Democratic Republic Of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo is a central African country and the second-largest nation on the continent by area, covering about 2.3-million square kilometres. Its capital is Kinshasa, and the country has an estimated population exceeding 100-million, making it one of Africa's most populous states. The economy is heavily reliant on mining, with the Democratic Republic of Congo holding the world's largest reserves of cobalt and significant deposits of copper, diamonds, gold, coltan and other minerals critical to global technology and energy-transition supply chains. Agriculture also employs a large share of the workforce, with key exports including coffee, palm oil and timber. The national currency is the Congolese franc. The country operates as a semi-presidential republic, though governance has been marked by prolonged conflict, weak institutions and corruption. The Democratic Republic of Congo is a member of the Southern African Development Community, the African Union and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Its vast mineral wealth contrasts sharply with widespread poverty and underdevelopment, exacerbated by decades of war, displacement and poor infrastructure. The eastern provinces remain affected by armed groups and intercommunal violence, complicating efforts to exploit resources and deliver services. Since independence from Belgium in 1960, the country has experienced dictatorship under Mobutu Sese Seko, civil wars in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and contested elections, with ongoing efforts to stabilise governance and attract foreign investment in the mining sector.
Democratic Republic Of Congo Updates
Daily Podcast – June 09, 2026
By: Thabi Shomolekae 9th June 2026 Making headlines: GDP increased by 0.5% in the first quarter; Cholera outbreak in Nigeria's Borno kills 74; And, WHO says Congo Ebola contact... →
Congo Ebola contact tracing is below target but has improved, WHO says
By: Reuters 9th June 2026 Efforts to trace contacts in the Democratic Republic of Congo to try to contain the country's Ebola outbreak have improved but are below target,... →
The hunt for a new Ebola vaccine: two scientists explain the challenges
9th June 2026 The ongoing Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda has now killed 61 people, with 359 confirmed cases. The... →
Kenyan police fire tear gas during protest against US Ebola quarantine facility
By: Reuters 9th June 2026 Kenyan police fired tear gas on Tuesday to scatter protesters in the central town of Nanyuki opposing a quarantine centre for Americans exposed to... →
Central African Republic to accept third-country deportees from US, sources say
By: Reuters 8th June 2026 Central African Republic has agreed to take in migrants from other countries deported by the United States, two sources with knowledge of the... →
Daily Podcast – June 5, 2026
5th June 2026 Making headlines: Busa, BLSA call for leadership intervention amidst immigration unrest My Vote Counts warns Rise Mzansi’s R30m donation exposes... →
US domestic treatment centres ready for Ebola even as Kenya plans persist
By: Reuters 5th June 2026 Most of the 13 US treatment centres in a government-funded hospital network for severe infectious diseases are ready to handle patients, including... →
Daily Podcast – June 04, 2026
By: Thabi Shomolekae 4th June 2026 Making headlines: South Africa to send envoys to other African countries after xenophobic attacks; Business leaders demand government step in to... →
Congo reports attack on Ebola burial team as cases rise
By: Reuters 4th June 2026 Residents attacked an Ebola burial team in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's South Kivu province this week, forcing responders to abandon a... →
Ruto says allowing US to build Ebola facility in Kenya is the 'right thing'
By: Reuters 4th June 2026 Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday said his government was doing "the right thing" by allowing the United States to set up an Ebola... →
