Central African Republic–Democratic Republic of the Congo relations

CAR–DRC relations
Map indicating locations of Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo

Central African Republic
DR Congo

Central African Republic–Democratic Republic of the Congo relations refers to the current and historic bilateral relationship between the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The two countries are neighbours and share a border 1,747 km long. Due to the military conflicts on both sides of the border, many refugees have crossed into the other's territory. There were about 200,000 Congolese nationals in the Central African Republic as of 2014,[1] and there were around 100,000 Central African refugees in the DRC as of 2016.[2]

The current Congolese ambassador to the Central African Republic is Gaspard Mugaruka, who has been in that office since 2002. Before that the DRC did not have an embassy in CAR for ten years.[3][4]

Military cooperation

Congolese FARDC peacekeepers in the Central African Republic

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) have had peacekeepers in the neighbouring country since at least 2003 due to the ongoing political instability and civil war. During the 2003 Central African Republic coup d'état, there were 370 FARDC troops in Bangui as part of CEMAC peacekeeping mission.[5] As of 2014 there were 850 FARDC soldiers and 150 officers of the Congolese National Police as peacekeepers in CAR due to the civil war that started in 2012.[6]

The two governments also cooperated in dealing with the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Près de 600 Congolais vivant en Centrafrique ont fui l’insécurité à Bangui (in French). ReliefWeb. Published 15 January 2014.
  2. ^ Marie-Laurence Flahaux and Bruno Schoumaker (20 April 2016). Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Migration History Marked by Crises and Restrictions. Migration Policy Institute.
  3. ^ Gaspard Mugaruka : « Nous avons tenu à redorer l’image de la RDC en Centrafrique » (in French). Radio Okapi. Published 20 January 2014.
  4. ^ Centrafrique: Ambassadeur Gaspard Mugaruka : « Le changement intervenu le 15 mars 2003 à Bangui a été favorable aux relations entre la Rdc et la Rca » (in French). All Africa. Published 27 February 2006.
  5. ^ "Hollande discusses Central Africa troop presence with DRC’s Kabila in Paris" Archived 22 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine, RFI, 21 May 2014.
  6. ^ Célébration à Bangui du 51ème anniversaire de l’indépendance de la République Démocratique du Congo (in French). Agence Centraafricaine de Presse. Published 5 July 2011.