Democratic Republic Of The Congo Sports

In 1875 the Egyptian sultan Rabah governed Upper-Oubangui, which included present-day C.A.R. Europeans, primarily the French, German, and Belgians, arrived in the area in 1885. The French consolidated their legal claim to the area through an 1887 convention with Congo Free State, which granted France possession of the right bank of the Oubangui River. Two years later, the French established an outpost at Bangui, and in 1894, Oubangui-Chari became a French territory. However, the French did not consolidate their control over the area until 1903 after having defeated the forces of the Egyptian sultan Rabah and established colonial administration throughout the territory. In 1906, the Oubangui-Chari territory was united with the Chad colony; in 1910, it became one of the four territories of the Federation of French Equatorial Africa (A.E.F.), along with Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), and Gabon. The next 30 years were marked by small-scale revolts against French rule and the development of a p ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

The Teke are spread over a large area north and northeast of Brazzaville. They are the most traditional of the ethnic groups, engaging in hunting and fishing.  Animistic worship is still predominant, although most of the urban population is Christian.  In rural areas, the Congolese live in small communities, having little outside contact. There are about 3,000 French nationals in the Congo. Public InstitutionsLast Updated:  6/13/2005 3:10 PM First inhabited by pygmies, the Congo was later settled by Bantu groups who also occupied parts of present-day Angola, Gabon, and the DRC.  Several Bantu kingdoms, notably those of the Kongo, the Loango, and the Teke, built trade links along the Congo River basin. The first European contacts came in the late 15th century, and commercial ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

The Democratic Republic of the Congo straddles the equator in the heart of central Africa and shares a border with nine other countries: the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Angola. Congo has access to the Atlantic Ocean on the west through a strip of territory that narrows to 13 miles wide at the coast. Its area includes the greater part of the Congo River Basin and covers 1,465,553 square miles-about the size of the U.S. east of the Mississippi River. ... [Read More]

Senegal (06/05)

Senegal has participated in many international and regional peacekeeping missions. Its history of participation in peacekeeping is impressive. Most recently, Senegal provided peacekeeping forces for the ECOWAS mission in Liberia (ECOMIL) as well as the ECOWAS mission in Cote d’Ivoire (ECOMICI), with General P.K. Fall, who is now Chief of Defense of the Senegalese Armed Forces, acting as overall Force Commander. In 2000, Senegal sent a battalion to the Democratic Republic of Congo to participate in MONUC, the UN peacekeeping mission, and agreed to deploy a U.S.-trained battalion to Sierra Leone to participate in UNAMSIL, another UN peacekeeping mission. A Senegalese contingent was deployed on a peacekeeping mission to the Central African Republic in 1997, and in 1994, Senegal sent a battalion-sized force to Rwanda to participate in the UN peacekeeping mission there. In 1992 Senegal sent 1,500 men to the ECOMOG peacekeeping group in Liberia, and in 1991, it was the only Sub-Saharan natio ... [Read More]

David Goldiner, "Games for the Whole World" , U.S. Society and Values, December 2003

The international profile of American football got a boost from the launch of the NFL Europe league, which provides an opportunity for some European neophytes to play against somewhat lesser American professional talents. Many of the foreigners – 90 made preseason rosters in the NFL this season – are sons of immigrants from places like Mexico or West Africa. From Colonial TimesTeam sports were an early manifestation of life in colonial North America. Predecessor games to modern-day baseball and soccer were popular among the colonists in the early 18th century, decades before America's Declar ... [Read More]

Africa

The U.S. human rights and democracy strategy reinforces the importance of democracy and human rights. When President Bush and Secretary of State Powell met with President Kabila in November 2003, they emphasized U.S. support for the transitional government and the need for continued progress on political reforms, security sector reform and human rights concerns as a critical element in the transition. In December, visiting U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao met with President Kabila to underscore the need to expand efforts to end child soldiering in the Congo. The United States has repeatedly stressed to President Kabila the importance of adhering to the elections schedule and ensuring that the Congolese people are well prepared for elections. The United States served as a member of the International Committee to Assist the Transition (CIAT). The Embassy also worked closely with the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congolese Independent ... [Read More]

V. Country Narratives -- Countries Q through Z

The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) is a destination country for women trafficked primarily from South, Southeast, and East Asia, the former Soviet Union, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries, and East Africa, for the purpose of sexual exploitation. A far smaller number of men, women, and teenage children were trafficked to the U.A.E. to work as forced laborers. Some South Asian and East African boys were trafficked into the country and forced to work as camel jockeys. Some were sold by their parents to traffickers, and others were brought into the U.A.E. by their parents. A large number of foreign women were lured into the U.A.E. under false pretenses and subsequently forced into sexual servitude, primarily by criminals of their own countries. Personal observations by U.S. Government officials and video and photographic evidence indicated the continued use of trafficked children as camel jockeys. There ... [Read More]

Sao Tome and Principe (04/05)

In 1990, Sao Tome became one of the first African countries to embrace democratic reform, and changes to the constitution--the legalization of opposition political parties--led to elections in 1991 that were nonviolent, free, and transparent. Miguel Trovoada, a former Prime Minister who had been in exile since 1986, returned as an independent candidate and was elected President. Trovoada was re-elected in Sao Tome's second multiparty presidential election in 1996. The Party of Democratic Convergence (PCD) toppled the MLSTP to take a majority of seats in the National Assembly, with the MLSTP becoming an important and vocal minority party. Municipal elections followed in late 1992, in which the MLSTP came back to win a majority of seats on five of seven regional councils. In early legislative elections in October 1994, the MLSTP won a plurality of seats in the Assembly. It regained an outright majority of seats in the November 1998 elections. The Government of Sao Tome fully functions un ... [Read More]

US Department Of State Post Report

The Embassy has two boats with outboard motors available for rental. The Mussulo Peninsula has nice beaches off the main coast, just a short boat ride from the city. Several pristine and uncrowded beaches further south are accessible by road. Sport fishing is also popular, and the waters just off the coast have an abundant supply of many types of game fish. Anthropology and natural history museums are found downtown. There is a historic fort overlooking the bay. Other attractions outside of Luanda, but within the 20-km security limit, include the Slave Museum and the arts and crafts market. EntertainmentLast Updated:  11/14/2003 12:18 AM Entertainment in Luanda is limited. The CLO office has a small video and book library. The recreation trailer on the Miramar Compound has a combina ... [Read More]