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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 onthe oil palm. From 1,550 BC to 50 BC, starting from a nucleus area in South Cameroonon both banks of the Sanaga River , the first Neolithic peopling of northern and westernCentral Africa can be followed south-eastwards and southwards.

In D.R. Congo, the first villages in the vicinity of Mbandaka and the Lake Tumba areknown as the 'Imbonga Tradition', from around 650 BC. In Lower Congo, north of theAngolan 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 appearedabout 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 andWestern Kenya and Tanzania. From the start of this tradition, the people knew ironsmelting, as is evidenced by several iron-smelting furnaces excavated in Rwanda andBurundi.

The earliest evidence further to the west is known in Cameroon and near to the smalltown 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. Thistechnology developed independently from the previous Neolithic expansion, some 900years later. As fieldwork done by a German team shows, the Congo River network wasslowly settled by food-producing villagers going upstream in the forest. Work from aSpanish project in the Ituri area further east suggests villages reached there only around1,150 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

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the Darfur and Kordofan regions of  Sudan into the north-east, as well as EastAfricans migrating into the eastern Congo, added to the mix of ethnic groups. TheBantu-speakers imported a mixed economy made up of agriculture, small-stock raising,fishing, fruit collecting, hunting and arboriculture before 3,500 BP; iron-workingtechniques, 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 severaldistinct 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 andimplement ironand copper technology, in addition to trading in ivory and other goods.The Luba established a strong commercial demand for their metal technologies andwere able to institute a long-range commercial net (the business connections extendedover 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. TheEastern 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 19,000African soldiers, led by 420 white officers.

European exploration and administration took place from the 1870s until the 1920s. Itwas 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 – professinghumanitarian 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 in1885 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 therailway 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 whichLeopold and his associates could extract from the colony, leading to exploitation of 

Africans.

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In the Free State, colonists brutalized the local population to produce rubber , for whichthe spread of automobiles and development of rubber tires created a growinginternational 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 therubber 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 someareas the population declined dramatically, it has been estimated that sleeping sickness and smallpox killed nearly half the population in the areas surrounding thelower  Congo River . A government commission later concluded that the population of the Congo had been "reduced by half" during this period, but determining precisely howmany 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 ConanDoyle also protested, and Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness was set in CongoFree 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 Belgiancolony from the king. From then on, it was called the Belgian Congo and was under therule 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 partyappointed Lumumba as Prime Minister. The parliament elected Joseph Kasavubu, of the Alliance des Bakongo (ABAKO) party as President. Other parties that emergedincluded 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. (Congo1960, dossiers du CRISP, Belgium) The Belgian Congo achieved independence on 30June 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 newleadership. Most of the 100,000 Europeans who had remained behind after 

independence fled the country, opening the way for Congolese to replace the Europeanmilitary and administrative elite.

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Patrice Lumumba

As the French colony of Middle Congo (Moyen Congo) also chose the name "Republicof 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'scoup of 1965 resulted in the country's official name being changed to the "DemocraticRepublic of the Congo." In 1971 it was changed again to "Republic of Zaïre."

On 5 September 1960, Kasavubu dismissed Lumumba from office. Lumumba declaredKasavubu's action "unconstitutional" and a crisis between the two leaders developed.(cf. Sécession au Katanga – J.Gerald-Libois -Brussels- CRISP) Lumumba had

  previously appointedJoseph Mobutu chief of staff of the new Congo army, Armée

  Nationale Congolaise (ANC). Taking advantage of the leadership crisis betweenKasavubu and Lumumba, Mobutu garnered enough support within the army to createmutiny. With financial support from the United States and Belgium, Mobutu paid hissoldiers privately. The aversion of Western powers to communism and leftist ideologyinfluenced 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 UnitedStates' and Belgium's intent on copper and diamond mines in Katanga and South Kasai

 – kidnapped and executed Patrice Lumumba. Amidst widespread confusion and chaos, atemporary government was led by technicians (Collège des Commissaires)

with Evariste Kimba. The Katanga secession was ended in January 1963 with theassistance of UN forces. Several short-lived governments, of Joseph Ileo, CyrilleAdoula, and Moise Tshombe, took over in quick succession.

Zaire (1971–1997)

The new president Joseph-Désiré Mobutu had the support of the United States becauseof his staunch opposition to Communism. Western powers appeared to believe thiswould make him a roadblock to Communist schemes in Africa. Historians have alsoargued that Western support for Mobutu was related to his allowing businesses to exportthe many natural resources of Zaire without worrying about environmental, labor, or 

other regulations.

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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 andstability was achieved; however, Mobutu's government was guilty of severe humanrights violations, political repression, a cult of personality and corruption. (Mobutudemanded 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" wascoined, 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 whilehe 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 Mobutuand 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 wasnow Democratic Republic of The Congo – Kinshasa], Stanleyville became Kisangani,Elisabethville became Lubumbashi, and Coquihatville became Mbandaka. Thisrenaming campaign was completed in the 1970s.

In 1971, Mobutu renamed the country the Republic of Zaire, its fourth name change in11 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 (roughlytranslated 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 severaloccasions, 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 asa Cold War ally.

Opponents within Zaire stepped up demands for reform. This atmosphere contributed toMobutu'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 theCongo, 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

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had fled Rwanda following the ascension of aTutsi-led government, had been usingHutu refugees camps in eastern Zaire as a basis for incursion against Rwanda. TheseHutu militia forces soon allied with the Zairian armed forces (FAZ) to launch acampaign against Congolese ethnic Tutsis in eastern Zaire.

In turn, a coalition of Rwandan and Ugandan armies invaded Zaire under the cover of asmall 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 dictatorshipof 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 oppositionfigures, led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila, became known as the Alliance des ForcesDémocratiques 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 CongoWar and its aftermath had killed 5.4 million people.[22]

A few months later, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila thanked all the foreign militaryforces 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 officerswho 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, PaulKagame. 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 militiagroup 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, theUgandan troops instigated the creation of another rebel movement called the Movementfor the Liberation of Congo (MLC), led by the Congolese warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba, son of Congolese billionaire Bemba Saolona. The two rebel movements started thesecond war by attacking the DRC's still fragile army in 1998, backed by Rwandan andUgandan troops. Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia became involved militarily on the

side of the government to defend a fellow SADC member.

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Kabila was assassinated in 2001 and was succeeded by his son  Joseph, who upon takingoffice called for multilateral peace talks to end the war. In February 2001 a peace dealwas brokered between Kabila, Rwanda and Uganda, leading to the apparent withdrawalof foreign troops. UN  peacekeepers, MONUC, arrived in April 2001. The conflict wasreignited 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 andthe 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 substantialnatural resources in the country, including diamonds, copper , zinc, and coltan.

DR Congo had a transitional government until the election was over. A constitution wasapproved by voters, and on July 30, 2006 the Congo held its first multi-partyelectionssince independence in 1960. After this Joseph Kabila took 45% of the votesand his opponent, Jean-Pierre Bemba took 20%. The disputed results of this electionturned 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 andthe 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 publicstatements saying the election had "irregularities," despite the fact that every neutralobserver praised the elections. On December 6, 2006 the Transitional Government cameto an end as Joseph Kabila was sworn in as President.

The fragility of the state government has allowed continued conflict and human rightsabuses. 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 thenortheast, Joseph Kony's LRA moved from their original bases in Uganda (where theyhave fought a 20-year rebellion) and South Sudan to DR Congo in 2005 and set upcamps in the Garamba National Park.[24][25] In northern Katanga, the Mai-Mai created byLaurent Kabila slipped out of the control of Kinshasa. The war is the world's deadliestconflict 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 from900,000 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, withestimates of millions dead either directly or indirectly as a result of the fighting. Therehave been frequent reports of weapon bearers killing civilians, destroying property,committing widespread sexual violence, causing hundreds of thousands of people toflee their homes or otherwise breaching humanitarian and human rights law. Anestimated 200,000 women have been raped.

Few people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been unaffected bythe armed conflict. A survey conducted in 2009 by the ICRC and Ipsos shows that threequarters (76%) of the people interviewed have been affected in some way–either 

 personally or due to the wider consequences of armed conflict.

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In 2003, Sinafasi Makelo, a representative of  Mbuti  pygmies, told the UN's IndigenousPeople's Forum that during the war, his people were hunted down and eaten as thoughthey were game animals. In neighbouring North Kivu province there has

 been cannibalism by a group known as  Les Effaceurs ("the erasers") who wanted toclear 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 diplomaticefforts to end the war has been relatively consistent, but it has taken no effective steps toabide by repeated pledges to demand accountability for the war crimes and crimesagainst humanity that were routinely committed in Congo. United Nations SecurityCouncil and the U.N. Secretary-General have frequently denounced human rightsabuses and the humanitarian disaster that the war unleashed on the local population. Butthey 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 thecountry took place. Hence Rwanda, like Uganda, has escaped any significant sanctionfor 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 (clockwisefrom 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. Itstraddles the Equator , with one-third to the North and two-thirds to the South. The sizeof Congo, 2,345,408 square kilometers (905,567 sq mi), is slightly greater than thecombined 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 totalupwards of 80 inches (2,000 mm) in some places, and the area sustains ccc. Thismassive expanse of lush jungle covers most of the vast, low-lying central  basin of the

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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 inthe 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 theregion topographically along with the rainforest it flows through, though they are notmutually exclusive. The name for the Congo state is derived in part from the river. Theriver basin (meaning the Congo River and all of its myriad tributaries) occupies nearlythe entire country and an area of nearly 1,000,000 km2 (390,000 sq mi). The river andits 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.

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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(StanleyPool). 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 theAtlantic 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). Theriver and a 45 km wide strip of land on its north bank provide the country's only outletto the Atlantic.

The previously mentioned Great Rift Valley, in particular the Eastern Rift, plays a keyrole in shaping the Congo's geography. Not only is the northeastern section of thecountry much more mountainous, but due to the rift's tectonic activities, this area alsoexperiences volcanic activity, occasionally with loss of life. The geologic activity in thisarea also created the famous African Great Lakes, three of which lie on the Congo'seastern 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 thesouth 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, especiallyin the Congo's southeastern Katanga region.

Mount Nyiragongo

On January 17, 2002 Mount Nyiragongo erupted in Congo, with the lava running out at40 mph (64 km/h) and 50 yards (46 m) wide. One of the three streams of extremelyfluid lava flowed through the nearby city of Goma, killing 45 and leaving 120,000homeless. Four hundred thousand people were evacuated from the city during theeruption. The lava poisoned the water of Lake Kivu, killing fish. Only two planes leftthe 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 alsoerupted in 2006 and again in January 2010. Both of these active volcanos are located

within the boundaries of Virunga National Park .

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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 NationalPark (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. Bandundu2. Bas-Congo3. Équateur 4. Kasai-Occidental5. Kasai-Oriental6. Katanga7. Kinshasa (city)8. Maniema

9.  Nord-Kivu10. Orientale11. Sud-Kivu

 An  Ituri Interim Administrationalsoexists in the Ituri region of Orientale

 Province

The provinces are subdivided into territories.

Kinshasa, 2003.

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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 fairlyautonomous provinces, including the capital, Kinshasa which were to be formed by 18February 2009.[35] As of October 2010, the 11 province structure remains in place.[36]

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The proposed new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Province Capital

1. Kinshasa Kinshasa

2. Kongo central  Matadi

3. Kwango Kenge

4. Kwilu Kikwit

5. Mai-Ndombe Inongo

6. Kasaï  Luebo

7. Lulua Kananga

8. Kasaï oriental Mbuji-Mayi

9. Lomami Kabinda

10

.

Sankuru Lodja

Province Capital

14.

Ituri Bunia

15.

Haut-Uele Isiro

16.

Tshopo Kisangani

17.

Bas-Uele Buta

18.

 Nord-Ubangi Gbadolite

19.

Mongala Lisala

20.

Sud-Ubangi Gemena

21. Équateur  Mbandaka

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11.

Maniema Kindu

12.

Sud-Kivu Bukavu

13.

 Nord-Kivu Goma

22.

Tshuapa Boende

23.

Tanganyika Kalemie

24.

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 politicalinstitutions at the various levels of all branches of government, as well as newadministrative divisions for the provinces throughout the country, politics in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo have finally settled into astable presidential democratic republic. The 2003 transitional constitution[37] establisheda 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 thecountry. The executive branch was vested in a 60-member cabinet, headed by

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a  pentarchy of a President, and four vice presidents. The President was also theCommander-in Chief of the Armed forces. The unusual organization of theexecutive — considering the large number of vice presidents — had earned it the veryofficial nickname of "The 1 + 4".

The transition constitution also established a relatively independent judiciary, headed bya Supreme Court with constitutional interpretation powers.

The 2006 constitution, also known as the Constitution of the Third Republic, came intoeffect in February 2006. It had concurrent authority, however, with the transitionalconstitution until the inauguration of the elected officials who emerged from the July2006 elections. Under the new constitution, the legislature remained bicameral; theexecutive was concomitantly undertaken by a President and the government, led by aPrime 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 thecreation 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 wasdivided into three new institutions. The constitutional interpretation prerogative of theSupreme Court is now held by the Constitutional Court.

Corruption

Mobutu Sese Seko ruled Zaire from 1965 to 1997. A relative explained how thegovernment 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. Hewould go to the bank with Mobutu's authority, and take out ten. Mobutu got one, and wetook the other nine."[38] Mobutu institutionalized corruption to prevent political rivalsfrom challenging his control, leading to an economic collapse in 1996. Mobutuallegedly stole up to US$4 billion while in office. [40]

President Joseph Kabila established the Commission of Repression of Economic Crimesupon 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]  – 

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2007 168 179 1.9[45]  – 

2008 171 180 1.7[46]  – 

In 2006 Transparency International ranked the Democratic Republic of the Congo 156out 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 surgesin 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 metalused in many diverse industrial and military applications. The largest use of cobalt isin 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 andglass; and pigments for ceramics, paints, and plastics. The country contains 80 percentof 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 InternationalAgriculture, 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 CampBase 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 foodsecurity is the first priority of this initiative. The second is to help the battalion buildfood stockpiles which they can draw from during a deployment.

A large amount of land has already been cleared and is being prepared for agriculturaldevelopment. In addition, dozens of soldiers from the 9th Military Region, along with"farm manager" candidates, are receiving ongoing agricultural education, training, andhands-on experience. While members of the unit are vital to fulfilling the short-terminitiative goals, their military responsibilities may take them away fromKisangani after Borlaug Institute and AFRICOM initiative support ends. That's why they are alsotraining 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

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manager-trainers with knowledge they can pass along to soldiers and their families whowill 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 withmaize and cassava. A second five hectare plot has been clearedfor vegetable production and fish farming. The first fish pond is under construction inan 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 tomatoesand half a hectare of amaranth, a local variety of   spinach, and corn seedand 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 foodsecurity and foster goodwill within the Democratic Republic of the Congo and theregion at large.[49]

Economy

Evolution of GDP.

The economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a nation endowed withresources of vast potential wealth, has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. At thetime of its independence in 1960, DRC was the second most industrialized country inAfrica 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 governmentrevenue, have increased external debt, and have resulted in deaths of more than fivemillion 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 hasintensified the impact of such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework,corruption, inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financialoperations.

Conditions improved in late 2002 with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invadingforeign troops. A number of International Monetary Fund and World Bank missionshave met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan, andPresident Joseph Kabila has begun implementing reforms. Much economic activity liesoutside the GDP data. A United Nations Human Development Index report showshuman development to be one of the worst in decades.

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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 reflectedin 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 thefabrication of electronic components in computers and mobile phones. In 2002, tin wasdiscovered in the east of the country, but, to date, mining has been on a smallscale. Smuggling of the conflict minerals, coltan and cassiterite (oresof tantalum and tin, respectively), has helped fuel the war in the Eastern Congo.Katanga Mining Limited, a London-based company, owns the Luilu MetallurgicalPlant, 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 percentof 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 andits potential role as an economic power in central Africa. It has one of the twenty lastranks 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.

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Women preparing fufu.

The United Nations 2007 estimated the population at 62.6 million people, havingincreased rapidly despite the war from 46.7 million in 1997. As many as 250 ethnicgroups have been identified and named. The most numerous people arethe Kongo, Luba, and Mongo. About 600,000 Pygmies are the aboriginal people of theDR Congo. Although seven hundred local languages and dialects are spoken, thelinguistic variety is bridged both by widespread use of French and intermediarylanguages such as Kongo, Tshiluba, Swahili, and Lingala.

Migration

Given the situation in the country and the condition of state structures, it is extremelydifficult to obtain reliable data. However, evidence suggests that DRC continues to be adestination country for immigrants in spite of recent declines. Immigration is seen to bevery diverse in nature, with refugees and asylum-seekers – products of the numerousand violent conflicts in the Great Lakes Region – constituting an important subset of the

 population in the country. Additionally, the country’s large mine operations attractmigrant workers from Africa and beyond and there is considerable migration for commercial activities from other African countries and the rest of the world, but thesemovements are not well studied. Transit migration towards South Africa and Europealso plays a role. Immigration in the DRC has decreased steadily over the past twodecades, 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 inthe DRC has declined from just over 1 million in 1960, to 754,000 in 1990, to 480,000in 2005, to an estimated 445,000 in 2010. Valid figures are not available on migrantworkers in particular, partly due to the predominance of the informal economy in theDRC. Data are also lacking on irregular immigrants, however given neighbouringcountry ethnic links to nationals of the DRC, irregular migration is assumed to be asignificant 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

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within Africa and to a lesser extent in Europe; 79.7% and 15.3% respectively, accordingto 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 regionand beyond. These numbers peaked in 2004 when, according to UNHCR , there were

more than 460,000 refugees from the DRC; in 2008, Congolese refugees numbered367,995 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 diversityof its hundreds of ethnic groups and their differing ways of life throughout the country

  —from the mouth of theRiver Congo on the coast, upriver throughthe rainforest and savanna in its centre, to the more densely populated mountains in thefar east. Since the late 19th century, traditional ways of life have undergone changes

  brought about bycolonialism, the struggle for independence, the stagnation of the Mobutu era, and most recently, the First and Second Congo Wars. Despite these

  pressures, thecustoms and cultures of the Congo have retained much of their individuality. The country's 70 million inhabitants are mainly rural. The 30 percent wholive 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 borelittle relation to the actual spread of ethno-linguistic groups. There are around250languages spoken in the country, with perhaps a similar number of ethnic groups.Broadly speaking, there are four main population groups:

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Pygmies, the earliest inhabitants of the Congo, are generally hunter-gathererswho 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 largestgroup, and the majority live as farmers. They are present in almost every part of thecountry, and their languages make up three of the five officially-recognizedlanguages. These three languages are Kikongo, Lingala, and Tshiluba. Kikongo isspoken by the Kongo people in the far west of the country, both on the coast andinland, 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 of South 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 Congoriver 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 itsadoption, and it is now the most prominent language in the country. Tshiluba (alsoknown as Chiluba and Luba-Kasai) is spoken in the southeastern Kasai regions. East Africans brought in the fourth of the official languages, Kingwana  — aCongolese dialect of Swahili. Note that the fifth language, French, is the officiallanguage of government, a result of Congo's colonial relationship with Belgium. TheEast 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 comefrom Darfur in south part Sudan and Ethiopia. In general these are pastoral cattleraisers and include the Tutsi, possibly the tallest people in the world. These NorthEastern peoples also migrated into the Rwanda and Burundi around the same timeoften 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 mightuse 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 Africaninfluences have spread in the post-Mobutu era. Among the slangs spoken inCongo, Indubil has been noted since around the sixties[1] and continues to evolvenowadays[2].

Mixed marriages between ethnic groups are common, particularly in urban areas wheremany different groups live side by side. Europeans appear in small numbers throughoutthe country, as missionaries in the countryside, and as businessmen and traders in thecities. 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.

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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 followersof Kimbanguism. Other Christian denominations: 1% Islam: 1.5%

There are small communities of Jews and Hindus who work in commercial urbanareas. Atheism is very rare.

 Indigenous traditional beliefs

Though only 11.5 per cent of Congolese exclusively follow indigenous beliefs, thesetraditional belief systems are often intermingled with forms of Christianity, and arefamiliar 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 israrely the direct cause of events. In many Congolese languages, the name of thecreator 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 isthought to leave the body upon death and become an ancestor spirit. These spiritscontinue 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-deadancestors (for instance, great hunters or religious leaders) are venerated by peopleoutside their former family.  Nature spirits, worshiped mainly in forested regions, are often the embodimentof 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 supernaturalforces.

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Ceremonies and collective prayers—to ancestors, nature spirits and the creator god—are generally performed at particular locations such as sacred trees, grottoesor crossroads. These ceremonies usually take place at a specific time of day. Thelocation and times vary according to the ethnic group.

Belief in Witchcraft is common, and sometimes intersects with the more fundamentalistand evangelical versions of Christianity. In recent years, these beliefs have gainedadherents 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 decaycaused by war and poverty. Many of the street children that roam the Congo's citieshave 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 Portuguesearrived and convinced the king and entourage of the Kongo people to convert. In 1506 aPortuguese-supported candidate for kingship, Alfonso I of Kongo won the throne.Alfonso (the Kongo royal family had begun to take on Portuguese names), establishedrelations with the Vatican. More widespread conversion occurred during the Belgiancolonial era. Christianity varies in its forms, and is in some ways surprisingly similar tonative beliefs.

During the colonial period, a European-style Christianity was at first promoted by theauthorities. Native Congolese generally attended different churches or services fromwhites. 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 danceswhich were formerly condemned as pagan. Eventually, even native fables and mythswere appropriated and merged into Congolese Christianity, in a similar process to thatwhich occurred with Christianity in Europe.

Recent developments include the increasing popularity of the "Gospel of Prosperity" – aform of Christianity in which the emphasis is on wealth acquisition and born-againChristianity. Adherents are led to believe that instant wealth and magical prosperity willresult from giving tithes to their charismatic preacher. The leaders often draw on thetechniques of American televangelists, and the message is appealing to those living in

extreme poverty. Kimbanguism

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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 avillage near Kinshasa, raised and educated by a Protestant Christian mission and trainedto become a priest. In April 1921, at the age of 39, he reportedly had a religious visionof Jesus Christ, who called on him to reconvert his people and dedicate his life toChrist. Kimbangu chose to try to ignore the vision, and fled to Kinshasa where heabandoned his life as a priest and took to menial work. More visions came, andeventually he heeded the calling and returned to his home village and started to devotehis life to Christ. Soon after, he is reported to have healed a sick woman by laying hishands on her. Dozens of apparent miracles were subsequently performed by Kimbangu,and he gained followers from surrounding villages and towns. The official Catholicorganizations protested to the authorities, and the Protestant church abandoned him. Theeconomic effects of Kimbangu's ministry were being felt, with thousands of Congoleseleaving 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 lifeimpisonment. He died 30 years later in prison, in 1951.

Colonial authorities assumed his movement would wither after his imprisonment anddeath, but the church continued to flourish underground, and was an effective weapon inthe 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 neutralizingit: namely co-opting the church and giving it an official status. Kimbanguism has nowspread 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 notsmoke, drink alcohol and abhor violence. Monogamy is practiced.

 Religion today

Article 22 of the constitution allows for religious freedom. These rights are generallyrespected by the government [1]. Religious tension exists in some areas because of thelink between prophetic groups and paramilitaryorganizations. In the turbulent easternregion, 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 intowater 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 thedevelopment 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 varietiesof 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.

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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 bestknown artists successful inside and outside the country are Lema Kusa (painting),Alfred Liyolo (sculpture), Roger Botembe (painting), Nshole (painting), Henri KalamaAkulez (painting), Mavinga (painting), Freddy Tsimba (sculpture), Claudy Khan(painting). Some are teaching at the Académie de Beaux-Arts de Kinshasa, which is theonly arts academy of a university level in Central Africa.

Flora and fauna

Bas-Congo landscape.

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The rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo contain great biodiversity, including many rare and endemic species, such as the common chimpanzeeandthe 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 haveendangered much of this biodiversity. Many park wardens were either killed or couldnot afford to continue their work. All five sites are listed by UNESCO as WorldHeritage In Danger. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most biodiverseAfrican 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 beencalled the Central African " bushmeat" problem, which is regarded by many as amajor 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 usein the DRC's numerous military conflicts.

The "bushmeat crisis" has emerged in the DRC mainly as a result of the poor livingconditions of the Congolese people and a lack of education about the dangers of eatingit. A rising population combined with deplorable economic conditions has forced manyCongolese 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 primemarket for commercial bushmeat.

A Bonobo climbing a tree

This combination has caused not only widespread endangerment of local fauna, but hasforced 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 morescarce for humans. The hunting has also been facilitated by the extensive logging

 prevalent throughout the Congo's rainforests (from corporate logging, in addition tofarmers clearing out forest for agriculture), which allowshunters much easier access to

  previously unreachable jungle terrain, while simultaneously eroding away atthe habitats of animals.[78] Deforestation is accelerating in Central Africa.

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A case that has particularly alarmed conservationists is that of  primates. The Congo isinhabited by three distinct great ape species — the Common chimpanzee( Pantroglodytes), the bonobo ( Pan paniscus) and the gorilla. It is the only country in theworld in which bonobos are found in the wild. The chimpanzee and bonobo are theclosest living evolutionary relatives to humans.

Much concern has been raised about Great ape extinction. Because of hunting andhabitat destruction, the chimpanzee and the gorilla, both of whose population oncenumbered 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 wellas the okapi, which is also native to the area geography.

INVESTMENT PROJECTTransport 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 andrail 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, andtraditionally water transport has been the dominant means of moving aroundapproximately 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 theseaport of Matadi, consisted of the following:

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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 journeywould take many months.

Many of the routes listed below are in poor condition and may be operating at only afraction of their original capacity (if at all), despite recent attempts to makeimprovements. Up to 2006 the United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC) had anoperation 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 fromwhich 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 fuelsupply system was also badly affected. Consequently, outsideof Kinshasa, Matadi and Lubumbashi, private and commercial road transport is almostnon-existent and traffic is scarce even where roads are in good condition. The fewvehicles in use outside these cities are run by the United Nations, aid agencies, the DRCgovernment, 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 suchas 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 thecountry. The Congolese government, the United Nations, aid organisations and largecompanies use air rather than ground transport to move personnel and freight. The UNoperates a large fleet of aircraft and helicopters, and compared to other Africancountries 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 isalso carried out by air, and in the east, some stretches of paved road isolated bydestroyed 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 thanfrom Kinshasa. For example Bukavu itself and Goma and other north-eastern towns arelinked by paved road from the DRC border to theKenyan port of Mombasa, and mostgoods for these cities have been brought via this route in recent years.Similarly, Lubumbashi and the rest of Katanga Province is linked to Zambia, throughwhich the paved highway and rail networks of Southern Africa can be accessed. Suchlinks through neighbouring countries are generally more important for the east andsouth-east of the country, and are more heavily used, than surface links to the capital.

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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 andminerals (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 productionshould 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 chronicunderinvestment 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 theWest African Submarine internet cable (WASP). The farming sector (45% of GDP) willcontinue to benefit from the post-conflict rehabilitation of transport and water supplyinfrastructures. 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 theconstruction of the Inga hydroelectric dam, several times delayed, should begin in 2010due 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 theongoing deficiencies in transport infrastructures and the increase of public expenditurerelated 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 representing90% of the money supply in circulation.

 

Debt expected to be entirely cancelled in 2010

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Public accounts will continue to be undermined by military expenditure and will beinfluenced by the general elections planned for 2011. The current deficit, burdened bythe imports of capital goods related to investment, should be partially covered byforeign direct investment, expected to increase in 2010. Also, international institutionsshould 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 foreignexchange 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 haswelcomed the revised agreement of a problematic loan contracted by the DRC withChina and which had constituted an obstacle to any cancellation of DRC's indebtednessto international institutions. The new agreement reduces to 6 billions the loans fromChina (against 9 billions initially) and plans a 25 year period of grace before any callcan be made on the guarantee of the State of the DRC.

Continuing instability in Kivu; greater regional cooperationIn spite of the unexpected joint action by the DRC and Rwanda at the beginning of 2009against the rebel Tutsi forces of the CNDP (National Congress for the Defence of thePeople) and the rebel Hutus of the FDLR (Rwanda Liberation Forces), the Hutuscontinue to contribute to the instability in Kivu, in the east of the country. The TutsiLeader 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 areregularly reinforced by rebel forces from nearby Burundi. Besides, the violence of theregular DRC army, the FDRC, against civilian populations led the United Nationstaskforce, 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 Nairobinegotiations, opened between the DRC and the CNDP under the supervision of theformer president of Nigeria Olegu Obasanjo, is crucial to ending the war in Kivu andavoiding the spread of disorder around the Great Lakes region. In spite of theredeployment of the UN Observation Mission (MONUC), present since 2003 and whichintends to increase its number to 20,000, the risk of a humanitarian crisis remainscritical.

Sources:

http://www.coface.com/CofacePortal/COM_en_EN/pages/home/risks_home/country_risks/country_file//Congo,%20the%20Democratic%20Republic%20of%20the?nodeUid=572108

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_in_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo