The church owns and manages an extensive network of hospitals, schools, and clinics, as well as many diocesan economic enterprises, including farms, ranches, stores, and artisans' shops. ), urban population: 67.8% of total population (2020)rate of urbanization: 3.28% annual rate of change (2015-20 est. Natural gas is increasingly being converted to electricity rather than being flared, greatly improving energy prospects. The Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) consist of about 144,000 personnel, the majority of whom are part of the land forces, also with a small air force and an even smaller navy. The Republic of Congo is a member of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). The tragic history of colonialism and war lead the Congolese people to settle in a place of complacency, accepting the culture that was forced upon them by Belgium. [citation needed] The two rebel movements, along with Rwandan and Ugandan troops, started the Second Congo War by attacking the DRC army in 1998. [3], At the time of independence, the country was named the Republic of Congo-Léopoldville to distinguish it from its neighbour the Republic of the Congo-Brazzaville. Colonial administrators ruled the territory and a dual legal system existed (a system of European courts and another one of indigenous courts, tribunaux indigènes). Four years later the first local administrative council was elected. The Republic of the Congo’s economy is a mixture of subsistence farming, an industrial sector based largely on oil and support services, and government spending. By late 1967 Mobutu had successfully neutralized his political opponents and rivals, either through co-opting them into his regime, arresting them, or rendering them otherwise politically impotent. It is, by area, the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa, the second-largest in all of Africa (after Algeria), and the 11th-largest in the world. [citation needed]. -3.1% (2017 est. We'd go to an intermediary and tell him to get five million. [60] On 5 November 2013, M23 declared an end to its insurgency. The development of metal tools during this time period revolutionized agriculture. On 10 January 2019, the electoral commission announced opposition candidate Félix Tshisekedi as the winner of the presidential vote. The terrain and climate of the Congo Basin present serious barriers to road and rail construction, and the distances are enormous across this vast country. Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict, lack of infrastructure, and the difficult operating environment. To enforce the rubber quotas, the army, the Force Publique, was called in and made the practice of cutting off the limbs of the natives a matter of policy. They came to be known as the fourth generation of Congolese music and mostly come from the former well-known band Wenge Musica [fr]. This was criticized as these regions are known as opposition strongholds. [101], Although located in the Central African UN subregion, the nation is also economically and regionally affiliated with Southern Africa as a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Only two planes left the local airport because of the possibility of the explosion of stored petrol. The sports are played in numerous stadiums throughout the country, including the Stade Frederic Kibassa Maliba. Across the country, dozens of protesters were killed and hundreds were arrested. [122][123], Female genital mutilation (FGM) is also practiced in DRC, although not on a large scale. The parliament elected Joseph Kasavubu as President, of the Alliance des Bakongo (ABAKO) party. Photo: Wikimedia, CC0. Ertürk added that "Armed groups attack local communities, loot, rape, kidnap women and children, and make them work as sexual slaves". The country was run as a dictatorial one-party state, with his Popular Movement of the Revolution as the sole legal party. According to the International Organization for Migration, the number of immigrants in the DRC has fallen from just over one million in 1960, to 754,000 in 1990, to 480,000 in 2005, to an estimated 445,000 in 2010. The DRC has produced a considerable number of refugees and asylum-seekers located in the region and beyond. Several short-lived governments, of Joseph Ileo, Cyrille Adoula and Moise Kapenda Tshombe, took over in quick succession. The country was until independence in 1960 part of the French colony of Equatorial Africa. The syncretic sects often merge elements of Christianity with traditional beliefs and rituals and are not recognized by mainstream churches as part of Christianity. The EmbassyPage for the Republic of the Congo was last updated on 17 March 2021. [225], Bush meat is an important source of protein for millions in the DRC, especially in rural areas where it makes up 50–70% of meals. [63][64], In 2009, The New York Times reported that people in the Congo continued to die at a rate of an estimated 45,000 per month[65] – estimates of the number who have died from the long conflict range from 900,000 to 5,400,000. [183] As many as 250 ethnic groups have been identified and named. Mobutu got one, and we took the other nine. to be again backed by Rwanda as a way to tackle the Hutu group, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). [221] One of the goals of the SDG 15 is to reduce deforestation and encourage reforestation by 2020. The government of The Republic of Congo extended a State of Health Emergency until May 4 to limit the spread of COVID-19. Also, the 148 Caritas network system has a total power of 6.31 kW. Congolese troops have been fighting the Kivu conflict in the eastern North Kivu region, the Ituri conflict in the Ituri region, and other rebellions since the Second Congo War. For other uses, see, Location of Democratic Republic of the Congo (dark green), Independence and political crisis (1960–1965), Continental and civil wars (1996–present), Kabila's term in office and multiple anti-government protests, Largest cities or towns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nelson, Samuel Henry. From 1885 to 1908, millions of Congolese people died as a consequence of disease and exploitation. Other improved conditions have been reported within Democratic Republic of the Congo. Oyo (Alima), Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): Army (Armee de Terre), Navy, Congolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise); Gendarmerie; Presidential Guard (2021), 2.7% of GDP (2019)2.5% of GDP (2018)4.3% of GDP (2017)6.4% of GDP (2016), the Congolese Armed Forces (FAC) have approximately 12,000 active duty troops (8,000 Army; 800 Navy; 1,000 Air Force; 2,000 Gendarmerie) (2020), the FAC is armed with mostly ageing Russian/Soviet-era weapons, with some French and South African equipment; the leading supplier of arms to the FAC since 2010 is South Africa (2020), 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in the Armed Forces (2019), the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is undefined except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area, refugees (country of origin): 20,700 (Central African Republic) (2020); 19,791 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2021)IDPs: 304,430 (multiple civil wars since 1992) (2020), current situation: the Republic of the Congo is a source and destination country for children, men, and women, subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; most trafficking victims are from Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and, to a lesser extent, other neighboring countries and are subjected to domestic servitude and market vending by West African and Congolese nationals; adults and children, the majority from the DRC, are also sex trafficked in Congo, mainly Brazzaville; internal trafficking victims, often from rural areas, are exploited as domestic servants or forced to work in quarries, bakeries, fishing, and agriculturetier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - the Republic of the Congo does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the country drafted an action plan based on anti-trafficking legislation, which remains pending in the Supreme Court; the government made minimal anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts in 2014, failing to prosecute or convict suspected traffickers from cases dating back to 2010; serious allegations of official complicity continue to be reported; the government lacks a systematic means of identifying victims and relies on NGOs and international organizations to identify victims and NGOs and foster families to provide care to victims; the quality of care varied widely because the foster care system was allegedly undermined by inadequate security and official complicity (2015), Children under the age of 5 years underweight, School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education), International law organization participation, Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income, Household income or consumption by percentage share, Electricity - installed generating capacity, Electricity - from other renewable sources, Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy, Civil aircraft registration country code prefix, Military and security service personnel strengths, Military equipment inventories and acquisitions, Refugees and internally displaced persons, Center for the Study of Intelligence (CSI). ), electrification - total population: 72% (2019)electrification - urban areas: 89% (2019)electrification - rural areas: 36% (2019), 64% of total installed capacity (2016 est. )investment in fixed capital: 42.5% (2017 est. Kabila later requested that foreign military forces return to their own countries. The 2006 constitution, also known as the Constitution of the Third Republic, came into effect in February 2006. This renaming campaign was completed in the 1970s. The Belgian Parliament forced Leopold II to set up an independent commission of inquiry. )$5.639 billion (2016 est. Conflict arose over the administration of the territory, which became known as the Congo Crisis. The DRC had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.56/10, ranking it 36th globally out of 172 countries. According to the World Wildlife Fund, these unique habitats and species make the DRC one of the most valuable yet vulnerable areas in the world for biodiversity, wildlife protection and rainforest sustainability.[214]. [29], During the period of 1885–1908, millions of Congolese died as a consequence of exploitation and disease. Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. The river and its tributaries form the backbone of Congolese economics and transportation. These conflicts have dramatically reduced national output and government revenue, increased external debt, and resulted in deaths of more than five million people from war and associated famine and disease. Belgian exploration and administration took place from the 1870s until the 1920s. Kasa-Vubu's death in April 1969 ensured that no person with First Republic credentials could challenge his rule. [168], The hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo include the General Hospital of Kinshasa. "The big wars of the Congo that were really on top of the agenda 15 years ago are back and worsening". A relative explained how the government illicitly collected revenue: "Mobutu would ask one of us to go to the bank and take out a million. In April 2011, through aid from Global Alliance for Vaccines, a new vaccine to prevent pneumococcal disease was introduced around Kinshasa. [44] A single-party system was established, and Mobutu declared himself head of state. Lake Edward and Lake Albert are connected by the Semliki River. ), total population: 61.69 yearsmale: 60.27 yearsfemale: 63.16 years (2021 est. [citation needed]. [160] The Democratic Republic of Congo also possesses 50% of Africa's forests and a river system that could provide hydro-electric power to the entire continent, according to a UN report on the country's strategic significance and its potential role as an economic power in central Africa.[161]. It also provided for the creation of a Conseil Superieur de la Defense (Superior Defence Council) which would declare states of siege or war and give advice on security sector reform, disarmament/demobilisation, and national defence policy. These are SAPP (Southern African Power Pool), EAPP (East African Power Pool), CAPP (Central African Power Pool). [230] Although what was known as Africa's World War had ended in 2003 the eastern part of the country still has ongoing skirmishes between rebel groups and government forces. [185], Since 2003, more than 400,000 Congolese migrants have been expelled from Angola. [131] In June 2014, Freedom from Torture published reported rape and sexual violence being used routinely by state officials in Congolese prisons as punishment for politically active women. Additionally, the country's large mine operations attract migrant workers from Africa and beyond. It was first led by Sir Henry Morton Stanley, who undertook his explorations under the sponsorship of King Leopold II of Belgium. Together, Mongo, Luba, Kongo peoples, Mangbetu and the Azande peoples constitute around 45% of the population. The river and a 37 kilometres (23 mi) wide strip of coastline on its north bank provide the country's only outlet to the Atlantic. [231] The reason conflict is so damaging to wildlife is the increased use of bush meat to feed soldiers, the prevalence of weapons, the lucrative industry of selling exotic animals and ivory as well as the general failure of law and order. The government – not the President – is responsible to the Parliament. Following the 2018 general election, Kabila was succeeded as president by Félix Tshisekedi who has served as president since. [103], In the 21st century, Chinese investment in the DRC and Congolese exports to China have grown rapidly. )services: 39.7% (2017 est. Malnutrition affects approximately two-thirds of the country's population. The President was also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. New destination countries include South Africa and various points en route to Europe. The Democratic Republic of Congo has the infrastructure for hydro-electricity from the Congo River at the Inga dams. The Republic of the Congo's Coast and Mayombe region is the country's second most populous after Pool, and is home to its second largest city at Pointe-Noire. Due to the presence of undisciplined and poorly trained ex-rebels, as well as a lack of funding and having spent years fighting against different militias, the FARDC suffers from rampant corruption and inefficiency. The area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is over 905,000 square miles (2.3 million square kilometers) but the Republic of the Congo has 132,000 square miles (342,000 square kilometers). The chemical industry consumes significant quantities of cobalt in a variety of applications including catalysts for petroleum and chemical processing; drying agents for paints and inks; ground coats for porcelain enamels; decolorant for ceramics and glass; and pigments for ceramics, paints, and plastics. ), Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -579.8 (2017 est. [13] Two million children risk starvation, and the fighting has displaced 4.5 million people. [219] Virunga national park and Salongo National Park, both of which are UNESCO world heritage sites are currently being looked at for mining and oil exploration. "Gender Inequality and Social Institutions in the D.R.Congo", "Female Genital Cutting Rates | African Women's Health Center at BWH", "DRC: 'Civilians bearing brunt of South Kivu violence, "DRC: 'Pendulum displacement' in the Kivus", "Rights Groups, DRC Lawmakers Call for 'Filimbi' Activists' Release", "Is Emmanuel Weyi "the change" the DRC needs? Been one of Africa ’ s economy facts, statistics, project information, development from... Currently divided into the city-province of Kinshasa less than 1 ( 2019 est territories and 32 cities Congolese migrants been! Captured the provincial capital of Goma, killing 45 and leaving 120,000 homeless election. At Kinshasa 's international airport basketball, and Togo. [ 92 ] temporary government set! Since 2015, elections were scheduled for late 2016 and a national.. Single-Party system was established, and rugby been difficult an election-result dispute between Kabila Jean-Pierre... 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