DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
A country in Central Africa (from 1971 to 1997 - the Republic of Zaire), washed by the Atlantic Ocean for 40 km. Area - 2,345,000 km². Capital - Kinshasa (about 8 million, 2005), largest cities: Lubumbashi (over 1 million), Mbuji-Mayi (about 1 million), Kolwezi (650,000). Administratively, the country is divided into 11 provinces. Population - 60.9 million (2005). There are over 300 tribes and ethnic groups in the country. About 30% of the population lives in large cities (over 100,000). The official language is French, while the most commonly used local languages are Lingala, Swahili, Chiluba, and Kikongo. The predominant religion among the population is Christianity, with about 40% of believers being Catholics, 14% Protestants, 12% Kimbanguists (an Afro-Christian religious movement), and the rest adhering to traditional animistic beliefs.
The currency is the Congolese franc (since July 1, 1998).
It has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR on July 7, 1960).
National holiday - June 30 - Independence Day (1960).
The current state structure of the DRC is defined by the transitional constitution adopted in December 2002.
The main goals of the transitional period are declared to be the reunification of the country, ensuring peace, national reconciliation, the creation of a unified national army, and the organization of free and transparent elections at all levels, which will allow the establishment of a democratic constitutional regime.
The institutions of the transitional period are the president, government, National Assembly, Senate, and courts.
The president of the republic, J. Kabila, is considered the head of state. He is also the commander-in-chief of the integrated armed forces of the DRC.
The government formed in June 2003 is of a coalition nature. Its composition includes representatives from the presidential side, military-political associations, political parties, and public organizations that are participants in the transitional agreement, in accordance with previously established quotas and the distribution of ministerial posts.
The president of the country heads the government.
Early feudal states on the territory of Zaire formed in the 14th century. In the late 15th century, the Portuguese appeared here, and in the late 19th century, the Belgians (from 1885 to 1908 - the personal possession of Belgian King Leopold II - "Independent State of the Congo"). In 1908, the Congo was declared a colony of Belgium. Under pressure from the national liberation movement, the Belgian authorities granted independence to the Congo on June 30, 1960. The first legitimate government of the country was headed by Patrice Lumumba. In September 1960, this government was removed from power by internal reaction forces with the support of foreign states, and Patrice Lumumba was killed in January 1961.
Subsequently, the regimes of J. Ileo, S. Adoula, and M. Tshombe changed in power. In November 1965, as a result of a military coup, General Mobutu came to power, later becoming president. Over time, the ruling regime acquired an authoritarian, dictatorial character. In the following years, there was a sharp deterioration in the internal political situation in Zaire, based on a deep financial and economic crisis. All this contributed to the consolidation of opposition forces against the regime, the growth of anti-government protests, which manifested in campaigns of civil disobedience, mass riots, and pogroms.
In April 1990, Mobutu was forced to abandon the one-party system, announced his resignation as chairman of the People's Movement for Revolution (MPR), and agreed to hold a sovereign national conference, which essentially became the main institution in the political structure of the country during the first transitional period, which lasted for 7 years. During this time, as a result of an agreement between the presidential bloc of parties and the opposition, a temporary constitutional act came into effect in April 1994, redistributing the functions of state power in favor of the Supreme Council of the Republic - the transitional parliament and the government subordinate to it; Mobutu remained president until new elections.
The confrontation between various branches of power, conflicts between the unarmed internal opposition and the Mobutist camp, which retained control over the state's power structures, the sharp aggravation of the military-political and interethnic situation in the Great Lakes region, and Mobutu's sudden illness led to further political destabilization in Zaire and its complete economic collapse. In these conditions, in October 1996, an armed uprising of opposition forces against the government occurred in the country under the aegis of the Alliance of Democratic Forces for Liberation (AFDL), demanding Mobutu's immediate departure from power. The government army was unable to cope with this movement. On May 17, 1997, AFDL troops entered Kinshasa, and Mobutu fled the country (he soon died in Morocco).
With the beginning of L. D. Kabila's rule (May 1997), interethnic and clan contradictions in the DRC escalated into open armed conflict. The government faced two major military-political associations: the "Congolese Rally for Democracy" (RCD) and the "Movement for the Liberation of Congo" (RCD/Goma). The country was divided into three zones.
After the assassination of L. D. Kabila in a conspiracy on January 26, 2001, his son, General J. Kabila, was appointed president of the country.
The civil war in the DRC lasted until 2002 and is estimated to have claimed the lives of 3 million people. The mediation of the UN, the African Union, and South Africa played an important role in ending this war. In December 2002, in Pretoria, participants in the inter-Congolese dialogue signed a Comprehensive Agreement on the Transitional Period in the country (2002-2005), after which free democratic parliamentary and presidential elections were to be held in the DRC (postponed to 2006).
The DRC is a member of the UN (since 1960), the African Union (since 2002 - AU) (since 1963).
The DRC is an agrarian country with a developed mining industry and non-ferrous metallurgy. In the structure of GDP, the leading positions are occupied by agriculture and forestry (30%), mining and non-ferrous metallurgy (26.9%), trade and services (33.9%). 13% of the economically active population is employed in industry, and 11% in the service sector.
The subsoil is rich in minerals. There are large deposits of cobalt, diamonds, copper, tin, zinc, manganese, uranium, tungsten, and iron ore. The DRC is the largest supplier of cobalt to world markets (70% of world production) and technical diamonds (30% of world extraction). Diamond mining is the leading sector of the DRC's economy. Diamonds are mined both industrially and by artisanal methods, with the volumes of raw materials extracted by artisanal miners typically being several times higher. Belgium remains the main buyer of diamonds (80%).
The government's policy is aimed at encouraging foreign investment and national private entrepreneurship with a regulatory role for the state. In the economy, primarily in the mining industry and non-ferrous metallurgy, leading roles are played by companies from Belgium, the USA, England, France, Canada, and South Africa.
Agriculture is at a low level of development and does not fully meet the population's needs for food. 76% of the economically active population is employed in agriculture.
Waterways - 16,000 km, railways - 5,138 km, total length of the road network - 145,000 km, including 2,400 km paved. The roads are significantly worn out. The sea ports are Matadi and Boma. International airports are in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi.
The external debt is $14 billion. According to the Human Development Index (according to UNDP classification, 2004), out of 177 countries, the DRC ranks 168th. GDP per capita in 2004 was $90, placing the DRC among the poorest countries in the world. Maternal and child mortality rates are high, and the overwhelming majority of the population lacks access to medical care, primary, and secondary education.
The humanitarian situation in the DRC is also complex. The number of refugees and internally displaced persons in the country due to the civil war (1997-2002) is about 3 million people. Their return to their homeland creates additional hotspots of tension related to a lack of transportation, food supplies, and medications. Repatriation often leads to conflicts caused by resistance from the local population.
Primary education is free. There are three universities - in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and Kisangani; several research institutions - institutes of tropical medicine, geography, etc., all located in Kinshasa.
Radio and television: 9 government radio stations in major cities, 1 television station in the capital. With the introduction of multipartyism, over 50 newspapers and magazines are published in Kinshasa, and several private television channels operate. Among the largest printed publications are the newspapers "Potentiel," "FAR," "Référence Plus," "Soft," "Forum," "Palmarès," "Avenir," "Salon," and others. The DRC has a news agency "Congo Press," which publishes a daily bulletin.