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Congo

Fertile soils, valuable natural resources, species-rich forests – the Democratic Republic of the Congo has a lot to offer. The population, though, experiences nothing of this wealth.

 

 

Map of Congo

Capital

Kinshasa

Official language

French

Area

2,345,000 km²

Population

approx. 77.8 million 

Population growth

2.58%

Rural population

approx. 60%

Gross domestic product

39.8 billion US dollars

Annual income per capita

approx. 473 dollars

Agriculture as a proportion of GDP

approx. 30%

Severity of hunger according to the Global Hunger Index

insufficient data, cause for significant concern

Proportion of the total population undernourished

1.8%

Human Development Index

0.435 – Ranking: 176 out of 188

Proportion of the population living on less than 2 dollars a day

87.7%

The Congo is still struggling

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), in the heart of Africa, is the continent's second biggest country and has an abundance of natural riches at its disposal. Despite this, the war-ravaged country, which has so far been unable to achieve peace, is considered to be one of the poorest in the world. From 1885 the region was the personal colonial property of the Belgian King Leopold II (1835-1909). He established a genocidal regime that went down in history as one of Africa’s most corrupt dictatorships. At the end of the 1950s, resistance to the colonial system grew stronger. Belgium eventually released the country in 1960, leaving it totally unprepared for independence. Since then, the country has been effectively in a permanent state of war for power and resources, resulting in the so-called African World Wars (Congo Wars I to III).

　

Government structures have been left weakened to this day. In the cities there are shortages of jobs, food, water and basic sanitary supplies. Rural areas lack the infrastructure to sell agricultural products. Throughout the country, conflicts on the domestic front are preventing improvements in the standard of living and hindering the fight against poverty. Since May 2013, renewed fighting between Government troops and rebels has flared up in eastern Congo, causing thousands of people to flee once again.

　

Lack of infrastructure obstructs trade

With its fertile arable land and favourable climatic conditions, the country could theoretically provide food for the whole of central Africa. The world's second biggest contiguous tropical region after the Amazon lies in the Congo Basin. Stretching along the eastern edge are species-rich mountain forests, home to gorillas. There are particularly fertile soils and rich natural resources around the ‘Great Lakes’ region. The DR Congo is one of Africa’s richest countries in terms of water.

　

Two thirds of the population work in agriculture – most of them in subsistence farming.　

　

Two thirds of the population work in agriculture – most of them in subsistence farming. The main products　are cassava, maize, rice, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, various types of spinach, and plantains. Others include sugar cane, peanuts, oil palms, bananas and fruits, including wild fruits. Agricultural production could be significantly higher, but poor transport connections hinder trade. There is a lack of roads and bridges. Transport costs in some places are so high that it is not worth selling the produce harvested. International organisations and experts consider the expansion of the infrastructure to be key to the country’s development.

　

Raw materials are making the country poor instead of rich

The DR Congo continues to pin high hopes on mining. The country's mineral resources include copper, tin, cobalt, gold, diamonds and oil, as well as coltan, which is used in the manufacture of mobile phones and laptops. It is estimated that 80 per cent of the world's coltan deposits are located in the province of Kivu in the east. Furthermore, the DR Congo is the world’s third biggest producer of diamonds. The term ‘blood diamonds’ comes from the brutal treatment of workers and the bloody conflicts within the diamond trade. Today, as in the past, raw materials are the source of conflict between sections of the population, rebel leaders, the state, the military, western businesses and bordering nations – and are making the country poor instead of rich.

　

Hostile disputes have also caused the collapse of the health system in many locations, often making it impossible to treat diseases. As a result, malaria is still the main cause of death among children under five. Even the supply of drinking water, despite the enormous abundance of water, continues to be in a desperate state. Only one in four Congolese has access to hygienic, clean water; and no more than one in five has adequate health care. This is considerably below the regional average for sub-Saharan Africa.

　

AFRICA’S CENTRE OF ART The DR Congo is home to a lively art scene and is considered to be Africa’s centre of art. The capital, Kinshasa, has established its own academy of fine arts, which has won acclaim in international circles. Highly-regarded and famous artists from all over the country teach schoolchildren there about art and painting. Besides this, there are numerous other galleries around the country.

Uncertain political development

Despite the uncertain situation, the DR Congo has had some success in tackling poverty in recent years. Only five years ago the nation was rated the poorest in the world according to the Human Development Index; now, though, it is ranked 176 (out of 188). Nevertheless, the fight against poverty is still the Government’s biggest challenge. In order to tackle it effectively, political conditions will need to be stabilised first. President Joseph Kabila’s term of office was actually due to end in December 2016. However, a court ruled that Kabila could remain in office until the election of a new President. Across the country there have been violent protests, and opposition leaders are accusing him of delaying elections so that he can remain in power.

 

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