| 
The
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo/Kinshasa) is a Central Africa'
state, straddling the Equator, northeast of Angola
One of the largest
territory in Africa: 2,345,410 sq. km (land: 2,267,600 sq. km water: 77,810
sq. km) Its boundaries totaling: 10,744 km
Bordering
countries: Angola over 2,511 km,
Burundi over 233 km, Central African
Republic (CAR) over 1,577 km, Republic
of the Congo over 2,410 km, Rwanda
over 217 km, Sudan over 628 km, Tanzania
over 473 km, Uganda over 765 km, Zambia
over 1,930 km.
Coastline: 37 km on the Atlantic Ocean.
Natural
resources: cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds,
gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron
ore, coal, hydropower, timber
Agriculture productions:
coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava, palm oil, bananas, root
crops, corn, fruits; wood products
Industrial productions:
mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes,
processed foods and beverages), cement, diamonds Industrial production growth
rate: NA%
Population: 56,625,039 (July 2003
est.) Population growth rate: 3.15% (2000): 2.9%
(2003 est.)
Capital: Kinshasa
Independence from Belgium: June 30, 1960
National
holiday: anniversary of independence June 30
Constitution:
June 24,1967, amended August 1974, revised February 15, 1978 amended April 1990;
transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994; in November 1998, a draft
constitution was approved by President KABILA and awaits ratification by national
referendum
The Democratic Republic of the Congo could be characterized
in one sentence: The wealthy and sleeping giant of Africa.
This is a country endowed with formidable natural
resources, which is struggling, since the independence day, to survive; because
of the mismanagement and greed exercised by its political rulers over four decades.
A short history's recount is necessary to understand the present political
and economical situation of the country.
The political national life
of independent Congo was biased from the inception of the nation. In 1960, Belgium,
the colonial power, in order to avoid a long and painful disengagement from its
"milking cow" colony, hastily handed the independence to the very few
(in number) highly educated Congolese; to immediately start meddling with the
new state's internal affairs.
The Belgian authorities (Click
here for King Leopold's Ghost), backed by the CIA - the world was in
the so called "cold war" period - succeeded in eliminating Patrice Lumumba
(click
here for more on the movie on the Assassination of Lumumba) - the then
prime minister of Congo; a preeminent and radical member of the Congolese negotiators
during the independence talks held on April-May 1960 at Brussels. They supported
the rise to power of Joseph Desire Mobutu who finally seized the state power by
a coup on November 24, 1965. Click
here for Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo.
Mobutu embarked on a nationalistic policy (in 1970) carved into the "Zairinization"
concept. The three "Z" were established: 1- Congo becomes Zaire;
2- River Congo name was changed to river Zaire; 3- The currency - Franc Congolais
- to Zaire. Joseph Desire Mobutu himself dropped his Christian surnames and became
Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga.
Many small
businesses, owned by foreigners, were nationalized; given overnight to new Zairian
"proprietors". Within one year, most of them were already bankrupted.
In 1991, the economy was in such a bad state that Mobutu was forced
to accept a multiparty democracy. From 1991 to 1997 hundred of political parties
were bickering and fighting in a never ending forum: the "Conference Nationale".
Beginning of 1997, Mobutu was dying from cancer. The political system he cunningly
imposed to Zairians was also moribund. A 30-year's opponent - Laurent Desire KABILA
- backed by Uganda's Museveni
and Rwanda's Kagame - launched
a sweeping four months' campaign (February - May 1997) which forced Mobutu into
exile on May 16, 1997.
From that date Laurent Desire Kabila took over
the government of the country and Zaire was renamed Democratic Republic of
the Congo. Around mid 1998, Kabila's relationship with Museveni and Kagame
severely deteriorated. These countries become then the sponsors of rebels groups
that challenged Congo's central government in the East, and Northeast of the country.
Laurent Desire Kabila was assassinated on January 17, 2001
On
January 26, 2001 his son, Joseph Kabila - in his early 30 - was sworn in as state
president by the Supreme Court.
November 15, 2006: Joseph Kabila declared winner of the presidential ballot
 On
November 15, 2006, the Independent Electoral Commission declared incumbent Joseph Kabila the winder of the country's first elections in nearly 50 years.
It gave Kabila 58 percent of votes to Bemba's 42 percent.
A coalition of about 50 parties supporting Bemba claim he won with 52 percent of votes, charging the commission had cheated in the vote count, and that votes it had published did not correspond with votes counted at ballot stations.
International observers say that would be near impossible and election commission officials say their count was honest.
Looking at the picture above (courtesy of bbc.co.uk), one notices that the country is split into two "blocks": Bemba harvesting the "majority votes in the West and Kabila doing the same at the East of the country. The divide line is neat and clear, which might lead to some troubles in the future.
Kabila has an up-hill battle ahead to reviving the economy
However, Congolese people are tired of war and sterile political disputes. They are eager for a change to the existing disastrous economic situation and would certainly give a chance to Kabila and his government to prove that they can conduct the necessary economic changes.
Indeed, the war (1998-2002) claimed an estimated three million lives, either as a direct
result of fighting or because of disease and malnutrition.
It had had a heavy disastrous impact on the global economy as fighting was
fueled by the country's vast mineral wealth, with all sides taking
advantage of the anarchy to plunder natural resources.
Further, since mid 1970s (the height of the Mobutu's era), the country's infrastructure (roads, bridges, schools and universities compounds; etc.;) is in a shocking state of decay.
The new elected regime has an uphill battle ahead to reconstruct everything
from the start. And its longevity (survival) would depend on the quickness
it shows improving the standard of living, which at the current time, is one
of the lowest in Africa.
Watch video below (courtesy
of New York Times) to have
an idea of the political situation three months after the elections:
Click
here for updated news about the Democratic Republic of the Congo
TOP
|
- THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO 
.-
