Democratic Republic Of The Congo

 

Bureau of African Affairs                                                     
June 2007                                                                     
                                                                       
  Background Note: Democratic Republic of the Congo                           
                                                                       
  Flag of Democratic Republic of the Congo is sky blue field divided diagonally
  from lower hoist corner to upper fly corner by red stripe bordered by two   
  narrow yellow stripes; yellow, five-pointed star appears in upper hoist     
  corner.                                                                     
                                                                       
  PROFILE                                                                     
                                                                       
  OFFICIAL NAME:                                                              
  Democratic Republic of the Congo                                            
                                                                       
  Geography                                                                   
  Location: Central Africa. Bordering nations--Angola, Burundi, Central African
  Republic, Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia.   
  Area: 2.345 sq. km. (905,063 sq. mi.; about the size of the U.S. east of the
  Mississippi).                                                               
  Cities: Capital--Kinshasa (pop. 6.5 million). Regional capitals--Bandundu,  
  Bukavu, Goma, Kananga, Kindu, Kisangani, Lubumbashi, Matadi, Mbandaka,      
  Mbuji-Mayi.                                                                 
  Terrain: Varies from tropical rainforests to mountainous terraces, plateau, 
  savannas, dense grasslands, and mountains.                                  
  Climate: Equatorial; ranges from tropical rainforest in the Congo River     
  basin, hot and humid in much of the north and west, cooler and drier in the 
  south central area and the east.                                            
                                                                       
  People                                                                      
  Nationality: Noun and adjective--Congolese.                                 
  Population (2004 est.): 58 million.                                         
  Annual growth rate (2004 est.): 2.99%.                                      
  Ethnic groups: More than 200 African ethnic groups; the Luba, Kongo, and    
  Anamongo are some of the larger groupings of tribes.                        
  Religions (2004 est.): Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, other syncretic  
  sects and traditional beliefs 10%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%.             
  Language: Official--French. National languages--Lingala, Swahili, Kikongo,  
  Tshiluba.                                                                   
  Education: Literacy (2004 est.)--65.5% in French or local language. Schooling
  (2000 est.)--none 41.7%, primary 42.2%, secondary 15.4%, university 0.7%.   
  Health (2004 est.): Infant mortality rate--94.69/1,000 live births. Life    
  expectancy--49 yrs.                                                         
                                                                       
  Government                                                                  
  Type: Republic; highly centralized with executive power vested in the       
  president.                                                                  
  Independence: June 30, 1960 (from Belgium).                                 
  Constitution: June 24, 1967; amended August 1974; revised February 15, 1978;
  amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated April 1994;       
  Constitutional Act promulgated May 1997; draft constitution proposed but not
  finalized March 1998; transitional constitution adopted on April 2, 2003. A 
  new constitution was passed by the transitional parliament on May 2005. The 
  D.R.C. held a constitutional referendum on December 18-19, 2005. Official   
  results indicated that 84% of voters approved the constitution. The new     
  constitution was promulgated in a ceremony on February 18, 2006.            
  Branches: Executive--President is head of state. Cabinet is appointed by the
  ruling party in the parliament. Prime minister is elected by the parliament.
  Legislative--The 500-member lower house of parliament was elected in July 30,
  2006 national elections. Provincial Assemblies elected the Senate in October
  29, 2006 elections. The Senate elected provincial governors. Judicial       
  --Supreme Court (Cour Supreme).                                             
  Administrative subdivisions: Ten provinces and the capital city, Kinshasa.  
  Political parties: President Joseph Kabila's party is Parti du Peuple pour la
  Reconstruction et le Developpement (PPRD). Two main coalitions represent    
  President Kabila and his presidential run-off challenger, former Transitional
  Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba. Other opposition parties include Union pour
  la Democratie et le Progres Social (UDPS), Forces du Futur (FDF), Forces    
  Novatrices pour l'Union et la Solidarite (FONUS), Parti Democrate Social    
  Chretien (PDSC), Mouvement Social Democratie et Developpement (MSDD),       
  Mouvement Populaire de la Revolution--Fait Prive (MPR-FP), Union des        
  Nationalistes et des Federalistes Congolais (UNAFEC), and Mouvement National
  Congolais/ Lumumba (MNC/L). Former rebel movements-turned-political parties 
  include the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Democratie (RCD), Mouvement pour
  la Liberation du Congo (MLC), and independent splinter groups of the RCD    
  (RCD-ML, RCD-N).                                                            
  Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory.                        
                                                                       
  Economy                                                                     
  GDP (2003): $5.6 billion.                                                   
  Annual GDP growth rate (2005): 6%.                                          
  Per capita GDP (2005): $120.                                                
  Natural resources: Copper, cobalt, diamonds, gold, other minerals; petroleum;
  wood; hydroelectric potential.                                              
  Agriculture: Cash crops--coffee, rubber, palm oil, cotton, cocoa, sugar, tea.
  Food crops--manioc, corn, legumes, plantains, peanuts.                      
  Land use: Agriculture 3%; pasture 7%; forest/woodland 77%; other 13%.       
  Industry: Types--processed and unprocessed minerals; consumer products,     
  including textiles, plastics, footwear, cigarettes, metal products; processed
  foods and beverages, cement, timber.                                        
  Currency: Congolese franc (FC).                                             
  Trade: Exports (2002)--$1.040 billion. Products--diamonds, cobalt, copper,  
  coffee, petroleum. Partners--E.U., Japan, South Africa, U.S., China. Imports
  (2002)--$1.216 billion. Products--consumer goods (food, textiles), capital  
  equipment, refined petroleum products. Partners--E.U., China, South Africa, 
  U.S.                                                                        
  Total external debt (2002): $8.211 billion. (Currently under revision due to
  HIPC decision point in 2003.)                                               
                                                                       
  GEOGRAPHY                                                                   
  The Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.) includes the greater part of  
  the Congo River basin, which covers an area of almost 1 million square      
  kilometers (400,000 sq. mi.). The country's only outlet to the Atlantic Ocean
  is a narrow strip of land on the north bank of the Congo River.             
                                                                       
  The vast, low-lying central area is a basin-shaped plateau sloping toward the
  west and covered by tropical rainforest. This area is surrounded by         
  mountainous terraces in the west, plateaus merging into savannas in the south
  and southwest, and dense grasslands extending beyond the Congo River in the 
  north. High mountains are found in the extreme eastern region.              
                                                                       
  D.R.C. lies on the Equator, with one-third of the country to the north and  
  two-thirds to the south. The climate is hot and humid in the river basin and
  cool and dry in the southern highlands. South of the Equator, the rainy     
  season lasts from October to May and north of the Equator, from April to    
  November. Along the Equator, rainfall is fairly regular throughout the year.
  During the wet season, thunderstorms often are violent but seldom last more 
  than a few hours. The average rainfall for the entire country is about 107  
  centimeters (42 in.).                                                       
                                                                       
  PEOPLE                                                                      
  The population of D.R.C. was estimated at 58 million in 2004. As many as 250
  ethnic groups have been distinguished and named. Some of the larger groupings
  of tribes are the Kongo, Luba, and Anamongo. Although 700 local languages and
  dialects are spoken, the linguistic variety is bridged both by the use of   
  French and the intermediary languages Kikongo, Tshiluba, Swahili, and       
  Lingala.                                                                    
                                                                       
  About 50% of the Congolese population is Christian, predominantly Roman     
  Catholic. Most of the non-Christians adhere to either traditional religions 
  or syncretic sects. Traditional religions include concepts such as          
  monotheism, animism, vitalism, spirit and ancestor worship, witchcraft, and 
  sorcery and vary widely among ethnic groups; none is formalized. The        
  syncretic sects often merge Christianity with traditional beliefs and       
  rituals. The most popular of these sects, Kimbanguism, was seen as a threat 
  to the colonial regime and was banned by the Belgians. Kimbanguism,         
  officially "the church of Christ on Earth by the prophet Simon Kimbangu," now
  claims about 3 million members, primarily among the Bakongo tribe of        
  Bas-Congo and Kinshasa. In 1969, it was the first independent African church
  admitted to the World Council of Churches.                                  
                                                                       
  Before independence, education was largely in the hands of religious groups.
  The primary school system was well developed at independence; however, the  
  secondary school system was limited, and higher education was almost        
  nonexistent in most regions of the country. The principal objective of this 
  system was to train low-level administrators and clerks. Since independence,
  efforts have been made to increase access to education, and secondary and   
  higher education have been made available to many more Congolese. According 
  to estimates made in 2000, 41.7% of the population has no schooling, 42.2%  
  has primary schooling, 15.4% has secondary schooling, and 0.7% has university
  schooling. At all levels of education, males greatly outnumber females. The 
  largest state-run universities are the University of Kinshasa, the University
  of Lubumbashi, and the University of Kisangani. The elite continue to send  
  their children abroad to be educated, primarily in Western Europe.          
                                                                       
  HISTORY                                                                     
  The area known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo was populated as early
  as 10,000 years ago and settled in the 7th and 8th centuries A.D. by Bantus 
  from present-day Nigeria. Discovered in 1482 by Portuguese navigator Diego  
  Cao and later explored by English journalist Henry Morton Stanley, the area 
  was officially colonized in 1885 as a personal possession of Belgian King   
  Leopold II as the Congo Free State. In 1907, administration shifted to the  
  Belgian Government, which renamed the country the Belgian Congo. Following a
  series of riots and unrest, the Belgian Congo was granted its independence on
  June 30, 1960. Parliamentary elections in 1960 produced Patrice Lumumba as  
  prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu as president of the renamed Democratic   
  Republic of the Congo.                                                      
                                                                       
  Within the first year of independence, several events destabilized the      
  country: the army mutinied; the governor of Katanga province attempted      
  secession; a UN peacekeeping force was called in to restore order; Prime    
  Minister Lumumba died under mysterious circumstances; and Col. Joseph Désiré
  Mobutu (later Mobutu Sese Seko) took over the government and ceded it again 
  to President Kasavubu.                                                      
                                                                       
  Unrest and rebellion plagued the government until 1965, when Lieutenant     
  General Mobutu, by then commander in chief of the national army, again seized
  control of the country and declared himself president for 5 years. Mobutu   
  quickly centralized power into his own hands and was elected unopposed as   
  president in 1970. Embarking on a campaign of cultural awareness, Mobutu    
  renamed the country the Republic of Zaire and required citizens to adopt    
  African names. Relative peace and stability prevailed until 1977 and 1978   
  when Katangan rebels, staged in Angola, launched a series of invasions into 
  the Katanga region. The rebels were driven out with the aid of Belgian      
  paratroopers.                                                               
                                                                       
  During the 1980s, Mobutu continued to enforce his one-party system of rule. 
  Although Mobutu successfully maintained control during this period,         
  opposition parties, most notably the Union pour la Democratie et le Progres 
  Social (UDPS), were active. Mobutu's attempts to quell these groups drew    
  significant international criticism.                                        
                                                                       
  As the Cold War came to a close, internal and external pressures on Mobutu  
  increased. In late 1989 and early 1990, Mobutu was weakened by a series of  
  domestic protests, by heightened international criticism of his regime's    
  human rights practices, and by a faltering economy. In April 1990 Mobutu    
  agreed to the principle of a multi-party system with elections and a        
  constitution. As details of a reform package were delayed, soldiers in      
  September 1991 began looting Kinshasa to protest their unpaid wages. Two    
  thousand French and Belgian troops, some of whom were flown in on U.S. Air  
  Force planes, arrived to evacuate the 20,000 endangered foreign nationals in
  Kinshasa.                                                                   
                                                                       
  In 1992, after previous similar attempts, the long-promised Sovereign       
  National Conference was staged, encompassing more than 2,000 representatives
  from various political parties. The conference gave itself a legislative    
  mandate and elected Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo as its chairman, along with
  Etienne Tshisekedi, leader of the UDPS, as prime minister. By the end of the
  year Mobutu had created a rival government with its own prime minister. The 
  ensuing stalemate produced a compromise merger of the two governments into  
  the High Council of Republic-Parliament of Transition (HCR-PT) in 1994, with
  Mobutu as head of state and Kengo Wa Dondo as prime minister. Although      
  presidential and legislative elections were scheduled repeatedly over the   
  next 2 years, they never took place.                                        
                                                                       
  By 1996, the war and genocide in neighboring Rwanda had spilled over to     
  Zaire. Rwandan Hutu militia forces (Interahamwe), who fled Rwanda following 
  the ascension of a Tutsi-led government, were using Hutu refugee camps in   
  eastern Zaire as bases for incursions against Rwanda.                       
                                                                       
  In October 1996, Rwandan troops (RPA) entered Zaire, simultaneously with the
  formation of an armed coalition led by Laurent-Desire Kabila known as the   
  Alliance des Forces Democratiques pour la Liberation du Congo-Zaire (AFDL). 
  With the goal of forcibly ousting Mobutu, the AFDL, supported by Rwanda and 
  Uganda, began a military campaign toward Kinshasa. Following failed peace   
  talks between Mobutu and Kabila in May 1997, Mobutu left the country, and   
  Kabila marched into Kinshasa on May 17, 1997. Kabila declared himself       
  president, consolidated power around himself and the AFDL, and renamed the  
  country the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C.). Kabila's Army Chief and  
  the Secretary General of the AFDL were Rwandan, and RPA units continued to  
  operate tangentially with the D.R.C.'s military, which was renamed the Forces
  Armees Congolaises (FAC).                                                   
                                                                       
  Over the next year, relations between Kabila and his foreign backers        
  deteriorated. In July 1998, Kabila ordered all foreign troops to leave the  
  D.R.C. Most refused to leave. On August 2, fighting erupted throughout the  
  D.R.C. as Rwandan troops in the D.R.C. "mutinied," and fresh Rwandan and    
  Ugandan troops entered the D.R.C. Two days later, Rwandan troops flew to    
  Bas-Congo, with the intention of marching on Kinshasa, ousting Laurent      
  Kabila, and replacing him with the newly formed Rwandan-backed rebel group  
  called the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Democratie (RCD). The Rwandan    
  campaign was thwarted at the last minute when Angolan, Zimbabwean, and      
  Namibian troops intervened on behalf of the D.R.C. Government. The Rwandans 
  and the RCD withdrew to eastern D.R.C., where they established de facto     
  control over portions of eastern D.R.C. and continued to fight the Congolese
  Army and its foreign allies.                                                
                                                                       
  In February 1999, Uganda backed the formation of a rebel group called the   
  Mouvement pour la Liberation du Congo (MLC), which drew support from among  
  ex-Mobutuists and ex-FAZ soldiers in Equateur province (Mobutu's home       
  province). Together, Uganda and the MLC established control over the northern
  third of the D.R.C.                                                         
                                                                       
  At this stage, the D.R.C. was divided de facto into three segments, and the 
  parties controlling each segment had reached military deadlock. In July 1999,
  a cease-fire was proposed in Lusaka, Zambia, which all parties signed by the
  end of August. The Lusaka Accord called for a cease-fire, the deployment of a
  UN peacekeeping operation, MONUC, the withdrawal of foreign troops, and the 
  launching of an "Inter-Congolese Dialogue" to form a transitional government
  leading to elections. The parties to the Lusaka Accord failed to fully      
  implement its provisions in 1999 and 2000. Laurent Kabila drew increasing   
  international criticism for blocking full deployment of UN troops, hindering
  progress toward an Inter-Congolese Dialogue, and suppressing internal       
  political activity.                                                         
                                                                       
  On January 16, 2001, Laurent Kabila was assassinated. He was succeeded by his
  son, Joseph Kabila. Joseph Kabila reversed many of his father's negative    
  policies; over the next year, MONUC deployed throughout the country, and the
  Inter-Congolese Dialogue proceeded. By the end of 2002, all Angolan,        
  Namibian, and Zimbabwean troops had withdrawn from the D.R.C. Following     
  D.R.C.-Rwanda talks in South Africa that culminated in the Pretoria Accord in
  July 2002, Rwandan troops officially withdrew from the D.R.C. in October    
  2002, although there were continued, unconfirmed reports that Rwandan       
  soldiers and military advisers remained integrated with RCD/G forces in     
  eastern D.R.C. Ugandan troops officially withdrew from the D.R.C. in May    
  2003.                                                                       
                                                                       
  In October 2001, the Inter-Congolese Dialogue began in Addis Ababa under the
  auspices of Facilitator Ketumile Masire (former president of Botswana). The 
  initial meetings made little progress and were adjourned. On February 25,   
  2002, the dialogue was reconvened in South Africa. It included              
  representatives from the government, rebel groups, political opposition,    
  civil society, and Mai-Mai (Congolese local defense militias). The talks    
  ended inconclusively on April 19, 2002, when the government and the MLC     
  brokered an agreement that was signed by the majority of delegates at the   
  dialogue but left out the RCD/G and opposition UDPS party, among others.    
                                                                       
  This partial agreement was never implemented, and negotiations resumed in   
  South Africa in October 2002. This time, the talks led to an all-inclusive  
  powersharing agreement, which was signed by delegates in Pretoria on December
  17, 2002, and formally ratified by all parties on April 2, 2003.            
                                                                       
  GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS                                         
  Following nominations by each of the various signatory groups, President    
  Kabila on June 30, 2003 issued a decree that formally announced the         
  transitional government lineup. The four vice presidents took the oath of   
  office on July 17, 2003, and most incoming ministers assumed their new      
  functions within days thereafter.                                           
                                                                       
  A transitional constitution was adopted on April 2, 2003; a new constitution
  was promulgated February 2006. Extensive executive, legislative, and military
  powers are vested in the president. The legislature does not have the power 
  to overturn the government through a vote of no confidence. The judiciary is
  nominally independent; the president has the power to dismiss and appoint   
  judges. The president is head of a 35-member cabinet of ministers.          
                                                                       
  President Joseph Kabila has made significant progress in liberalizing       
  domestic political activity, establishing a transitional government, and    
  undertaking economic reforms in cooperation with the World Bank and         
  International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, serious human rights problems   
  remain in the security services and justice system. The eastern part of the 
  country is characterized by ongoing violence and armed conflict, which has  
  created a humanitarian disaster and contributed to civilian deaths (more than
  3.8 million, according to a prominent international non-governmental        
  organization). MONUC continues to play an important peacekeeping role in the
  D.R.C., and in October 2004, its authorized force strength increased to     
  16,700.                                                                     
                                                                       
  On July 30, 2006 the D.R.C. held its first free, democratic, multi-party    
  elections in more than 40 years. The D.R.C.'s 25 million registered voters  
  were charged with electing a president (from a field of 33 candidates) and  
  500 deputies to the National Assembly (out of a total of 9,709 candidates). 
  Despite some unexpected technical and logistical difficulties, coupled with 
  isolated incidents of violence and intimidation, the elections were held in a
  largely calm and orderly fashion. Voter turnout nationwide was high,        
  particularly in the eastern provinces, compared to the December 2005        
  constitutional referendum.                                                  
                                                                       
  The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) on August 20, 2006 announced     
  official provisional results from the July 30 presidential elections.       
  According to CEI figures, incumbent Joseph Kabila won 44.81% of the votes   
  cast versus Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba's 20.3%. As no candidate won a 
  majority of votes in the first round and in accordance with the country's   
  electoral law, the top two recipients, Kabila and Bemba faced off in a second
  round of balloting. Threats to the D.R.C.'s transitional process were marked
  by military clashes in Kinshasa just hours after provisional election results
  were announced. This crisis was exclusively confined to central Kinshasa in 
  the Gombe area and was essentially a clash between Vice President Bemba and 
  President Kabila's militias. The runoff presidential elections were held on 
  October 29, 2006. On November 27, 2006 the Congolese Supreme Court declared 
  President Kabila the winner over Vice President Bemba by a margin of 58% to 
  42%. Kabila was inaugurated on December 6, 2006.                            
                                                                       
  Voters in July 2006 also chose from among 9,709 legislative candidates to   
  fill 500 seats in the National Assembly, representing 169 electoral         
  districts. Approximately one-third of these districts elected one deputy by a
  simple majority. The rest were multiple-seat districts, ranging from two    
  representatives to a maximum of 17 (in one of Kinshasa's voting districts). 
  In these areas, deputies were chosen by proportional representation using   
  open party lists. To select the winners in multiple-seat districts, all valid
  votes cast were first divided according to political party. Next, an        
  "electoral quotient" was determined by dividing the number of votes cast by 
  the number of representatives to be elected. Finally, the number of votes a 
  party received was divided by this "electoral quotient" to determine how many
  seats the party will win. The candidates ultimately elected are those who   
  received the highest number of votes within their particular party lists.   
  National Assembly deputies will also serve five-year terms and there is no  
  restriction on the number of times they can be re-elected.                  
                                                                       
  Organizing the D.R.C.'s July 2006 elections presented significant logistical
  challenges. Supported in large part by the MONUC peacekeeping mission, the  
  Independent Electoral Commission opened more than 50,000 polling stations   
  nationwide and employed some 300,000-poll workers on election day and to    
  oversee the ballot counting process. The presidential and legislative ballots
  were printed in South Africa and altogether weighed nearly 1,800 tons,      
  requiring 75 round-trip flights between the D.R.C. and South Africa.        
                                                                       
  The population of the D.R.C. is estimated to be about 60 million, and the   
  country's electoral law grants the right to vote to those ages 18 or older. 
  For the July 2006 elections, the CEI reported that of the 25,420,99         
  registered voters, 17,931,238 went to the polls, a voter participation rate 
  of 70.54%. Of the 17.9 million ballots cast, 993,704 (approximately 5%) were
  disqualified due to empty ballots or marking errors. In 2005, approximately 
  25.7 million Congolese registered as voters (out of an original estimate of 
  28 million eligible to do so). In the D.R.C.'s December 2005 constitutional 
  referendum, roughly two-thirds of all registered voters participated.       
                                                                       
  The D.R.C. legislature held its first session on September 22, 2006. On     
  February 26, 2007, Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga and the new Congolese     
  cabinet formally took office. In May 2007, Kengo wa Dongo was elected Senate
  President.                                                                  
                                                                       
  Principal Government Official                                               
  President--Joseph Kabila                                                    
                                                                       
  ECONOMY                                                                     
  Sparsely populated in relation to its area, the Democratic Republic of the  
  Congo is home to a vast potential of natural resources and mineral wealth.  
  Nevertheless, the D.R.C. is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 
  per capita annual income of about $98 in 2003. This is the result of years of
  mismanagement, corruption, and war.                                         
                                                                       
  In 2001, the Government of the D.R.C. under Joseph Kabila undertook a series
  of economic reforms to reverse this steep decline. Reforms were monitored by
  the IMF and included liberalization of petroleum prices and exchange rates  
  and adoption of disciplined fiscal and monetary policies. The reform program
  reduced inflation from over 500% per year in 2000 to only about 7% at an    
  annual rate in 2003. In June 2002, the World Bank and IMF approved new      
  credits for the D.R.C. for the first time in over a decade. Bilateral donors,
  whose assistance has been almost entirely dedicated to humanitarian         
  interventions in recent years, also are beginning to fund development       
  projects in the D.R.C. In October 2003, the World Bank launched a           
  multi-sector plan for development and reconstruction. The Paris Club also   
  granted the D.R.C. Highly Indebted Poor Country status in July 2003. This   
  will help alleviate the D.R.C.'s external sovereign debt burden and         
  potentially free funds for economic development.                            
                                                                       
  Agriculture is the mainstay of the Congolese economy, accounting for 56.3% of
  GDP in 2002. The main cash crops include coffee, palm oil, rubber, cotton,  
  sugar, tea, and cocoa. Food crops include cassava, plantains, maize,        
  groundnuts, and rice. Industry, especially the mining sector, is            
  underdeveloped relative to its potential in the D.R.C. In 2002, industry    
  accounted for only 18.8% of GDP, with only 3.9% attributed to manufacturing.
  Services reached 24.9% of GDP. The Congo was the world's fourth-largest     
  producer of industrial diamonds during the 1980s, and diamonds continue to  
  dominate exports, accounting for over half of exports ($642 million) in 2003.
  The Congo's main copper and cobalt interests are dominated by Gecamines, the
  state-owned mining giant. Gecamines production has been severely affected by
  corruption, civil unrest, world market trends, and failure to reinvest.     
                                                                       
  For decades, corruption and misguided policy have created a dual economy in 
  the D.R.C. Individuals and businesses in the formal sector operated with high
  costs under arbitrarily enforced laws. As a consequence, the informal sector
  now dominates the economy. In 2002, with the population of the D.R.C.       
  estimated at 56 million, only 230,000 Congolese working in private enterprise
  in the formal sector were enrolled in the social security system.           
  Approximately 600,000 Congolese were employed by the government.            
                                                                       
  In the past year, the Congolese Government has approved a new investment code
  and a new mining code and has designed a new commercial court. The goal of  
  these initiatives is to attract investment by promising fair and transparent
  treatment to private business. The World Bank also is supporting efforts to 
  restructure the D.R.C.'s large parastatal sector, including Gecamines, and to
  rehabilitate the D.R.C.'s neglected infrastructure, including the Inga Dam  
  hydroelectric system.                                                       
                                                                       
  The outbreak of war in the early days of August 1998 caused a major decline 
  in economic activity. Economic growth, however, resumed in 2002 with a 3%   
  growth rate continuing in 2003 at 5%. The country had been divided de facto 
  into different territories by the war, and commerce between the territories 
  had halted. With the installation of the transitional government in July    
  2003, the country has been "de jure" reunified, and economic and commercial 
  links have begun to reconnect.                                              
                                                                       
  In June 2000, the United Nations established a Panel of Experts on the      
  Illegal Exploitation of Congolese Resources to examine links between the war
  and economic exploitation. Reports issued by the panel indicate that        
  countries involved in the war in Congo have developed significant economic  
  interests. These interests may complicate efforts by the government to better
  control its natural resources and to reform the mining sector. A final panel
  report was issued in October 2003. The Panel of Experts mandate was not     
  renewed.                                                                    
                                                                       
  FOREIGN RELATIONS                                                           
  Its location in the center of Africa has made D.R.C. a key player in the    
  region since independence. Because of its size, mineral wealth, and strategic
  location, Zaire was able to capitalize on Cold War tensions to garner support
  from the West. In the early 1990s, however, in the face of growing evidence 
  of human rights abuses, Western support for the incumbent government waned as
  pressure for internal reform increased.                                     
                                                                       
  D.R.C.'s relations with neighboring countries have often been driven by     
  security concerns, leading to intricate and interlocking alliances. Domestic
  conflicts in the Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Angola, Rwanda, and
  Burundi have at various times created bilateral and regional tensions. The  
  current crisis in eastern D.R.C. has its roots both in the use of the Congo 
  as a base by various insurgency groups attacking neighboring countries and in
  the absence of a strong Congolese Government with a military capable of     
  securing Congo's borders. The war has been exacerbated and prolonged by the 
  exploitation of Congo's resources by neighboring countries. Although 2003 and
  early 2004 saw a number of improvements in regional relations, mid-to-late  
  2004 was marked by increased tension between the D.R.C. and Rwanda.         
                                                                       
  U.S.-CONGOLESE RELATIONS                                                    
  Its dominant position in Central Africa makes stability in the D.R.C. an    
  important element of overall stability in the region. In December 2006, the 
  D.R.C. inaugurated its first democratically elected president in over 40    
  years, the culmination of the Congolese people's efforts to choose their    
  leaders through a peaceful, democratic process. The United States is proud to
  have played a role in the peace process in the D.R.C., and encourages peace,
  prosperity, democracy, and respect for human rights in the D.R.C.           
                                                                       
  The United States remains a partner with the D.R.C. and other central African
  nations in their quest for stability and growth on the continent, and       
  facilitated the signing of a tripartite agreement on regional security in the
  Great Lakes region between the D.R.C., Rwanda, and Uganda in October 2004.  
  Burundi formally joined the Tripartite Commission in September 2005, and the
  Tripartite Commission is now Tripartite Plus. The United States also strongly
  supported U.N. efforts to create a Joint Verification Mechanism to monitor  
  the border between the D.R.C. and Rwanda. From the start of the Congo crisis,
  the United States has pursued an active diplomatic strategy in support of   
  these objectives. In the long term, the United States seeks to strengthen the
  process of internal reconciliation and democratization within all the states
  of the region to promote stable, developing, and democratic nations with    
  which it can work to address security interests on the continent and with   
  which it can develop mutually beneficial economic relations.                
                                                                       
  The United States appointed its current ambassador to the D.R.C. in 2004. The
  D.R.C. appointed its current ambassador to the United States in 2000. The   
  Congo has been on the State Department's travel advisory list since 1977.   
                                                                       
  Principal U.S. Officials                                                    
  Ambassador--Roger Meece                                                     
  Deputy Chief of Mission--Thomas Dougherty                                   
                                                                       
  The U.S. Embassy is located at 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa (tel.     
  243-81-2255872; fax 243-81-3010561). Mailing address is American Embassy    
  Kinshasa, Box 31550, APO AE 09828.                                          
                                                                       
  TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION                                             
  The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans
  traveling and residing abroad through Consular Information Sheets, Public   
  Announcements, and Travel Warnings. Consular Information Sheets exist for all
  countries and include information on entry and exit requirements, currency  
  regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political       
  disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.
  Public Announcements are issued to disseminate information quickly about    
  terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that  
  pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings
  are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel 
  to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable.        
                                                                       
  For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad  
  should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet
  web site at http://www.travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution,
  Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings can be found. Consular Affairs    
  Publications, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a
  safe trip abroad, are also available at http://www.travel.state.gov. For    
  additional information on international travel, see http://www.usa.gov/     
  Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.                                  
                                                                       
  The Department of State encourages all U.S citizens who traveling or residing
  abroad to register via the State Department's travel registration website or
  at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Registration will make your
  presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an 
  emergency and will enable you to receive up-to-date information on security 
  conditions.                                                                 
                                                                       
  Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained 
  by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular   
  toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada.           
                                                                       
  The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of   
  State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport         
  information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer service   
  representatives and operators for TDD/TTY are available Monday-Friday, 7:00 
  a.m. to 12:00 midnight, Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.           
                                                                       
  Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for 
  Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP
  (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the
  most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements,
  and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A   
  booklet entitled "Health Information for International Travel" (HHS         
  publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government       
  Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.                 
                                                                       
  Further Electronic Information                                              
  Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://          
  www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global     
  access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background    
  Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of 
  Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)
  provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies  
  working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov                      
                                                                       
  Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market    
  information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free
  export counseling, help with the export process, and more.                  
  STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides   
  authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from  
  the Federal government. The site includes current and historical            
  trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, 
  and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank.   

 

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