THE GEOGRAPHY (Foreign Office UK)
Area: 2,345,410 sq km
Population: 51,964,999
Capital City: Kinshasa (4,295,340)
People: Over 200 African ethnic groups
of which the majority are Bantu; the
four largest tribes û Mongo, Luba,
Kongo (all Bantu), and the
Mangbtu-Azande (Hamitic) make up
about 45% of the population.
Language(s): French (official), Lingala
(a lingua franca trade language),
Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or
Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba.
Religion(s): Roman Catholic 50%,
Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%,
Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and
indigenous beliefs 10%.
Currency: 1 Congolese franc = 100
centimes
Major political parties: Democratic
Social Christian Party or PDSC,
Popular Movement of the Revolution or
MPR, Unified Lumumbast Party or
PALU, Union of Federalist and
Independent Republicans or UFERI
Government: Non-elected
GEOGRAPHY
The Democratic of the Congo (DRC),
lies on the equator and has borders
with the Republic of Congo, the Central
African Republic, Sudan, Uganda,
Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia and
Angola, and has a small coastline on the
Atlantic. The central region has an
equatorial climate with high
temperatures and heavy rainfall, with
different climatic cycles in the
northern and southern regions. French
is the official language and Christianity
the majority religion.
THE HISTORY (Foreign Office UK)
Recent History
DRC (formerly Zaire) gained
independence from Belgium in June
1960. Following a period of political
instability, General Mobutu, the Chief
of the Army, came to power in an
army coup in 1965. President MobutuÆs
regime was largely unchallenged
throughout the 1970s and 1980s,
although secessionist revolts took place
in Katanga (Shaba) in 1977 and 1978.
President Mobutu, who bolstered his
position by promoting members of his
own tribe into positions of power and
by dividing or co-opting opponents,
presided over wide-scale corruption
and built up a massive personal
fortune. By the end of the 1980Æs
President Mobutu was under increasing
pressure to democratise. The process
towards establishing a multi-party
system was marked by divisions within
the political class and army revolts
(1991 and 1993). Elections were
eventually scheduled for July 1995, but
were postponed. After the 1994
Rwanda genocide, President Mobutu
gave sanctuary and support to Hutu
refugees, members of the former
Rwandan Government Army (FAR).
This exacerbated long-standing ethnic
tensions with Tutsi inhabitants
(Banyamulenge) in the east of the
country.
In October 1996 the Banyamulenge, led
by Laurent Kabila, and other rebel
groups formed the Alliance of
Democratic Forces for the Liberation
of Congo-Zaire (AFDL) and rose in
revolt. The AFDL made dramatic gains
against a demoralised Zairean army.
They entered Kinshasa on 17 May.
Laurent Kabila declared himself
President. Mobutu fled to Morocco
where he subsequently died.
Laurent KabilaÆs forces had worked
closely with Rwanda and Uganda, but
relations deteriorated by mid-1998. In
late July 1998 all foreign troops were
given a week to leave. Congolese
rebels, supported by Rwanda and
Uganda, seized major towns in the east
in early August. Zimbabwe, Angola,
Namibia and Chad intervened at
President KabilaÆs request. Chad
withdrew its forces in late May 1999.
By then, the rebels controlled large
areas in the north and east.
Africa led efforts to find a negotiated
settlement, with President Chiluba of
Zambia chairing a series of summits
under the auspices of the Southern
African Development Community
(SADC). A cease-fire agreement was
signed in autumn 1999. Until January
2001 there was little progress.
However, Joseph Kabila has presented
a more measured and conciliatory
approach, making positive commitments
to implement the Agreement.
Africa led efforts to find a negotiated
settlement, with President Chiluba of
Zambia chairing a series of summits
under the auspices of the Southern
African Development Community
(SADC). The Lusaka cease-fire
agreement was signed in autumn 1999.
Setting out a framework for
independently facilitated national
dialogue and reconciliation. This
Inter-Congolese dialogue was intended
to lay the foundations for free,
democratic and transparent elections
and the drawing up of a new
constitution.
On 16 January 2001 President Laurent
Kabila was shot and killed by one of his
bodyguards. His son, Joseph Kabila,
was sworn in as the new President on
26 January 2001. He undertook to
implement the Lusaka agreement, open
up internal politics, improve human
rights, and liberalise the economy.
The UN deployed a 90-strong military
liaison mission in September 1999. An
expanded (5,537-strong) observer
mission was authorised in February
2000. But conditions in DRC (lack of
security, freedom of movement,
co-operation by the parties) made
deployment impossible. Following a
review of the UN operation, a new plan
to verify and monitor the
disengagement of conventional forces
under the Lusaka agreement was
authorised in February 2001. The UN
force (MONUC) compromises 550
military observers and up to 8,700
military personnel.
Britain has played a leading role in
leading international efforts to resolve
the crisis, intervening directly with all
the regional states involved. The UK
has provided 6 officers to the UN
mission; ú160,000 in support of the
Joint Military Commission set up under
the Lusaka Agreement to monitor the
implementation; over ú320,000 for the
Inter-Congolese Dialogue, and an
expert to work with the Facilitator of
these talks.
THE ECONOMY (Foreign Office UK)
Basic Economic Facts (all figures are
2001 estimates)
GDP: franc congolais (bn) 1,376
GDP Growth: -4.0%
Inflation: 358%
Major Exports: Diamonds, crude oil,
cobalt, copper
Major Trading Partners: Exports û
Belgium (61.1%), US (17.4%), Finland
(6.1%). Imports û South Africa (21.2%),
Belgium (15.7%), Nigeria (10.4%).
Exchange Rate: Franc Congolais 340 =
US$1 (Feb 2002)
Trade Partners UK Country Profile:
Democratic Republic of Congo
The already precarious economy was
in a parlous state by mid-1998.
Notwithstanding the Central BankÆs
tight monetary policy, and the smooth
introduction of new Franc Congolais in
June 1998, the authoritiesÆ fiscal plans
were highly optimistic. Revenue
shortfalls and increased spending on
æemergency security measuresÆ
were by mid-year already creating
doubts about the sustainability of
macroeconomic policies. The new
Franc Congolais depreciated some 60%
(from 1.38$ to 2.2/$) in the two
months following its launch and has
continued to depreciate since.
In January 2001 the new government
announced a comprehensive change in
economic policies. These policies
include freeing up the currency to end
the parallel system of official and black
market rates; lifting foreign exchange
restrictions and ending the monopoly
on diamond export sales. The
Government has also produced an
Interim Economic Adjustment
Programme (IEAP) backed by the
World Bank and the IMF.
There are signs that some of these
measures are beginning to work. The
Congolese franc is stronger and some
prices have dropped in the capital.
Flags Of The World: Republic of The Congo
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