{"id":887,"date":"2019-04-19T15:51:03","date_gmt":"2019-04-19T19:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migration.statedeptredesign.hugeops.com\/?post_type=state_country&p=887"},"modified":"2020-11-30T23:48:26","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T04:48:26","slug":"democratic-republic-of-the-congo","status":"publish","type":"state_country","link":"https:\/\/2017-2021.state.gov\/countries-areas\/democratic-republic-of-the-congo\/","title":{"rendered":"Democratic Republic of the Congo"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"parent":0,"template":"","state_bureaus":[357],"state_countries_and_areas":[140],"state_policy_issues":[1571,1575,1577,1582],"state_states":[],"state_author_groups":[],"state_rss_feeds":[],"acf":{"img_flag":889,"link_button":{"title":"Subscribe","url":"http:\/\/service.govdelivery.com\/service\/subscribe.html?code=USSTATEBPA_12","target":"_blank"},"link_subscribe":{"link_button":{"title":"Subscribe","url":"http:\/\/service.govdelivery.com\/service\/subscribe.html?code=USSTATEBPA_12","target":"_blank"}},"link_fact_sheet":"https:\/\/2017-2021.state.gov\/u-s-relations-with-democratic-republic-of-the-congo\/","url_embassies_consulates":"https:\/\/cd.usembassy.gov\/","link_bureau":"https:\/\/2017-2021.state.gov\/bureaus-offices\/under-secretary-for-political-affairs\/bureau-of-african-affairs\/","text_notice_title":"International Travel Information","text_notice_desc":"What you need to know before you go: visas, embassy & consulate locations, vaccinations, etc.","text_notice_cta":"Learn More","link_notice_cta":"https:\/\/travel.state.gov\/content\/travel\/en\/international-travel\/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages\/DemocraticRepublicoftheCongoDRC.html","po_featured_article_selector":"","select_tag_exclusion":[],"tf_include_relationships":true,"group_relationship":{"text_relationship_title":"U.S. Relationship","repeater_relationship_topics":[{"text_relationship_topic_title":"U.S.-Democratic Republic of the Congo Relations","textarea_relationship_topic_content":"The U.S. established diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.) in 1960, following its independence from Belgium. U.S. foreign policy in the D.R.C. is focused on helping the country become a nation that is stable and democratic, at peace with its neighbors, extends state authority across its territory, and provides for the basic needs of its citizens. "},{"text_relationship_topic_title":"U.S. Assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo","textarea_relationship_topic_content":"U.S. foreign assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.) supports the country\u2019s long-term transition to more effective and empowering development. To achieve this goal, USAID invests substantially in three objectives: that selected national-level institutions more effectively implement their mandates; that lives are improved through coordinated development approaches in select regions; and that the foundation for durable peace is strengthened in eastern D.R.C."},{"text_relationship_topic_title":"Bilateral Economic Relations","textarea_relationship_topic_content":"The top U.S. import from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.) is copper, accounting for close to 70% of all U.S. imports. The two countries have signed a bilateral investment treaty. The U.S. also has signed a trade and investment framework agreement with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, of which the D.R.C. is a member. The D.R.C. promotes entrepreneurship with women business owners by participating in exchange programs through the United States International Visitor Leadership Program."}],"pl_relationship_fact_sheet":"https:\/\/2017-2021.state.gov\/u-s-relations-with-democratic-republic-of-the-congo\/"},"text_resources_title":"Additional Resources","text_resources_h1":"U.S. Department of State","rep_resources_internal_selector":[{"po_internal_resource":{"ID":846,"post_author":"14","post_date":"2017-01-20 10:02:48","post_date_gmt":"2017-01-20 15:02:48","post_content":"","post_title":"Bureau of African Affairs","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"bureau-of-african-affairs","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2020-11-30 23:48:28","post_modified_gmt":"2020-12-01 04:48:28","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":1860,"guid":"https:\/\/migration.statedeptredesign.hugeops.com\/?post_type=state_bureau&p=846","menu_order":0,"post_type":"state_bureau","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"po_internal_resource":{"ID":53303,"post_author":"18","post_date":"2019-04-10 14:17:09","post_date_gmt":"2019-04-10 18:17:09","post_content":"","post_title":"Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"special-envoy-to-the-great-lakes-region-of-africa","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2020-11-30 22:45:59","post_modified_gmt":"2020-12-01 03:45:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":846,"guid":"https:\/\/2017-2021.state.gov\/?post_type=state_bureau&p=53303","menu_order":0,"post_type":"state_bureau","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"po_internal_resource":{"ID":17965,"post_author":"14","post_date":"2018-12-19 14:56:58","post_date_gmt":"2018-12-19 19:56:58","post_content":"The U.S. Department of State\u2019s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) works to keep Americans safe at home by countering international crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. INL helps countries deliver justice and fairness by strengthening their police, courts, and corrections systems. These efforts reduce the amount of crime and illegal drugs reaching U.S. shores.\r\n\r\nA more stable Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is essential to the security and economic growth for the Great Lakes Region. The DRC has a population of nearly 77 million people and is the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa that borders nine other nations. The DRC has substantial natural resource wealth, including an estimated USD $25 trillion in mineral reserves, yet remains one of the poorest countries in the world, possessing weak governmental institutions and an underdeveloped infrastructure.\r\n\r\nChallenge<\/span><\/b>s<\/span><\/b>:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>The D<\/span>emocratic Republic of the Congo (D<\/span>RC<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0faces\u00a0<\/span>political, structural, and socioeconomic\u00a0<\/span>challenges<\/span>, which\u00a0<\/span>include inadequate infrastructure, corruption, and a limited capacity to raise and manage\u00a0<\/span>national\u00a0<\/span>revenues.\u00a0<\/span>Ongoing internal and cross-border violence, instability, and the presence of numerous armed groups, particularly in the eastern provinces, slow development efforts.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nGoals:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>INL has provided security sector reform assistance to the D<\/span>RC<\/span>\u00a0since 2008.\u00a0<\/span>As the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa with borders c<\/span>onnecting to nine other nations, r<\/span>egional stability and security is dependent on durable peace in the DRC<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>U.S. foreign policy in the DRC is focused on supporting the country to uphold democratic processes and effective governance, promoting stability and peace within the country and with its neighbors, improving security and justice institutions to strengthen state authority across its territory,\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>developing institutions that are accountable and responsive to the basic needs of its citizens<\/span>. This commitment was reaffirmed in April 2019 through the U.S.-DRC Privileged Partnership for Peace and Prosperity (PP4PP).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nI<\/span>n line with the goals of the PP4PP,\u00a0<\/span>current INL program<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0support<\/span>\u00a0law enforcement, justice sector, and anticorruption efforts<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Effective\u00a0<\/span>civilian law enforcement is essential to building the systems to support stability in the DRC and the Great Lakes Region, by combatting international criminal syndicates financed by mineral, timber, and wildlife trafficking<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nAccomplishments:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>INL supports a law enforcement program in the DRC that focuses on training and building capacity of civilian law enforcement through community policing and mining police training to improve citizen security and increase national stability.\u00a0<\/span>INL<\/span>\u00a0has supported training for more than 2,000 officers across community, mining, and border police units.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n