastics. The country contains 80 percent
of the world’s cobalt reserves.
AFRICOM Agricultural Initiative
The goal of this agriculture initiative, led by the United States African Command of
the U.S. Department of Defense and the Norman Borlaug Institute for International
Agriculture, is to support a battalion of U.S.-trained Congolese soldiers on how to
become self-sufficient in food production. The site for this unique initiative is a Camp
Base in Kisangani, the capital of the Tshopo province. The program began in October
2009 after receiving an initial year of funding, and key activities are anticipated to
continue through October 2011. Increasing economic and social stability through food
security is the first priority of this initiative. The second is to help the battalion build
food stockpiles which they can draw from during a deployment.
A large amount of land has already been cleared and is being prepared for agricultural
development. In addition, dozens of soldiers from the 9th Military Region, along with
"farm manager" candidates, are receiving ongoing agricultural education, training, and
hands-on experience. While members of the unit are vital to fulfilling the short-term
initiative goals, their military responsibilities may take them away fromKisangani after
Borlaug Institute and AFRICOM initiative support ends. That's why they are also
training a core group of 10 individuals who can be permanently based in Kisangani and
serve as farm managers to sustain the initiative into the future. They will be in place as
manager-trainers with knowledge they can pass along to soldiers and their families who
will be stationed at the camp for years to come.
An initial five hectares (about 12.5 acres) have been cleared, ploughed and are being
planted with maize and cassava. A second five hectare plot has been cleared
for vegetable production and fish farming. The first fish pond is under construction in
an area which is spring fed, so it will not require a motorized pump.
Preparations are being made for planting half a hectare (about 1.25 acres) of tomatoes
and half a hectare of amaranth, a local variety of spinach, and corn seed
and cassava cuttings have been ordered for later planting. The rest of the initial site will
be used for crop variety trials, including improved varieties of vegetables and maize.
Peddle-powered pumps and portable sprinklers will allow for daily watering of seed
beds and vegetable plants during dry months, enabling year-round production.
The results of this initiative will bolster regional stability through improved food
security and foster goodwill within the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the
region at large.[49]

Economy

Evolution of GDP.
The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a nation endowed with
resources of vast potential wealth, has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. At the
time of its independence in 1960, DRC was the second most industrialized country in
Africa after South Africa, it boasted a thriving mining sector and its agriculture sector
was relatively productive. The two recent conflicts (the First and Second Congo Wars),
which began in 1996, have dramatically reduced national output and government
revenue, have increased external debt, and have resulted in deaths of more than five
million people from war, and associated famineand disease. Malnutrition affects
approximately two thirds of the country's population.
Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of
the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. The war has
intensified the impact of such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework,
corruption, inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial
operations.
Conditions improved in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading
foreign troops. A number of International Monetary Fund and World Bankmissions
have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan, and
President Joseph Kabila has begun implementing reforms. Much economic activity lies
outside the GDP data. A United Nations Human Development Index report shows
human development to be one of the worst in decades.
The economy of the third largest country in Africa relies heavily on mining. However,
much economic activity occurs in the informal sector and is not reflected
in GDP data. The Congo is the world's largest producer of cobalt ore, and a major
producer of copper and industrial diamonds. The Congo has 70% of the world’s coltan,
and more than 30% of the world’s diamond reserves., mostly in the form of small,
industrial diamonds. The coltan is a major source of tantalum, which is used in the
fabrication of electronic components in computers and mobile phones. In 2002, tin was
discovered in the east of the country, but, to date, mining has been on a small
scale. Smuggling of the conflict minerals, coltan and cassiterite (ores
of tantalum and tin, respectively), has helped fuel the war in the Eastern Congo.
Katanga Mining Limited, a London-based company, owns the Luilu Metallurgical
Plant, which has a capacity of 175,000 tonnes of copper and 8,000 tonnes of cobalt per
year, making it the largest cobalt refinery in the world. After a major rehabilitation
program, the company restarted copper production in December 2007 and cobalt
production in May 2008. The Democratic Republic of Congo also possesses 50 percent
of Africa’s forests and a river system that could provide hydro-electric power to the
entire continent, according to a U.N. report on the country’s strategic significance and
its potential role as an economic power in central Africa. It has one of the twenty last
ranks among the countries on the Corruption Perception Index.
In 2007, The World Bank decided to grant the Democratic Republic of Congo up to
$1.3 billion in assistance funds over the next three years.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is in the process of becoming a member of
the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).
Demographics

Congolese woman in fashion shop.

Women preparing fufu.
The United Nations 2007 estimated the population at 62.6 million people, having
increased rapidly despite the war from 46.7 million in 1997. As many as 250 ethnic
groups have been identified and named. The most numerous people are
the Kongo, Luba, and Mongo. About 600,000 Pygmies are the aboriginal people of the
DR Congo. Although seven hundred local languages and dialects are spoken, the
linguistic variety is bridged both by widespread use of French and intermediary
languages such as Kongo, Tshiluba, Swahili, and Lingala.
Migration
Given the situation in the country and the condition of state structures, it is extremely
difficult to obtain reliable data. However, evidence suggests that DRC continues to be a
destination country for immigrants in spite of recent declines. Immigration is seen to be
very diverse in nature, with refugees and asylum-seekers – products of the numerous
and violent conflicts in the Great Lakes Region – constituting an important subset of the
population in the country. Additionally, the country’s large mine operations attract
migrant workers from Africa and beyond and there is considerable migration for
commercial activities from other African countries and the rest of the world, but these
movements are not well studied. Transit migration towards South Africa and Europe
also plays a role. Immigration in the DRC has decreased steadily over the past two
decades, most likely as a result of the armed violence that the country has experienced.
According to the International Organization for Migration, the number of immigrants in
the DRC has declined from just over 1 million in 1960, to 754,000 in 1990, to 480,000
in 2005, to an estimated 445,000 in 2010. Valid figures are not available on migrant
workers in particular, partly due to the predominance of the informal economy in the
DRC. Data are also lacking on irregular immigrants, however given neighbouring
country ethnic links to nationals of the DRC, irregular migration is assumed to be a
significant phenomenon in the country.
Figures on the number of Congolese nationals abroad vary greatly depending on the
source, from 3 to 6 million. This discrepancy is due to a lack of official, reliable data.
Emigrants from the DRC are above all long-term emigrants, the majority of which live
within Africa and to a lesser extent in Europe; 79.7% and 15.3% respectively, according
to estimates on 2000 data. New destination countries include South Africa and various
points en route to Europe. In addition to being a host country, the DRC has also
produced a considerable number of refugees and asylum-seekers located in the region
and beyond. These numbers peaked in 2004 when, according to UNHCR, there were
more than 460,000 refugees from the DRC; in 2008, Congolese refugees numbered
367,995 in total, 68% of which were living in other African countries.

Culture

Congolese woman with fashion designs

The culture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo reflects much of the diversity
of its hundreds of ethnic groups and their differing ways of life throughout the country
—from the mouth of the River Congo on the coast, upriver through
the rainforest and savanna in its centre, to the more densely populated mountains in the
far east. Since the late 19th century, traditional ways of life have undergone changes
brought about by colonialism, the struggle for independence, the stagnation of
the Mobutu era, and most recently, the First and Second Congo Wars. Despite these
pressures, the customs and cultures of the Congo have retained much of their
individuality. The country's 70 million inhabitants are mainly rural. The 30 percent who
live in urban areas have been the most open to Western influences.

People, language and background

Like many African countries, the borders were drawn up by colonial powers, and bore
little relation to the actual spread of ethno-linguistic groups. There are around
250languages spoken in the country, with perhaps a similar number of ethnic groups.
Broadly speaking, there are four main population groups:
  Pygmies, the earliest inhabitants of the Congo, are generally hunter-gatherers
who live in the forests. Expert in the ways of the forest, where they have lived for
thousands of years, they live by trading meat hunted in the forest with their taller,
farming neighbors in exchange for agricultural products. Increasingly, they are
becoming absorbed into non-pygmy society, and adopting their languages and
customs.
 Bantus arrived in the Congo in several waves from 2000 BC to 500 AD, in most
part from the area in what is now southern Nigeria. They are by far the largest
group, and the majority live as farmers. They are present in almost every part of the
country, and their languages make up three of the five officially-recognized
languages. These three languages are Kikongo, Lingala, and Tshiluba. Kikongo is
spoken by the Kongo people in the far west of the country, both on the coast and
inland, and was promoted by the Belgian colonial administration. Elements of
Kikongo have survived amongst the descendants of slaves in the Americas—for
instance, the language of the Gullah people ofSouth Carolina contains elements of
Kikongo. Lingala, spoken in the capital Kinshasa, is increasingly understood
throughout the country, as the lingua franca of trade, spoken along the vast Congo
river and its many tributaries. Lingala's status as the language of the national army,
as well its use in the lyrics of popular Congolese music, has encouraged its
adoption, and it is now the most prominent language in the country. Tshiluba (also
known as Chiluba and Luba-Kasai) is spoken in the southeastern Kasai regions.
 East Africans brought in the fourth of the official languages, Kingwana — a
Congolese dialect of Swahili. Note that the fifth language, French, is the official
language of government, a result of Congo's colonial relationship with Belgium. The
East Africans are related to the Bantus mentioned above, but tend to differ in their
way of life, in that they practice herding as well as farming. They came from the
various countries to the east of Congo: Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania,
bringing with them many of the ethnic rivalries that have inflamed recent conflicts.
 The North East of the country includes groups who originally come
from Darfur in south part Sudan and Ethiopia. In general these are pastoral cattle
raisers and include the Tutsi, possibly the tallest people in the world. These North
Eastern peoples also migrated into the Rwanda and Burundi around the same time
often mixing with the Eastern African groups.

The above descriptions are by necessity simplified. Many Congolese are multilingual,
and the language used depends on the context. For instance, a government official might
use French to set a tone of formality and authority with another official, use Lingala
when buying goods at a market, and the local language when in his home village.
English is also spoken, especially in the east where eastern and southern African
influences have spread in the post-Mobutu era. Among the slangs spoken in
Congo, Indubil has been noted since around the sixties[1] and continues to evolve
nowadays[2].
Mixed marriages between ethnic groups are common, particularly in urban areas where
many different groups live side by side. Europeans appear in small numbers throughout
the country, as missionaries in the countryside, and as businessmen and traders in the
cities. Also acting as merchants are small numbers of Lebanese and Pakistanis.
More information on the various peoples in Congo can be found in the Early Congolese
History article.
Religions and beliefs

Branhamist worshippers in Kinshasa

The main religions in the DRC are:

 Indigenous traditional beliefs: 11.5%

 Roman Catholic Christianity: 50%
 Protestant Christianity: 20%
 Indigenous Christianity: 13.5%, nearly all of whom (13%) are followers
of Kimbanguism.
 Other Christian denominations: 1%
 Islam: 1.5%

There are small communities of Jews and Hindus who work in commercial urban
areas. Atheism is very rare.
Indigenous traditional beliefs
Though only 11.5 per cent of Congolese exclusively follow indigenous beliefs, these
traditional belief systems are often intermingled with forms of Christianity, and are
familiar to the majority of Congolese. Throughout the DRC the beliefs take on a number
of forms, but they have a number of things in common:

 A creator spirit is thought to be sovereign of the spirit world, but this god is
rarely the direct cause of events. In many Congolese languages, the name of the
creator god derives from the word father or maker. Some groups regard the creator
as being omnipresent, whilst others believe the god lives in the sky. For most
believers in indigenous religions, contact with the creator god is made via ancestor
spirits. A smaller number of groups believe that individuals can have direct contact.
 A belief in an essential life-force in which animates the body.The force is
thought to leave the body upon death and become an ancestor spirit. These spirits
continue to be active in the lives of living relatives—by either punishing or
rewarding them. In a similar way to saints in the Catholic tradition, some long-dead
ancestors (for instance, great hunters or religious leaders) are venerated by people
outside their former family.
 Nature spirits, worshiped mainly in forested regions, are often the embodiment
of particular locations such as whirlpools, springs and mountains. The afterlife is
believed to exist underground, especially under lakes, where ghostly replicas of
Congolese villages reside.
 Diviners, witches, dream interpreters and healers act as conduits for supernatural
forces.
  Ceremonies and collective prayers—to ancestors, nature spirits and the creator
god—are generally performed at particular locations such as sacred trees, grottoes
or crossroads. These ceremonies usually take place at a specific time of day. The
location and times vary according to the ethnic group.

Belief in Witchcraft is common, and sometimes intersects with the more fundamentalist
and evangelical versions of Christianity. In recent years, these beliefs have gained
adherents in urban areas, whereas before they were mainly confined to the countryside.
The increasing beliefs in witches and sorcery have tended to mirror the social decay
caused by war and poverty. Many of the street children that roam the Congo's cities
have been cast out of their families after being denounced as witches. These homeless
'witch children' often live in cemeteries and only come out at night, and follow occult
practices. See BBC News article on Kinshasa's street children. For comparison,
see article on beliefs of Miami street children.
===Catholic and Protestant Christianity===slang

A Congolese Christian
Christianity has a long history in Congo, dating back to 1484, when the Portuguese
arrived and convinced the king and entourage of the Kongo people to convert. In 1506 a
Portuguese-supported candidate for kingship, Alfonso I of Kongo won the throne.
Alfonso (the Kongo royal family had begun to take on Portuguese names), established
relations with the Vatican. More widespread conversion occurred during the Belgian
colonial era. Christianity varies in its forms, and is in some ways surprisingly similar to
native beliefs.
During the colonial period, a European-style Christianity was at first promoted by the
authorities. Native Congolese generally attended different churches or services from
whites. If they worshiped under the same roof, the native Congolese sat on benches at
the back, while the whites sat in chairs at the front. Towards the end of the colonial era,
more African elements were incorporated into Christianity, including songs and dances
which were formerly condemned as pagan. Eventually, even native fables and myths
were appropriated and merged into Congolese Christianity, in a similar process to that
which occurred with Christianity in Europe.
Recent developments include the increasing popularity of the "Gospel of Prosperity" – a
form of Christianity in which the emphasis is on wealth acquisition and born-again
Christianity. Adherents are led to believe that instant wealth and magical prosperity will
result from giving tithes to their charismatic preacher. The leaders often draw on the
techniques of American televangelists, and the message is appealing to those living in
extreme poverty.
Kimbanguism
In the first half on the 20th century, prophetic movements sprang up. Their nature was
both anti-colonial and Christian, and led to a rigorous crackdown by the authorities.
Simon Kimbangu was the prophet of largest of these movements. He was born in a
village near Kinshasa, raised and educated by a Protestant Christian mission and trained
to become a priest. In April 1921, at the age of 39, he reportedly had a religious vision
of Jesus Christ, who called on him to reconvert his people and dedicate his life to
Christ. Kimbangu chose to try to ignore the vision, and fled to Kinshasa where he
abandoned his life as a priest and took to menial work. More visions came, and
eventually he heeded the calling and returned to his home village and started to devote
his life to Christ. Soon after, he is reported to have healed a sick woman by laying his
hands on her. Dozens of apparent miracles were subsequently performed by Kimbangu,
and he gained followers from surrounding villages and towns. The official Catholic
organizations protested to the authorities, and the Protestant church abandoned him. The
economic effects of Kimbangu's ministry were being felt, with thousands of Congolese
leaving their work to listen to Kimbangu speak. In June the Belgians arrested him for
inciting revolution and civil disobedience. Four months later he was sentenced to death.
After an international outcry, Albert I of Belgium commuted the sentence to life
impisonment. He died 30 years later in prison, in 1951.
Colonial authorities assumed his movement would wither after his imprisonment and
death, but the church continued to flourish underground, and was an effective weapon in
the fight against colonialism. In the post-colonial era, its record has been more mixed.
Instead of banning the church, Mobutu used a far more effective method of neutralizing
it: namely co-opting the church and giving it an official status. Kimbanguism has now
spread across the country, and now has branches in nine of the surrounding countries,
making it the most popular "native" form of Christianity in Africa. Followers do not
smoke, drink alcohol and abhor violence. Monogamy is practiced.
Religion today
Article 22 of the constitution allows for religious freedom. These rights are generally
respected by the government [1]. Religious tension exists in some areas because of the
link between prophetic groups and paramilitaryorganizations. In the turbulent eastern
region, where the Second Congo War still simmers, some guerrilla groups have a major
religious element, believing for instance that they are able to turn enemy bullets into
water by wearing certain fetishes.

Food and drink

Only 2.86% of the land is cultivated, and most of this is used for subsistence farming.
People gather wild fruit, mushrooms,and honey, etc.; hunt (see bushmeat); and fish.
They will often sell these crops at markets or by the roadside. Cattle breeding and the
development of large-scale agricultural businesses has been hindered by the recent war
and the poor quality of the road system.
Congo's farmland is the source of a wide variety of crops. These include maize, rice,
cassava (manioc), sweet potatoes, yam, taro, plantain, tomatoes, pumpkin and varieties
of peas and nuts. These foods are eaten throughout the country, but there are also
regional dishes. The most important crops for export are coffee and palm oil.
Zairese/Congolese writers

Léonie Abo, (1945– )

Raïs Neza Boneza (1979– )
Amba Bongo
Lima-Baleka Bosekilolo
Maguy Kabamba (1960– )
Christine Kalonji
V.Y. Mudimbe (1941– )
Kavidi Wivine N'Landu
Clémentine Nzuji (1944– )
Sony Labou Tansi (1947–1995)
Kabika Tshilolo
Frederick Kambemba Yamusangie
Lye M Yoka[2]

Visual art

The Congolese are known for their art. Traditional art includes masks and wooden
statues. Notable contemporary artists are Chéri Samba or Bodys Isek Kingelez. The best
known artists successful inside and outside the country are Lema Kusa (painting),
Alfred Liyolo (sculpture), Roger Botembe (painting), Nshole (painting), Henri Kalama
Akulez (painting), Mavinga (painting), Freddy Tsimba (sculpture), Claudy Khan
(painting). Some are teaching at the Académie de Beaux-Arts de Kinshasa, which is the
only arts academy of a university level in Central Africa.

Flora and fauna

Bas-Congo landscape.
The rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo contain great biodiversity,
including many rare and endemic species, such as the common chimpanzeeand
the bonobo (formerly known as the Pygmy Chimpanzee), the forest elephant, mountain
gorilla, okapi and white rhino. Five of the country's national parks are listed as World
Heritage Sites: the Garumba, Kahuzi-Biega, Salonga and Virunga National Parks, and
the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. The civil war and resultant poor economic conditions have
endangered much of this biodiversity. Many park wardens were either killed or could
not afford to continue their work. All five sites are listed by UNESCO as World
Heritage In Danger. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most biodiverse
African country. The Democratic Republic of Congo is also home to some cryptids,
such as Mokele mbembe.
Over the past century or so, the DRC has developed into the center of what has been
called the Central African "bushmeat" problem, which is regarded by many as a
major environmental, as well as, socio-economic crisis. "Bushmeat" is another word for
the meat of wild animals. It is typically obtained through trapping, usually with wire
snares, or otherwise with shotguns, poisoned arrows or arms originally intended for use
in the DRC's numerous military conflicts.
The "bushmeat crisis" has emerged in the DRC mainly as a result of the poor living
conditions of the Congolese people and a lack of education about the dangers of eating
it. A rising population combined with deplorable economic conditions has forced many
Congolese to become dependent on bushmeat, either as a means of acquiring income
(hunting the meat and selling), or are dependent on it for
food. Unemployment and urbanization throughout Central Africa have exacerbated the
problem further by turning cities like the urban sprawl of Kinshasa into the prime
market for commercial bushmeat.

A Bonobo climbing a tree

This combination has caused not only widespread endangerment of local fauna, but has
forced humans to trudge deeper into the wilderness in search of the desired animal meat.
This overhunting results in the deaths of more animals and makes resources even more
scarce for humans. The hunting has also been facilitated by the extensive logging
prevalent throughout the Congo's rainforests (from corporate logging, in addition to
farmers clearing out forest for agriculture), which allowshunters much easier access to
previously unreachable jungle terrain, while simultaneously eroding away at
the habitats of animals.[78] Deforestation is accelerating in Central Africa.
A case that has particularly alarmed conservationists is that of primates. The Congo is
inhabited by three distinct great ape species — the Common chimpanzee(Pan
troglodytes), the bonobo (Pan paniscus) and the gorilla. It is the only country in the
world in which bonobos are found in the wild. The chimpanzee and bonobo are the
closest living evolutionary relatives to humans.
Much concern has been raised about Great ape extinction. Because of hunting and
habitat destruction, the chimpanzee and the gorilla, both of whose population once
numbered in the millions, have now dwindled down to only about 200,000 gorillas,
100,000 chimpanzees and possibly only about 10,000 bonobos. Gorillas, chimpanzees,
and bonobos are all classified as Endangered by the World Conservation Union, as well
as the okapi, which is also native to the area geography.

INVESTMENT PROJECT
Transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Diagrammatic Map of ground and water transport in the DR Congo in 2000 (roads) and 2006 (waterways and railways)

Ground transport in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has always been
difficult. The terrain and climate of the Congo Basin present serious barriers to road and
rail construction, and the distances are enormous across this vast country. Furthermore,
chronic economic mismanagement and internal conflict has led to serious under-
investment over many years.
On the other hand, the DRC has thousands of kilometres of navigable waterways, and
traditionally water transport has been the dominant means of moving around
approximately two-thirds of the country.
Transport problems
As an illustration of transport difficulties in the DRC, even before wars damaged the
infrastructure, the so-called "national" route, used to get supplies to Bukavu from the
seaport of Matadi, consisted of the following:
  Matadi to Kinshasa - rail
 Kinshasa to Kisangani - river boat
 Kisangani to Ubundu - rail
 Ubundu to Kindu - river boat
 Kindu to Kalemie - rail
 Kalemie to Kalundu (the lake port at Uvira) - boat on Lake Tanganyika
 Kalundu to Bukavu - road

In other words, goods had to be loaded and unloaded eight times and the total journey
would take many months.
Many of the routes listed below are in poor condition and may be operating at only a
fraction of their original capacity (if at all), despite recent attempts to make
improvements. Up to 2006 the United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC) had an
operation in Congo to support humanitarian relief agencies working there, and its
bulletins and maps about the transport situation are archived on the UNJLC web site.
The First and Second Congo Wars saw great destruction of transport infrastructure from
which the country has not yet recovered. Many vehicles were destroyed or
commandeered by militias, especially in the north and east of the country, and the fuel
supply system was also badly affected. Consequently, outside
of Kinshasa, Matadi and Lubumbashi, private and commercial road transport is almost
non-existent and traffic is scarce even where roads are in good condition. The few
vehicles in use outside these cities are run by the United Nations, aid agencies, the DRC
government, and a few larger companies such as those in the mining and energy sectors.
It is notable that high-resolution satellite photos on the Internet show large cities such
as Bukavu, Butembo and Kikwit virtually devoid of traffic, compared to similar photos
of towns in neighbouring countries.[1]
Air transport is the only effective means of moving between many places within the
country. The Congolese government, the United Nations, aid organisations and large
companies use air rather than ground transport to move personnel and freight. The UN
operates a large fleet of aircraft and helicopters, and compared to other African
countries the DRC has a large number of small domestic airlines and air charter
companies. The transport (and smuggling) of minerals with a high value for weight is
also carried out by air, and in the east, some stretches of paved road isolated by
destroyed bridges or impassable sections have been turned into airstrips.
For the ordinary citizen though, especially in rural areas, often the only options are to
cycle, walk or go by dugout canoe.
Some parts of the DRC are more accessible from neighbouring countries than
from Kinshasa. For example Bukavu itself and Goma and other north-eastern towns are
linked by paved road from the DRC border to theKenyan port of Mombasa, and most
goods for these cities have been brought via this route in recent years.
Similarly, Lubumbashi and the rest of Katanga Province is linked to Zambia, through
which the paved highway and rail networks of Southern Africa can be accessed. Such
links through neighbouring countries are generally more important for the east and
south-east of the country, and are more heavily used, than surface links to the capital.
COUNTRY RISK ASSESSMENT
STRENGTHS
• Diversity of mineral resources
• Significant hydro-electric potential (Inga dam)
• Support of international institutions

WEAKNESSES
• Risk of civil war. Persistent ethnic tension in Kivu in the east of the country
• Disorganised transport and energy infrastructures
• HDI rating : 176th out of 182

Growth rate dependent on raw materials prices

In 2009, economic activity suffered from the fall in international prices for oil and
minerals (diamonds, copper, cobalt). In 2010, growth should be boosted by a recovery
in exports of raw materials and the resumption of foreign direct investment in mining,
and in the building and civil engineering industries. Copper and cobalt production
should progress thanks to the investment efforts of the last few years, even if the sector
will continue to be confronted with the progressive depletion of reserves. Hydrocarbon
production is expected to continue to shrink, because of the ageing oil wells and chronic
underinvestment in the sector. On the other hand, economic activity will be underpinned
by the public infrastructure projects financed by China's Exim Bank.
Telecommunications will also show a recovery with the scheduled connection to the
West African Submarine internet cable (WASP). The farming sector (45% of GDP) will
continue to benefit from the post-conflict rehabilitation of transport and water supply
infrastructures. Development of the forestry sector will however continue to suffer from
the long distance of the forests from the port of Matadi. Finally, work on the
construction of the Inga hydroelectric dam, several times delayed, should begin in 2010
due mainly to the commitment of the South African power company, ESKOM.
Inflation, although on the decline, will still remain high, at around 25%, because of the
ongoing deficiencies in transport infrastructures and the increase of public expenditure
related to the war in Kivu, in the east of the country. In this context, the dollarisation of
the economy will become even stronger, with foreign currencies already representing
90% of the money supply in circulation.

Debt expected to be entirely cancelled in 2010

Public accounts will continue to be undermined by military expenditure and will be
influenced by the general elections planned for 2011. The current deficit, burdened by
the imports of capital goods related to investment, should be partially covered by
foreign direct investment, expected to increase in 2010. Also, international institutions
should reaffirm their support, after several years of decline in international aid because
of the civil war. The country had access as from the end of 2008 to the IMF's line of
financing against exogenous shocks, allowing it to reconstitute quickly its foreign
exchange reserves. The total cancellation of the debt planned within the framework of
the HIPC and MDRI debt relief programmes but interrupted in 2006 seems to be back
on track, following an IMF mission to the DRC at the end of 2009. The IMF has
welcomed the revised agreement of a problematic loan contracted by the DRC with
China and which had constituted an obstacle to any cancellation of DRC's indebtedness
to international institutions. The new agreement reduces to 6 billions the loans from
China (against 9 billions initially) and plans a 25 year period of grace before any call
can be made on the guarantee of the State of the DRC.
Continuing instability in Kivu; greater regional cooperation
In spite of the unexpected joint action by the DRC and Rwanda at the beginning of 2009
against the rebel Tutsi forces of the CNDP (National Congress for the Defence of the
People) and the rebel Hutus of the FDLR (Rwanda Liberation Forces), the Hutus
continue to contribute to the instability in Kivu, in the east of the country. The Tutsi
Leader of the CNDP, Laurent Nkunda, was arrested, and a large part of the members of
the CNDP were integrated into the regular DRC army, but the CNDP troops are
regularly reinforced by rebel forces from nearby Burundi. Besides, the violence of the
regular DRC army, the FDRC, against civilian populations led the United Nations
taskforce, MONUC, to withdraw from the Kamia military operation which was aimed at
improving the security situation in Kivu. In this context, the continuation of the Nairobi
negotiations, opened between the DRC and the CNDP under the supervision of the
former president of Nigeria Olegu Obasanjo, is crucial to ending the war in Kivu and
avoiding the spread of disorder around the Great Lakes region. In spite of the
redeployment of the UN Observation Mission (MONUC), present since 2003 and which
intends to increase its number to 20,000, the risk of a humanitarian crisis remains
critical.

Sources:

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