Republic of the Congo, country situated astride the Equator in west-central Africa. Join your colleagues in participating in this That finally changed in July last year when the government signed a letter requesting international assistance. At a run-down Catholic church in Loutété, a town just outside Pool, displaced people complained of hunger and sickness. In October of 1997, Angola’s government invaded the Congo to support Sassou. 1999, p. 18-19). Sealed off from the press and human rights organisations, the operation in Pool has received little media coverage. In October 1998 a court "indicted 100 members of Congo's former government with a sweeping list of offenses including assassinations, tortures, rapes, fraud and theft" (CNN, 16 Oct. 1998). West Africa Com Virtual, 30 September – 1 October, The Winihin Jemide Series Women And Youth In Governance And Politics, Virtual Agrofood & Plastprintpack Africa 2020, Africa’s Heritage Sites Destroyed due to a Changing Climate, Emirates Resumes Flights to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Harare and Mauritius, In 1980, Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba Performed Inside, Industrie Africa Makes It Easy to Discover African Fashion Brands, To Protest Colonialism, He Takes Artifacts from Museums, Interview: Thando Hopa Never Anticipated Acceptance in the Industry – She Anticipated a Fight, Maseru is Well Positioned to Turn Opportunity into Real Jobs. The Republic of the Congo is also known as Congo Brazzaville, or Little Congo. Congo-Brazzaville: insufficient economic reforms in CEMAC countries . ), 49.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est. Inter Press Service, "Politics-Congo: Militia members seek rehabilitation after the war," 16 March 2000. In Brazzaville the currency is known as the Central African C.F.A., while in D.R.C. The officials were reluctant to admit that forces loyal to President Sassou had also carried out grave abuses of human rights. A dry season exists from June to August. To the government they are simply “terrorists”. Offended by one-sided coverage of wars, disasters and disease, the founders of Africa.com created a website that provides a balanced view of Africa – current events, business, arts & culture, travel, fashion, sports, information, development, and more. 1999, p.15-16). Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site. July 1997: During a temporary cease-fire, "Ninja and Cocoye combatants summarily executed members of the security forces and civil servants, as well as many other civilians, passing through their roadblocks" (AI, Mar. Join our movement today. there are two main currencies with the most widely-used being the U.S. dollar. Over 50 percent of the country is Roman Catholic, 40 percent Protestant, 2 percent Animist, 1 percent Muslim, .4 percent Baha’i, and 2.2 percent listed as other. However, the objectivity of the report has been questioned since it excluded violations committed by government forces, while the capacity of a judiciary--"overburdened, underfinanced, and subject to corruption and political influence," according to the State Department (U.S. DOS, Country Reports 1998, Apr. This round table aims to mobilize nearly 2,563.4 billion CFA francs for the financing of integrative projects. ‘I find myself marching today for life, and for everything that has happened in my country.’, ‘Someone has to step up. When he returned to the village a few months later, he said, “houses had collapsed, bricks had been smashed, doors kicked in, and everything in our households had been taken”. The forum also concluded that leaders of the previous administration, including President Lissouba and Prime Minister Kolelas, had committed grave human rights violations, including acts of genocide, and should be brought to justice. Bantu tribes dominated the region and traded into the Congo River basin. Massamba-Debat could not bring factions together and his reign ended with a coup in August 1968. 1999, p. 102). The French system is the country’s model. The economy of the Congo consists of agriculture, oil, support services, handicrafts, and government. From early 1990 the government began moving toward a multi-party political system, which culminated in presidential elections in which Pascal Lissouba defeated Bernard Kolelas and Sassou Nguesso and acceded to the presidency. However, according to Amnesty International, "Serious human rights abuses . ), 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est. In 1960 after gaining independence, the French Region known as the Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. In July 1999 the Vancouver Sun reported that "Ninja rebels loyal to ousted prime minister Bernard Kolelas attacked the village of Oka in the Plateaux region" and "abducted 53 people" (Vancouver Sun, 6 July 1999). Brazzaville-population is estimated to be 1.8 million A court in Congo-Brazzaville has sentenced the former mayor of the capital to five years in prison for corruption. This includes one television station, three radio stations, and a government-owned newspaper. When the Franc Zone currencies devalued by 50 percent in January 1994, the currency inflated that year 46 percent. However, no reports of the two militias being merged have been found among the sources consulted. “You walk into some of the embassies in Kinshasa [the capital of the DRC] and they don’t even know what is happening,” said a senior humanitarian source in Brazzaville who asked not to be named. (NEXIS), Mikangou, Lyne. Pascal Lissouba became the first elected president and attempted economic reforms. “Before we had Ninjas, but they left the village a long time ago.”. Rebel militias severed rail and power lines, thereby causing serious food and water shortages in southern towns. The government’s ability to assist people in Pool has also been hampered by the country’s economic crisis. Text by: RFI Follow . The violence here has played out with little international attention, unlike the humanitarian “mega-crisis” in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. 2000, p. 134). Others said they had not eaten in three. Following government military advances and the signing of a ceasefire agreement in December 1999 between the government and militia leaders, some 2,000 Ninjas and Cocoyes surrendered to authorities, turning in more than 1,600 weapons. The Pygmy people were the earliest inhabitants but were later displaced by the Bantu. Throughout the year, insecurity and rebel sabotage of the railway prevented train service between Brazzaville and Pointe Noire" (U.S. DOS, Country Reports 1999, Apr. Thirty children on the brink of death were brought to Brazzaville for treatment, but three of them died. During October 1998 Ninjas killed five employees of the state-owned railway company (AI, Mar. 2000, p. 137). 15 September 1998: "Ninja combatants reportedly killed several unarmed civilians, including the Sous-préfet of Goma Tsé-Tsé sub-region" (AI, Mar. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The fiscal deficit amounted to 11% of GDP in 2017. 31 January 2000 [NEXIS]. 1999, p.7). The drop in oil prices that began in 2014 has constrained government spending; lower oil prices forced the government to cut more than $1 billion in planned spending. The government’s inability to pay civil servant salaries has resulted in multiple rounds of strikes by many groups, including doctors, nurses, and teachers. After the elections, the Pool region saw fighting broke out between rebels and the government. With protests building through 2015 and 2016, many observers say the government anticipated a popular uprising and sought to pre-emptively crush dissent. Congo established a relationship with the Soviet Union in 1965 as well as the People’s Republic of China, North Vietnam, and North Korea. In Pool’s northern districts, along the railway line connecting Brazzaville to the port of Pointe-Noire, towns and villages have been sealed off by military free-fire zones. Then the head of the Republican Guard, General Nianga Ngatsé Mbouala, was sacked. In an attempt to correct this situation, the. Sign up to receive our original, on-the-ground coverage that informs policymakers, practitioners, donors, and others who want to make the world more humane. Vancouver Sun, "Congo Republic: Rebels loyal to ex-leader kidnap 53 people," 6 July 1999. In December 1995 political parties agreed to disarm their militia and integrate 1,200 of them into the security forces. Militia commanders prevented displaced civilians from returning to their homes, prolonging their suffering under conditions of inadequate food and medical care" (U.S. DOS, Country Reports 1999, Apr. There is a small amount of coast of the Atlantic Ocean. 29 August 1998: Armed combatants thought to be Ninjas shot a journalist, Fabien Fortune Bioumbo, and several other people who were traveling from Brazzaville to Mindouli. Several residents told IRIN that nearby villages that were spared the brunt of the air assault were later pillaged by ground troops. (Philip Kleinfeld/IRIN). . With donors preoccupied by crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic, raising funds for people in need in Pool has proved challenging. Can COVID-19 Inspire a New Way Of Planning African Cities? The climate is similar all year due to the country being on the equator. Disputed legislative elections in 1993 led to violent conflict between militias, representing party political and ethnic interests and formed to support the three major political leaders. 2000, p. 131). Meanwhile, in villages across Pool, young men have been arrested and accused of being Ninjas on the basis of physical appearance. A bicameral assembly was also introduced. It has subsided since. 2000). In Soumouna, the first village to be bombed, back in April 2016, witnesses said government helicopters indiscriminately targeted the civilian population. . United States, Department of State (U.S. DOS), Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, March 1998). However, the report, which comes from a government that has itself been credibly accused of grave human rights violations and which accuses its political opponents of bearing sole responsibility for the events of 1993-94 and 1997, appears to be something less than the independent and objective assessment of rights violations during this period called for by human rights groups. Congo-Brazzaville is one of the largest oil producers in the region, but declining prices for global crude have drained state funds while public debt has risen to 110 percent of GDP. While aid groups have now reached tens of thousands of people, conditions remain challenging for thousands more displaced living with host families, in church grounds, and in local authority buildings. Congo sits on the Equator in the central-western part of sub-Saharan Africa. For all solutions offered by Abuses perpetrated by the private militias included extrajudicial killing, kidnapping, torture, and looting, but their frequency decreased significantly after the January 30 signature of the peace accord. Brazzaville became its capital. ), median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2011/12 est. This work ended in 1997 with the start of the civil war. This colony was made up of Gabon, Chad, Middle Congo (present day Congo), and Oubangui-Chari (modern Central African Republic). On the 60-kilometre highway from Brazzaville to Kinkala, the regional capital, IRIN passed just 10 civilian vehicles. The Republic of the Congo’s economy is a mixture of subsistence farming, an industrial sector based largely on oil and support services, and government spending. However, according to a Ninja militia leader, "there are still almost 16,000 Ninjas in the Pool region around Brazzaville and several thousand Cocoyes" (Mikangou, 16 Mar. When they arrived on the scene, he said the fighters began shooting at the ambulance, wounding the driver and sending the vehicle into a ditch. Ntumi has consistently denied responsibility for the 2016 election attack in Brazzaville and many Congolese and foreign diplomatic officials believe him. However, agreements to disarm militias and integrate them into the security forces were only partially implemented; disputes concerning the elections continued and violence increased in the run-up to 1997 elections. Bereft of information, the international community has termed them, “armed elements”. The closure of the Brazzaville to Pointe-Noire rail line has made a bad situation even worse, with goods now transported to the capital in long, cumbersome convoys under military escort. current situation: the Republic of the Congo is a source and destination country for children, men, and women, subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; most trafficking victims are from Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and, to a lesser extent, other neighboring countries and are subjected to domestic servitude and market vending by West African and Congolese nationals; adults … . 1999, p. 15). It is the second occasion she has been displaced in the past two decades. The IMF urged the government to renegotiate debts levels to sustainable levels before it agreed to a new macroeconomic adjustment package. Bantu tribes dominated the region and traded into the Congo River basin. Sitting in a dark, leaky room, 52-year-old Ermeline Kouelolo said her family had not eaten in two and a half days. Responding to a question in the United Kingdom's House of Lords regarding the UK government's reaction to the "White Book," the government representative (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean) responded that "We have read with interest the white book, handed to the Foreign Office on 30 June 1998 by Mr. Adada. The first president was Fulbert Youlou. [Internet] URL: http://allafrica.com/stories/200010230259.html, The Republic of Congo, "The Civil Wars of Congo-Brazzaville: November 1993-January 1994, June 5-October 15, 1997-Documents for History," June 1998. Bantu masters control many Pygmies as slaves. Congo-Kinshasa and Congo-Brazzaville also use different national currencies. Rural economies are dependent on government support. It sits in Central Africa and is bordered by Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola’s exclave province of Cabinda, Gabon, and the Gulf of Guinea. 1 January 1999: Ninja fighters "seized two villages in the Republic of Congo, barring 2,000 townspeople from leaving their homes." The information on this page is out of date. Kolelas rejected the ceasefire agreement, calling it a "sham" and a "masquerade" (Gouala, 18 Nov. 1999). “They wanted to destroy everything,” she said. The U.S. Department of State, however, has stated that the "judiciary continued to be overburdened, underfinanced, and subject to corruption and political influence" (U.S. DOS, Country Reports 1998, Apr. Angola 231 km, Cameroon 494 km, Central African Republic 487 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,229 km, Gabon 2,567 km, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2017 est. Only a small proportion of the non-government affiliated militia forces, however, were integrated into the regular army and it was an attempt by the government in May 1997 to disarm the militia group associated with Sassou-Nguesso, following inter-militia unrest, that led to "fierce conflict along ethnic and political lines involving militia groups and opposing factions within the regular armed forces" and to the second Congolese civil war (Newafrica.com, no date). Education is supposedly free for those under 16, but there are additional expenses. Due to the government mortgage of the oil revenues, overall government funding has been down. According to Amnesty International: The United Nations Commission on Human Rights cited the human rights violations brought to their attention by non-governmental organizations as including "summary or extrajudicial executions; arbitrary arrest and detention; torture and rape; forced or involuntary disappearances; and violations of the freedom of expression, opinion and assembly" and concluded that "these human rights violations are allegedly committed by all parties to the conflict and particularly by members of various armed militias" (UNCHR, 29 Dec. 1999, p. 6). The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term. From 1970 to 1991, t… In October, supported by Angolan troops, Sassou's forces took control of Brazzaville and on 17 October 1997 Sassou declared himself president. Many residents have not been allowed to leave the area – where Ninjas are suspected of hiding – since the crisis began. “There were no Ninjas,” said Nkodia. Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808, Associate Director, International Justice Program, A Call for Justice in Africa’s Great Lakes Region, AU's 'ICC Withdrawal Strategy' Less than Meets the Eye, Silver Lining: The Year 2013 in Human Rights, Abbé Benoît Kinalegu, Democratic Republic of Congo, African Civil Society Urges African States Parties to the Rome Statute to Reaffirm Their Commitment to the ICC, United States: President Bush Signs Law on Child Soldiers. His victory, which was marred by allegations of fraud, followed a heavily contested constitutional referendum a year earlier that removed term and age constraints that would have prevented the now 74-year-old from standing. 1997: Once the civil war began, government soldiers and the militias that supported them, as well as the opposition militias against which they fought, engaged in widespread extortion and harassment of civilians. ; how Covid-related school closures affect children; and join us to hear more about transitional justice in DR Congo. residency requirement for naturalization: President Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (since 25 October 1997), Prime Minister (vacant); Prime Minister Clement MOUAMBA (since 23 April 2016) resigned on 18 August 2017; note - a constitutional referendum held in 2015 approved the change of the head of government from the president to the prime minister, Council of Ministers appointed by the president, president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for 2 additional terms); election last held on 20 March 2016 (next to be held in 2021), Denis SASSOU-Nguesso reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-Nguesso (PCT) 60.4%, Guy Price Parfait KOLELAS (MCDDI) 15.1%, Jean-Marie MOKOKO (independent) 13.9%, Pascal Tsaty MABIALA (UPADS) 4.4%, other 6.2%, bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate (72 seats; members indirectly elected by regional councils by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms with one-half of membership renewed every 3 years) and the National Assembly (151 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms), Senate - last held on 12 October 2014 for expiry of half the seats (next to be held in 2020); National Assembly - last held on 16 and 30 July 2017 (next to be held in July 2022), Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RMP 33, FDU 23, UPADS 2, other 7, independent 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCT 89, MCDDI 7, UPADS 7, RDPS 5, MAR 4, RC 3, MUST 2, UPDP 2, CPR 1, PRL 1, PUR 1, UFD 1, UR 1, independent 12, vacant 3, Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members); note - a High Court of Justice, outside the judicial authority, tries cases involving treason by the president of the republic, Supreme Court judges elected by Parliament and serve until age 65; Constitutional Court members appointed by the president of the republic - 3 directly by the president and 6 nominated by Parliament; members appointed for renewable 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years, Court of Audit and Budgetary Discipline; courts of appeal; regional and district courts; employment tribunals; juvenile courts, Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI (since 31 July 2001), 1720 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009, Ambassador Todd P. HASKELL (since July 2017), 70-83 Section D, Maya-Maya Boulevard, Brazzaville, uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia, Jacques TONDRA and Georges KIBANGHI/Jean ROYER and Joseph SPADILIERE, primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable with services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order, fixed-line infrastructure inadequate, providing less than 1 connection per 100 persons; in the absence of an adequate fixed-line infrastructure, mobile-cellular subscribership has surged to 110 per 100 persons, country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2015). Fifty-three villagers were rounded up and taken to Ninja rear bases in the Pool region adjoining Plateaux" (Vancouver Sun, 6 July 1999). Soldiers and militias engaged in heavy looting throughout the capital, causing great property damage. In January 1995 the government of President Lissouba announced the integration of 2,000 disbanded militia into the army. Pygmies make up approximately 5-10 percent of the population. After the Conference of 1944, the Congo benefitted from the expansion of the resulting administrative and infrastructure spending. 1999, p. 15). Rebels denied the displaced persons access to information about conditions in Brazzaville and punished families or villages of those who sought to return. According to Amnesty International, "Hundreds of unarmed civilians and captured combatants were extrajudicially executed by government forces and allied militia." 1998: "Members of the 'Ninja' armed group killed unarmed civilians who refused to support them, particularly before and during clashes with government forces" (AI, Amnesty International Report 1999, 1999, p. 3-4). It belonged to his brother, who used to be part of the group but had demobilised in 1998. [Internet] URL: http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9810/16/republic.congo.01/, Freedom House, Freedom in the World, The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties, 1999-2000, (New York: Freedom House, 2000). The Republic of the Congo is... Continue reading Read more in Part 2: Civilians return to razed villages and a shaky peace. 26 October 1998: Ninjas in the Pool region killed six employees of the World Food Program who were on a working visit in the region. Joachim Yhombi-Opango was the country’s leader, but he was forced from power two years later. The Ninjas emerged from the upheaval of the early 1990s when the country’s first multi-party elections took place after 13 years of rule by Sassou Nguesso’s Marxist-Leninist Congolese Labour Party. Scientific socialism was the constitutional ideology. United Nations Integrated Regional Information Network (UN-IRIN), "Congo-Kinshasa: Kolelas recognizes Sassou-Nguesso." © 2020 Moody’s Analytics, Inc. and/or its affiliates and licensors. The new president, Marien Ngouabi, participated in the coup. Multiparty elections were held beginning in 1992 but a civil war in 1997 ousted the government. In one assessment by the World Food Programme, more than 15 percent of children in Pool were found to be suffering from acute malnutrition. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003. They estimated a population of 125,000 gorillas, who have been isolated from humans by swamps that are inhospitable. Congo-Brazzaville; More on this story. Victims describe persecution by soldiers and their militia allies at army roadblocks and recount being used as human shields by rebel militia forces" (Freedom House, Freedom in the World, 1999-2000, p. 2). United States, Department of State (U.S. DOS), Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1995, (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, April 1996). The Bakongo, a Bantu ethnic group, also occupied parts of modern day Gabon, Angola, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. The human rights situation: Human rights and news reports have documented grave rights violations committed by all three major contending parties in the Republic of Congo--the Cobras and regular security forces loyal to President Sassou Nguesso; the Cocoyes of former-President Lissouba; and the Ninjas of former-Prime Minister Bernard Kolelas. ), 3.06% (male 66,962/female 84,666) (2017 est.). The political and economic issues have hurt the education system. The departments are Bouenza, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Brazzaville, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha, and Pointe Noire. Governments in the region should swiftly implement the Nairobi recommendations. IRIN was granted rare access to the region, and was able to document the toll of the 20-month conflict. Augustin Loufoua fled his village when he heard the helicopters. Alternative Titles: Congo-Brazzaville, People’s Republic of the Congo, République Populaire du Congo, République du Congo Republic of the Congo, country situated astride the Equator in west-central Africa. 1999: "Rebel militiamen were responsible for serious abuses, including summary execution, rape and extortion. The Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) points to the weaknesses in the implementation of economic diversification reforms, as here in Brazzaville. Regarding the agreements concluded with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the report notes that some countries have, however, achieved ", To listen: CEMAC seeks to boost its economies, Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox, Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application, Cemac decides to support companies facing the consequences of the coronavirus, The African debate - Republic of the Congo: the results of 60 years of independence, Guest Africa - Congo-Brazzaville, death of Pascal Lissouba: "He was a democrat, he inspired confidence", Eco from here eco from elsewhere - Three African economists living in the United States talk to you, News calls - [1] Republic of Congo: 60 years of independence, Congo: Dieudonné Bantsimba becomes new mayor of Brazzaville, Pascal Lissouba's family wishes to repatriate his body to Congo-Brazzaville, Culture report - "The Bantous of the capital", the benchmark orchestra of Brazzaville and the independence of Congo, Congo-B: concern remains high for General Mokoko ultimately negative at Covid-19, Here they find the hole in Estonia's hull - "it is completely imprinted here", The authors of the Estonia documentary were completely surprised by the vision on the side of the wreck - “That's completely sunk in”, Christian Lüth: "The worse Germany is doing, the better for the AfD", Demands for a new investigation after new underwater images in Estonia, Armenia vs. Azerbaijan: State of war after heavy fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, Preem withdraws the application for expansion in Lysekil, Control of a fire in Aster Hospital in Al-Mankhool area, De Jonge: 'It's not good enough, that's the reality', Estonia researcher: The hole in the bottom of the ship has been talked about for at least twenty years, but it has not been found before - the damage came when the sea hit, Trump only paid $ 750 in federal taxes the year he won the presidential election, The Supreme Court reduces to 2 years the sentence against the teacher accused of abusing a child at the Gaztelueta school, Car protest against savings proposals that were never considered, Football, 14 members of Genoa positive for Coronavirus, Tennis Grand Slam tournament: Kerber fails in round one at the French Open, TsPVS announced the preparation of provocations by militants in Syria.