Foreign relations of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(November 2013)
Democratic Republic of Congo (abbreviated as DRC) formerly known as Zaire is a country located in central Africa. Its the second largest country in Africa and 11th in the world.
Its location in the center of Africa has made the Democratic Republic of the Congo (at one time known as Zaire) 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, with the end of the Cold War and in the face of growing evidence of human rights abuses, Western support waned as pressure for internal reform increased.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the grip of a civil war that has drawn in military forces from neighboring states, with Ugandan, Burundian, and Rwandan forces helping the rebel movement which occupies much of the eastern portion of the state.
One problem is the continuing theft of mineral resources, such as coltan, by occupying forces. One estimate has the Rwandan army making $350 million in 48 months from the sale of coltan, even though Rwanda has no coltan deposits[citation needed]. Not only can the DRC not make any money from its mineral wealth, due to its inability to tax anything in rebel-held areas, but the wealth is also used itself to finance insurgent activities.
Furthermore, relations with surrounding countries have often been driven by security concerns. Intricate and interlocking alliances have often characterized regional relations. Conflicts in Sudan, Uganda, Angola, Rwanda, and Burundi have at various times created bilateral and regional tensions. The current crisis in DRC 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 broad-based political system in the Congo.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is also a member of the International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the U.S.-military (as covered under Article 98).
Disputes – international
Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the grip of a civil war that has drawn in military forces from neighboring states, with Uganda and Rwanda supporting the rebel movements that occupy much of the eastern portion of the state – Tutsi, Hutu, Lendu, Hema and other conflicting ethnic groups, political rebels, and various government forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda – heads of the Great Lakes states pledge to end conflict, but localized violence continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts; most of the Congo River boundary with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area).
The DRC has some illicit production of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption. While rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leaves the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center.
Diplomatic relations
List of Countries which the Democratic Republic of the Congo maintains diplomatic relations with:
Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1961 when has been accredited Mr. Paul Fabo as Charge d'Affaires of Dahomey to Leopoldville (Kinshasa) (1961-1963) and later ambassador to DRC (Zaire) (1963-1973).[26]
Rwandan PresidentPaul Kagame met with the Democratic Republic of the Congo's President Joseph Kabila in Goma on 6 August 2009.[134] It was the first presidential meeting between the two countries for 13 years,[135] with the two countries having come to a disagreement in 1996 following an invasion by Rwanda into eastern Congo, a disagreement which was renewed in 1998 after a further invasion.[134] The pair of presidents spent more than two hours in the company of each other and "reviewed all issues of common interest".[134] Kabila referred to it as "the first giant step forward" in what was referred to as an "all new era".[135] One month previous to the meeting both countries had appointed ambassadors to each other's capitals.[134][135]
In August 2013, Rwanda accused Congolese forces of persistently shelling Congo's territory after a flare-up of fighting in the eastern Congo.[136]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 30 May 1964 when Andrew Tibandebage is appointed as Ambassador of Tanganyika to Congo (Leopoldville)[39]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 14 July 1970 when Congo-Kinshasa's first Ambassador to Togo, Mr. Kondo Belan, presented his credentials to Head of State Etienne Eyadema.[61]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on Zambia's independence 24 October 1964, when Democratic Republic of the Congo has raised its consulate-general in Lusaka to embassy level, and consul Mabita has been promoted to chargé d'affaires[40]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 June 1962[28] Canada and the D.R. Congo share full membership in Francophonie. Canada was the D.R. Congo's ninth-largest country donor of official development assistance over 1960–2009, disbursing a total of US$0.89 billion in constant 2008 US dollars, or 2.4% of DRC's total bilateral aid receipts.[138] In 2009, Cdn.$3.3 billion in assets were held by thirteen large-scale and junior Canadian mining companies in the DRC, a ten-fold increase from 2001.[139]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 30 June 1960[10]
The United States appointed its current ambassador to the D.R.C. in 2007. 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.
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 31 April 1984[98]
In December 2021, President Luis Lacalle Pou paid a visit to Bukavu and Goma and visited with Uruguayan soldiers stationed there as part of MONUSCO in Eastern DR Congo.[143]
DR Congo is accredited to Uruguay from its embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Uruguay is accredited to the DR Congo from its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa.
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 November 1972[68]
China is a large investor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, primarily in the secondary (manufacturing) and primary (resource extraction) markets.
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 July 1960 when establishment of the Belgian diplomatic mission in Leopoldville and Jean Van den Bosch becomes the Belgian ambassador.[12]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 June 1966 when Ambassador of Democratic Republic of Congo to Greece M. Joseph Kahamba , presented his credentials to King Constantin.[49]
Both countries are full members of Francophonie. In July 2009, the Greek government pledged US$500,000 through the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for humanitarian assistance to Congo.[150]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 21 July 1960 when accredited first Ambassador of Italy to Congo (Leopoldville) Mr. Pietro Franca[16]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 7 July 1960 when Mr. Ian Dixon Scott, Consul-General of United Kingdom in Leopoldville has been appointed as the first British Ambassador to the Congo-Leopoldville.[15]
^ abYitzhak Oron (1960). Middle East Record Volume 1, 1960 Volume 1. Published for The Israel Oriental Society, The Reuven Shiloah Research Center by George Weidenfeld & Nicolson Limited. p. 27. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
^Israel Government Year Book. Central Office of Information, Prime Minister's Office. 1960. p. 222. Independence once declared on 30 June , an embassy was established with Mr. Ehud Avriel as the first Ambassador.
^W. Scott Thompson (1969). Ghana's foreign policy, 1957-1966; diplomacy, ideology, and the new state. Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press. p. 445.
^Yitzhak Oron (1960). Middle East Record Volume 1, 1960 Volume 1. Published for The Israel Oriental Society, The Reuven Shiloah Research Center by George Weidenfeld & Nicolson Limited. p. 34.
^ abMohammed Mahafoozur Rahman (1969). The Politics of Non-alignment. Associated Publishing House. p. 195.
^Études congolaises Volume 2 (in French). Institut politique congolais. 1962. p. 55. 23 novembre ... - M. Alioune Diakite , ambassadeur du Mali , présente ses lettres de créan- ces au Président Kasa - Vubu.
^Congo (in French). Centre de recherche et d'information socio-politiques. 1961. p. 624. 23 novembre ... Alioune Diakite , ambassadeur du Mali , présente ses lettres de créance au président Kasa - Vubu .
^ abMathurin C. Houngnikpo, Samuel Decalo (2013). Historical Dictionary of Benin. Scarecrow Press. p. 161.
^Europe, France outremer Issues 405-416 (in French). 1963. p. 51. Congo ( Léopoldville ) : Ambassadeur : M. Gilles Bimazubute
^Études congolaises Volume 4 (in French). Institut politiques congolais and Center de recheret d'information socio-politiques. 1963. p. 61. Arrivée à Léopoldville du premier ambassadeur d'Ethiopie, le major-général Jacob Guebre Lioul
^Documents diplomatiques français (in French). P.I.E.-Peter Lang. 17 February 2006. p. 66. ... Le 5 novembre, un communiqué des ministres des Affaires étrangères, réunis à Brazzaville, annonce que les deux pays ont décidé l'établissement de relations diplomatiques au niveau d'ambassade.
^Marchés tropicaux et méditerranéens Volume 21 (in French). 1965. p. 2890. Des relations diplomatiques vont être établies avec Léopoldville
^Documents Diplomatiques Français 1966 - Tome II (1er Juin - 31 Décembre) (in French). P.I.E. - Peter Lang SA Éditions Scientifiques Internationales. 24 November 2006. p. 882.
^ abAnnée africaine (in French). Éditions A. Pedone. 1966. p. 237.
^Documentos de política externa Volumes 1-4 (in Portuguese). Brazil. Ministério das Relações Exteriores, Brazil. Secretaria Geral Adjunta para o Planejamento Político. 1967. p. 23. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
^Année politique au Congo (in French). Office national de la recherche et du développement. 1970. p. 220.
^McDonald, Gordon C. (1971). Area Handbook for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo Kinshasa). Vol. 809–818. United States. Joint Publications Research Service. p. 261.
^Afrique d'expression franc̜aise et Madagascar Volumes 477-487 (in French). Société nouvelle des Editions France Outremer S.A. 1969. p. 63. CONGO-KINSHASA ... Premier Ambassadeur au Niger, résidant à Abidjan : M. Théodore Kondo Belan
^Africa Research Bulletin. Blackwell. 1970. p. 1636.
^Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs Volume 51 (in German). Österreichisches Staatsarchiv. 2004. p. 63. XV. Kongo Kinshasa ( ex Leopoldville ) ÖB - errichtet durch MR - Beschluss vom 24. Juli 1972 ...
^Asian Almanac. V.T. Sambandan. 1972. ISSN0004-4520. Cambodia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo agreed to establish diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level on October 5{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^"DPRK Diplomatic Relations"(PDF). NCNK (The National Committee on North Korea). August 2016. p. 4. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
^D.G. Lavroff (1973). L'Afrique dans le monde (in French). Editions A. Pedone. p. 651. 25-28 janvier. — Séjour officiel en Somalie du président zairois Mobutu Sese Seko. Les deux chefs d'Etat décident d'établir des relations diplomatiques au niveau des ambassades ...
^West Africa - Volume 29, Part 1. Afrimedia International. 1975. p. 85.
^"Diplomatic and Consular List"(PDF). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia. March 2020. p. 5. Archived from the original(PDF) on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
^Africa Contemporary Record: Annual Survey and Documents · Volume 11. Africana Publishing Company. 1980. p. 966. Swaziland ... when the Zaire ambassador , Bande Larity , presented his credentials in June 1978 ...
^ abTranslations on People's Republic of China - Issues 448-458 - Page 31. Joint Publications Research Service. August 1978.
^Documentos de política externa Volumes 1-4 (in Portuguese). Brazil. Ministério das Relações Exteriores, Brazil. Secretaria Geral Adjunta para o Planejamento Político. 1967. p. 23. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
^Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. "Aggregate Aid Statistics: ODA by recipient by country", OECD International Development Statistics (database). doi:10.1787/data-00061-en (accessed March 12, 2011).
^Miron, Michel. 2010. "Africa: Cumulative Canadian Mining Assets" (calculated at acquisition, construction or fabricating costs, and includes capitalized exploration and development costs, non-controlling interests, and excludes liquid assets, cumulative depreciation, and write-off), Minerals and Metals Sector, Department of Natural Resources Canada, internal document.