Research Library: Congo, Republic of the

Last Updated May 29, 2009

Country Information

Government

• The Republic of Congo is a republic with a president who is the chief of state and a prime minister who is head of the government. The president is popularly elected to serve a seven-year term and is eligible for a second term. The parliament consists of two houses with members serving a five year term. The parliament consists of the Senate (72 seats elected indirectly) and the National Assembly (137 seats elected popularly).
• President Denis Sassou-Nguesso came to power after a bloody civil war in 1997 and later won the 2002 presidential elections with 89.4% of the votes. The Prime Minister is Isidore Mvouba. The Rally of the Presidential Majority has the most seats in the Senate while the Congolese Labour Party holds the most seats in the National Assembly.

Political Stability

• The Republic of Congo gained its independence from France in 1960. A Marxist government ruled until a democratically elected government formed in 1992. Civil war broke out in 1997 which restored former Marxist President Sassou-Nguesso. The Republic of Congo suffered from political and ethnic unrest. A peace treaty ended violence in March of 2003 however tension remains high and refugees continue to be a major humanitarian issue.
• President Sassou-Nguesso reached out to the opposition leaders he exiled. He granted former Prime Ministers Kolelas and Yhombi-Opango amnesty and allowed them to return to the Republic of Congo. President Sassou-Nguesso stated he would allow former President Lissouba to return. As of 2008, Lissouba remains in exile. The government held Parliamentary elections in 2007. Voter turn out was low and results showed irregularities.

Current Government Policies

• Ninjas, former civil war militia, still remain a problem in the Republic of Congo. They resorted to banditry in the Pool region. The government attempts to increase transparency in the oil sector. The Kimberly Process, an organization that attempts stop the sale of conflict diamonds, expelled the Republic of Congo from the organization. The government was unable to trace the source of a large quantity of diamonds they exported.

International Reputation

• France provides economic aid and invests in the Congolese oil sector. One of the governments primary focuses is to attract American investors. The US opened an embassy in Kinshasa in January 2009, the first permanent embassy since the closure of the American embassy in 1997. The Republic of Congo is a member of the UN, NATO and the African Union. President Sassou-Nguesso served as the Chairman of the African Union for one term.

Economics

• The economy is primarily comprised of subsistence agriculture, industrial sector and support services. The industrial sector is dominated by oil, a major source of revenue for the government. Due to the mortgaging of oil revenues, Congo¿s debt burden increased. Violence in the country disrupted oil production resulting in low revenues.
• Despite President Sassou-Nguesso Marxist past, he pushed for privatization and economic reform. He pledged to work with international financial institutions to improve to economy. In 2006, IMF and the World Bank approved Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) treatment for the Republic of Congo.

Foreign Aid

• Congo is a net recipient of official development assistance. For more information see the OECD Aid at a Glance chart.

Politically-Active Ethnic Groups
Data provided by the Minorities at Risk Project of the Center for International Development and Conflict Management at the University of Maryland

• Lari
• M'boshi

Statistics
Click on statistic name for source information.

Web Resources

• Humanitarian News and Analysis for Rep. of Congo
  Sponsored by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
  Added or modified on May 28, 2009
• Office of the Congolese President
  In French
  Added or modified on May 28, 2009
• Permanent Mission of the Republic of Congo to the UN
  Contains recent statements from the Mission and background on the government of Republic of Congo.
  Added or modified on Mar 05, 2004
• US Embassy in the Republic of Congo
  Added or modified on May 28, 2009