Congo Democratic Genocide Republic

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]

Congo (Kinshasa) (06/05)

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]

Arrest of Rwanda Genocide Suspect Tharcisse Renzaho

The apprehension of Renzaho caps a week that saw great progress towards peace in the region with the Government of Rwanda making significant withdrawals of forces from the Congo and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo cutting ties with the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR), the political leadership of ALIR. This is the third arrest of an alleged leader of the Rwandan genocide since the beginning of the Rewards for Justice Campaign, which offers up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest of persons indicted for war crimes. ... [Read More]

UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)

The Congo conflict involves troops from a half dozen countries, and has become intertwined with internal conflicts in Rwanda, Uganda, Angola and Burundi. Elements of the former Rwandan army and militias implicated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide have formed an alliance of convenience with the Congolese government, complicating our efforts to address war crimes and impunity. The Congo conflict has the potential to destabilize much of the African continent, with enormous costs to US political and economic interests. ... [Read More]

UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)

Key Dates March 30, 2005: The United Nations Security Council adopted resolution UNSCR 1592 (2005), extending the present mandate of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) for another six months, until October 1, 2005, "with the intention to renew it for further periods." August 6, 1999, Resolution 1258 established UN liaison mission to the Congo. February 24, 2000, Resolution 1291 established MONUC cease-fire observer mission; UNSCR 1493 extended mandate of MONUC to July 31, 2004, expanded troop ceiling of MONUC by 2,100 troops to allow deployment of additional battalions in the Ituri region, expanded the use of Chapter VII force, and set up an arms embargo in the eastern DRC. ... [Read More]

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

On August 25, the Transitional Parliament inaugurated an anti-corruption bureau. The Transition Constitution provides for the creation of five citizen commissions: An Observatory for Human Rights, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a High Authority for Media, an Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission, and the Independent Electoral Commission; however, none of these institutions were operating at year's end. On August 28, President Kabila submitted to Parliament a declaration of his wealth, in accordance with the Transitional Constitution, which requires that executive members of the Transitional Government submit written declarations of their assets, which all parties to the Transitional Government agreed to do to combat government corruption. There were no official restrictions on the participation of women or minorities in politics. Six of 36 cabinet ministers and 2 of 24 vice ministers were women, and women h ... [Read More]

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

The war began in August 1998, when Laurent Kabila tried to expel Rwandan military forces that had helped him overthrow Mobutu. Congolese Tutsis as well as the Governments of Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda, all relied on the Rwandan military presence for protection against hostile armed groups operating from the eastern part of the country. These groups included: The Interahamwe militia of Hutus, mostly from Rwanda, Hutu members of the former Rwandan armed forces, and other Rwandan Hutu militiaman, some of whom took part in the 1994 genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda and who fought the Tutsi-dominated Government of Rwanda; the Mai Mai, a loose association of traditional Congolese local defense forces, which primarily fought Rwandan government forces and their Congolese allies; the Alliance of Democratic Forces (ADF), made up of Ugandan opposition forces supported by the Government of Sudan, which fought the Government of Uganda but largely was inactive during the year; and several groups of Hutu ... [Read More]

Congo, Democratic Republic of the

As the war grew into an increasing stalemate, government forces controlled less than half of the country.  Several rebel groups, the Congolese Rally for Democracy based in Goma (RCD/Goma), the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC), and the Congolese Rally for Democracy based in Bunia (RCD/ML) controlled the remaining territory, with the active military support of the Rwandan and Ugandan Governments.  The RCD/Goma remained dominated by members of the Tutsi ethnic minority and continued to be supported by the Government of Rwanda; the RCD/ML commanded fewer troops and, like the largely non-Tutsi MLC, was supported by the Government of Uganda.  War broke out in August 1998, when Kabila tried to expel Rwandan military forces that had helped him overthrow Mobutu.  Congolese Tutsis as well as the Governments of Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda all relied on the Rwandan military presence for protection against hostile armed groups operating from the eastern part of the ... [Read More]

2004

1111--05/10/04   Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo Apprehends Genocide Indictee ...

1111--04/05/04   U.S. Delegation to Rwanda for the 10th Commemoration of the Rwandan Genocide ... [Read More]

Congo-Kinshasa

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A passport, visa and evidence of yellow fever vaccination are required for entry. Some travelers arriving in Congo-Kinshasa without proper proof of yellow fever vaccination have been temporarily detained, had their passports confiscated, or been required to pay a fine. Visas should be obtained from an Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) prior to arrival. In years past, travelers entering with visas and/or entry/exit stamps from Rwanda, Uganda or Burundi have sometimes experienced difficulties at ports of entry. Additional information about visas may be obtained from the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , 1726 M Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036, tel. (202) 234-7690, or Congo-Kinshasa's Permanent Mission to the U.N, 866 United ... [Read More]