If you're anything like me, you might not have heard much about the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I certainly didn't know much about the country until I found out my church was helping a family to resettle there. This project has given me a great way to learn more about this seldom-talked-about country.
Here are a few fast facts about the geography of the DRC:
- The DRC is the second largest country on the continent of Africa, after Algeria. The country is about the size of Greenland, making it about 1/3 the size of the contigous United States. (Source)
- The country wasn't always called The Democratic Republic of Congo. Depending on how old you are, you may have once know it as Zaire. (Source)
- You shouldn't confuse the Democratic Republic of Congo with the Republic of Congo (sometimes simply called "Congo"). They are two different countries, although they both come together to form what is known as the Congo river basin, which refers to the river that flows through both countries and for which both are named. (Source)
- The country shares borders with nine other countries: Angola, Burundi, Central AFrican Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. (Source)
- The country is rich in natural resources, with vast deposits of diamonds, cobalt and copper and an expanse of forest reserves. (Source)
A Brief History
Most of the information you'll find on the DRC comes from the period after it came under the rule of King Leopold II of Belgium. Before that, however, the country was organized into states which were ruled by various tribes, including the Kongo, Lunda and Luba tribes. These states were run by kings and had militaries, however, from the 15th to the 17th centuries, those states were weakened by civil strife as well as the advancing slave trade. Some rulers cooperated with the slave trade, erroding their own populations and leaving them vulnerable to attack.
In the late 1800's, Kinge Leopold II became interested in the country for the purposes of building a personal fiefdom (fuedalistic society). Thus the first the Belgian occupation of the DRC which would not completely end until 1960, when the country gained independence.
However, independence did not bring peace. Upon liberation, the country broke down into chaos. A president and prime minister were named, but their powers were not secure. The country's first free election resulted in a deadlock between two opposing political factions and the country's richest province, Katanga, seceding from the country.
Over the next few years, the country splintered further into four regions - Katanga, Kasai, Orientale province, and Léopoldville - and army Chief of Staff Joseph Mobutu (who later came to be known as Mobutu Sese Seko) took power through a coup d'etat. It was under Mobutu's rule that the country was renamed Zaire, referring to the Portugese name for the Congo River. Mobutu ruled until 1997 when his regime was overthown by rebels. Following Mobutu's regime, the country's name was changed to the Democratic Republic of Congo, with Laurent Kabila as its new president.
Although the country's name implied democracy, Laurent had total control over the country and did not tolerate outside influences or criticism. In 1998 Kabila faced ethnic unrest within the country, with many groups backed by bordering countries and seizing control of parts of the DRC. Kabila was assisinated in 2001 and was succeeded by his son Joseph.
Joseph helped broker an end to the civil war in 2002 and the formation of a new constitution. Still, the country was left devastated after decades of conflict. The government was fragile, many people had fled their homes and were now homeless, disease ran rampant and claimed even more lives. Joseph Kabila worked with other countries to help stabilize the DRC's economy, but conflict continued to plague the eastern portion of the country. This violence still persists today and made up the climate for the Makano family -- who my church resettled -- to have to flee their country in search of safety. (Encyclopedia Brittanica, 2014)
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