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Congo

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Map of Congo Last reviewed: 17 December 2007

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HISTORY

The first European contact with the country dates from the late 15th century. But it was not until 1880 that an explorer, Pierre de Brazza, concluded the treaties that secured the new territory as a colony for France. In 1910 the Republic of Congo became the administrative centre of the Federation of French Equatorial Africa (AEF). It achieved independence in August 1960.

The post-independence experience of civilian government was short-lived. In 1963 a one-party Marxist-Leninist state was introduced. In 1968 there was a military coup. For the next 24 years, there was a succession of military governments – led by Captain Ngouabi (1968-77), Colonel Yhombi-Opango (1977- 80) and Colonel Sassou-Nguesso (1980-92). All 3 military leaders hailed from the sparsely populated north of the country. The military continued to be guided by Marxism-Leninism with the sole legal party, the PCT, as the vanguard.

Following pressure for democratisation, Sassou-Nguesso agreed to a National Conference which produced a new multi-party constitution, endorsed in a referendum in 1992. Elections followed. In the Presidential election, Pascal Lissouba of UPADS won with 61.37% of the vote beating his nearest rival Bernard Kolelas of MDCCI. Sassou-Nguesso of the PCT came a poor third in the first round. UPADS and the MCDDI, representing the centre-south and south respectively, also won the majority of seats in both the National Assembly and Senate, leaving the PCT poorly represented. The power shift destabilised the country. Conflict between the Army (the old regime’s power base) and militias sponsored by the political parties (PCT, UPADS and MCDDI) broke out. Some 2,000 deaths were reported in the second half of 1993. The militias were not disbanded despite a peace agreement.

Civil war broke out 1 month before the next elections, scheduled for July 1997. It continued for 5 months causing thousands of deaths, displaced populations and refugees together with the destruction of the infrastructure and damage to other key assets. The civil war was finally settled when Angola lent its military support to Sassou-Nguesso. After gaining military supremacy in Brazzaville and Pointe Noire, Sassou-Nguesso returned to power proclaiming himself President. The ousted President Lissouba and Prime Minister Kolelas fled. The planned elections did not take place, the constitution was suspended and a 3-year transitional arrangement was put in place.But the militias fought on sporadically for another 2 years. Some 700,000 Congolese from the south were displaced by the conflict. A fragile peace agreement was reached in November 1999. In the same month, warrants for the arrest of Lissouba and Kolelas were issued. They were tried in absentia for treason and sentenced to death.

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Congo

Address:

37 bis Rue Paul Valéry
75116 Paris
France


Telephone:

(00) 33 1 45 00 6057

Fax:

(00) 33 1 40 67 1733

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