Congo

Congo is the name applied to two states, the much larger Democratic Republic of Congo (also known as Congo-Kinshasa, after its capital, and formerly known as Zaire) and the Republic of Congo, whose capital is Brazzaville. They are in Central Africa, on either side of the Congo River, with their capitals only a few miles apart.

The Republic of Congo was a French colony until 1960, while the DRC was a personal possession of the Belgian King Leopold II, who oversaw a regime of notable savagery. It was then a colony of the Belgian state from 1908 to 1960, and after independence soon descended into conflict.

Since the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide spilled across its border in 1994 Congo-Kinshasa has endured two invasions and a civil war. After that discord officially ended in 2002, in 2008 an estimated 45,000 people a month were still dying as a result of internal conflict.  Unicef says that one in five children dies before the age of five, and 13 of every thousand pregnancies ends in death for the mother.

by Natalie Bennett Are you a writer, passionate about this or any other topic? Join Blogcritics!

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “Congo”

• D. R. of Congo : Human rights activists house burnt down

  
  Global Voices Online — Authority: 704
  Ouvertures website [fr] reports that the house of human rights activist, Emmanuel Kabengele Kalonji, in Congo has been burnt down while he is in Morocco to receive the Harubuntu Award from the Belgian NGO, Echos. His family was able to escape unharmed.
  8 hours ago

• Whats The Source Of Water?

  
  Ending Extreme Poverty in the Congo — Authority: 128
    Do you know where water comes from?  Some of you may answer, it comes from the store in plastic bottles.  Now, some of you may answer, it comes from your city or town.  Even others of you may answer, it comes from the water faucet.  If you lived in rural Congo, you would know it comes from that creek or ...
  11 hours ago

• Do unto others …

  
  duckrabbit - we produce beautifully crafted multimedia — Authority: 432
  Very roughly some 2000 years ago we nailed some bloke called Jesus to a tree. Nothing new about that. Nailing people to trees was a rather effective form of crowd control. Since then though a lot of people have been following this Jesus bloke. One of his oft quoted mantras was treat other people people as you would ...
  1 day ago

• Pope delivers Christmas message after attack by woman (Third Lead)

  
  Thaindian News — Authority: 732
  Vatican City, Dec 25 (DPA) Pope Benedict XVI delivered his Christmas Day message and blessing Friday, showing no apparent affects from the fall he sustained when a psychologically disturbed woman knocked him down during midnight mass.The 82-year-old pontiff also delivered his Christmas good-wishes in 65 languages ...
  1 day ago

• Chimps use tools to cut up their food

  
  Thaindian News — Authority: 732
  London, Dec 25 (ANI): Chimps from Nimba Mountains of Guinea, Africa, use stone and wooden cleavers along with stone anvils to cut up Treculia fruits.PhD student Kathelijne Koops and Professor William McGrew of the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, University of Cambridge, UK, observed a group of apes ...
  1 day ago

• Congos CNDD ex-rebels say to get jobs "at all levels"

  
  AlertNet Newsdesk — Authority: 690
  Source: Reuters KINSHASA, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Congo has agreed to give jobs to former eastern rebels at all levels of government in return for the Tutsi-led fighters dismantling roadblocks by the middle of January, ...
  2 days ago

• SOUTH AFRICA: No goodwill for foreign nationals

  
  AlertNet Newsdesk — Authority: 690
  Source: IRIN There is little or no goodwill towards foreign nationals from African states living in South Africa.
  2 days ago

• When Santa Comes To The Village

  
  Ending Extreme Poverty in the Congo — Authority: 128
  Santa is known for bringing joy and merriment to children of all ages.  In Congo, Santa comes under slight different conditions. Since the majority of Congo lies below the equator.  So, it is in the south hemisphere.  Therefore, Christmas Day occurs during the summer. But Christmas or winter have no effect on the ...
  2 days ago

• World Briefing | Africa: Congo: Short Extension for U.N. Force

  
  NYT > Theater — Authority: 904
  The United Nations Security Council took the unusual step on Wednesday of extending the mandate of the 20,000-member peacekeeping force in Congo only until May, instead of for a year.
  3 days ago

• Genocide against the Hutu People

  
  uganda — Authority: 114
  War criminal: Paul Kagame This video is just one scene of Paul Kagame’s crimes of Genocide and crimes against Humanity. Ten other scenes are known in Northern Rwanda and other parts of DR Congo. Paul Kagame and his accomplices of the RPF/A(Rwanda Patriotic/Front Army) should be held accountable for the genocide ...
  3 days ago

• After COP15 Copenhagen: Reactions from the African blogosphere

  
  Global Voices Online — Authority: 704
  Since the close of the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, press reactions have varied, ranging from guarded optimism to frustrated hand-wringing to indignant fury. Many commentators emphasized that though all nations will suffer from the effects of climate change, it is nations in Africa ...
  3 days ago

• UN extends mandate of Congo peacekeeping force (Reuters)

  
  Relevant News — Authority: 178
  Reuters - The U.N. Security Council voted on Wednesday to renew the mandate of peacekeepers in Congo by five months instead of the usual year amid plans to shift its role in the war-torn country.
  3 days ago

• UN extends mandate of Congo peacekeeping force

  
  AlertNet Newsdesk — Authority: 690
  Source: Reuters * Biggest U.N. force in the world * Council wants new focus on training Congo army (Adds details, background) By Basil Katz UNITED NATIONS, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council voted on ...
  3 days ago

• FACTBOX-International efforts at military reform in Congo

  
  AlertNet Newsdesk — Authority: 690
  Source: Reuters Dec 23 (Reuters) - Congos President Joseph Kabila wants the United Nations largest peacekeeping force to have an exit strategy by mid-2010 but foreign donors must invest hundreds of millions of ...
  3 days ago

• Eastern Congo: “We are forced to flee every two months”

  
  Voices from the Field — Authority: 123
  Storm clouds are gathering and the wind is tugging at the plastic sheeting covering the hundreds of makeshift shelters that make up the Mungote camp in Congo’s troubled North Kivu province. Over 30,000 people live here, unable to work and with little access to food. The camp sits on a large lava field, a reminder ...
  3 days ago

• ANALYSIS-Congo military reform needs more money, coordination

  
  AlertNet Newsdesk — Authority: 690
  Source: Reuters * Security reform central to stability but failing * Congo wants U.N. mission to plan drawing down * Security efforts need more money, coordination By Thomas Hubert KINSHASA, Dec 23 (Reuters ...
  3 days ago

• Santa’s bump

  
  J.A.C.K. — Authority: 411
  Hi Everyone, Just a few lines today to tell you Santa is doing a lot better and that the bump is fading. She can now open her eye easily and she’s playful again! Thanks for all your hugs, love and attention, Roxane
  3 days ago

• Help take on conflict minerals

  
  Swords into Plowshares — Authority: 136
  Urge Your Representative to Cosponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act The Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009, H.R. 4128 , introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-Washington), would help develop the means to ensure that the multimillion dollar trade in minerals ...
  3 days ago

• UN: Ensure Peacekeepers in Congo Focus on Protecting Civilians

  
  http://www.hrw.org/en/news — Authority: 657
  (New York) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should ensure that the UN peacekeeping force in Congo focuses on protecting civilians and avoids supporting Congolese army operations that implicate peacekeepers in violations of the laws of war, Human Rights Watch said today. The UN Security Council is expected to adopt a ...
  3 days ago

• Groups call for U.N. rights monitor for Congo

  
  AlertNet Newsdesk — Authority: 690
  Source: Reuters * Rights situation said deteriorating * Monitor vital to help control excesses * Army accused of summary executions, rape GENEVA, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Campaign groups from around the world, ...
  3 days ago

Comments about Congo