FOREIGN
RELATIONS
The D.R.C.'s large size and strategic location in the center of Africa, as well as its vast mineral wealth, have made the country a key regional player since even before independence. The D.R.C.'s relations with its neighbors have often been driven by security concerns, leading to intricate, interlocking, and shifting alliances. The complexities and dangers of these relations were never clearer than in the 1997-2003 period described in the “From Dictatorship to Disintegration” section above. In addition, internal conflicts in Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda, Sudan, and Uganda have at various times created bilateral and regional tensions.
Over the past five years, the D.R.C. Government has signed agreements with its neighbors to improve the security of the D.R.C. and the wider region. In October 2004, with significant U.S. involvement and facilitation, the D.R.C. joined with Rwanda and Uganda in signing a Great Lakes regional security agreement that established a “Tripartite Commission” to address issues peacefully rather than militarily. (Burundi joined a year later and the expanded agreement is now known as “Tripartite Plus.”) In September 2007, the D.R.C. and Uganda signed the so-called “Ngurdoto Agreement” committing to strong bilateral efforts to eliminate all illegal armed groups operating in and between the two countries. In November 2007, with significant assistance from the UN, United States, and European Union, the D.R.C. reached a similar agreement with Rwanda. Known as the Nairobi Communiqué, this accord was designed to lay the groundwork for D.R.C.-Rwandan cooperation to disarm, demobilize, reintegrate and/or repatriate all foreign armed groups operating in the D.R.C., particularly the ex-FAR/Interahamwe (later the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda, FDLR).
While the Tripartite Plus arrangement and Ngurdoto Agreement have achieved a modicum of success, there was little to show for the Nairobi Communiqué until the events of January 2009 as described in the “Eastern Challenges” section above. These events, and the apparent growing understanding among all countries of the Great Lakes region that their futures are inextricably linked, could portend more positive regional relationships in the years to come.
U.S.-CONGOLESE
RELATIONS
U.S. relations with the D.R.C. are very strong. The success of the D.R.C.’s presidential and parliamentary elections in 2006 were the culmination of both the Congolese people's efforts to choose their leaders through a peaceful, democratic process and international support for numerous domestic and international peace agreements. The United States is proud to have played a role in the peace process in the D.R.C., and continues to encourage Congolese peace, prosperity, democracy, and respect for human rights. The United States facilitated the Nairobi Communiqué and Goma Accords described above, continues to play a leading role in the Tripartite Plus mechanism, and strongly supported UN efforts to create a Joint Verification Mechanism to monitor the border between the D.R.C. and Rwanda. The United States has pursued an active diplomatic strategy in the region and has supported internal reconciliation and democratization in the D.R.C. We support economic reform and transparency efforts and are a major international aid donor, providing more than $700 million in aid to the D.R.C. in 2008 through both bilateral and multilateral programs.
The United States appointed its current ambassador to the D.R.C. in November 2007. The D.R.C. appointed its current ambassador to the United States in 2000. The State Department has consistently issued cautionary travel information about Zaire/D.R.C. since 1977.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--William J. Garvelink
Deputy Chief of Mission--Sam Brock
The U.S. Embassy is located at 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa (tel. 243-81-2255872; fax 243-81-3010561). Mailing address is American Embassy Kinshasa, Box 31550, APO AE 09828.
