Democratic Republic Of Congo

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. ... [Read More]

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

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U.S. Department of State, Human Rights Reports for 1999

In April two refugees from the neighboring Republic of Congo disappeared from ANR detention facilities in Kinshasa. Both Congolese--Bernard Ntandou, former police commander of the Point Noire military district, and Jean Mpalabouna, a follower of B. Kolelas--were affiliated with organizations involved in armed opposition to the Government of the Republic of Congo. On May 25, two representatives from a human rights NGO visited the ANR prison in an attempt to determine their whereabouts. ANR security agents refused to answer any questions and threatened them with arrest (see Section 4). ... [Read More]

Conflict in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo

We share Rwanda’s concern about the threat posed to Rwanda’s security, and that of the Congo and Uganda, by armed groups in eastern Congo. For several months the United States has facilitated regular meetings at the ministerial level between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda to resolve their differences. That process will continue in coming days with consultations in Kigali and Kinshasa. We have also strongly supported the efforts of the United Nations to create a Joint Verification Mechanism to monitor the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. We urge both countries to apply the principles of the agreements they have signed and use tools created therein, particularly the Joint Verification Mechanism and other diplomatic means, to resolve the current crisis. ... [Read More]

Congo-Kinshasa

June 24, 2005 This Travel Warning for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) reiterates the Department of State’s warning to U.S. citizens against traveling there in light of recent unrest and the potential for more unrest in the near future.  This Travel Warning supersedes that of March 30, 2005. The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Despite efforts to advance the peace process following t ... [Read More]

Congo-Kinshasa

This Travel Warning for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) is being issued to update security information and registration requirements, and to note the Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens against travel to the country. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning issued August 19,2004. ...

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against travel to Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite efforts to advance the peace process following the 2003 formation of a transitional government, there has been periodic fighting in North and South Kivu and other areas of eastern Congo. Wide-scale civil unrest occurred in May and June 2004; rioting and looting took place in many cities, including the capital Kinshasa, resulting in United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeper and civilian casualties. Likewise, demonstrations in several areas of Kinshasa in January 2005 resulted in civilian and police casualties. The challenges of implementing national elections scheduled for 2005 raise the possibility of further civil disturbances over the next several months. ... [Read More]

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

The Democratic Republic of the Congo remained divided into territories controlled by the Government and several rebel factions. On January 16, President Laurent Desire Kabila, whose Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL) overthrew the authoritarian regime of Mobutu Sese Seko by armed force in 1997, was assassinated by one of his guards. On January 26, the Government installed his son Joseph Kabila as president. Joseph Kabila ruled by decree, and the Government continued to operate without a constitution. The State continued to be highly centralized formally, although in practice the country's dilapidated transportation and communications infrastructure impaired central government control. On May 17, the Government adopted a law liberalizing political activity; however, the Government continued to restrict political activity in practice. The judiciary continued to be subject to executive influence and corruption. ... [Read More]

Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo Apprehends Genocide Indictee

The United States commends the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the capture of Yusuf Munyakazi and his transfer to the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania.  Munyakazi is indicted for genocide for his alleged role as a leader of the Hutu extremist Interahamwe responsible for killing tens of thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda’s Cyangugu prefecture during the genocide in 1994.    [Read More]