Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1999

The cease-fire agreement that, it was hoped, would bring an end to the rebellion that had raged in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since August 1998 received its final signatures late in August 1999. The agreement resulted from intense efforts by Pres. Frederick Chiluba of Zambia, who led the mediators, and was made possible by a plan of action proposed by the South African government that proved acceptable to all participants in the struggle. It had not been easy; because of a disagreement over who should be their signatory, the rebels themselves had refused to sign the agreement for seven weeks after every other combatant had signed.

Earlier, an end to hostilities had seemed unlikely because the rebel Tutsi forces, backed by Uganda and Rwanda, were making considerable territorial advances at the expense of both government troops and their Zimbabwean allies. Manono, the hometown of Pres. Laurent Kabila, had been captured in June, and the central diamond-mining town of Mbuji Mayi was under threat. Although receipts from the sale of diamonds had fallen sharply, the government relied heavily on diamond sales to finance the war because the rest of the economy had collapsed.

The cease-fire could be seen as only a preliminary step toward solving Congo’s problems. There remained the fundamental question of how the country would be organized in the future, and this problem was compounded by the residual fear that part of it might be annexed by the rebels and their supporters. Kabila’s government had shown itself singularly incapable of managing the economy and of providing public services. Foreign investors, who had quickly moved in to take advantage of the overthrow of Pres. Mobutu Sese Seko, had become disillusioned by the government’s inability to deal with the rebellion.

In January, to demonstrate its authority and to support the new Congolese franc introduced in June 1998, the government outlawed local transactions in foreign currency, including U.S. dollars, which had been the one secure basis upon which to conduct business. A consequence of this act was that diamond producers preferred, whenever possible, to smuggle their goods out of the country rather than be paid in untransferable Congolese francs. This reduction in the exports that paid for imported foreign goods imposed a severe handicap on internal trade, which was adversely affected also by a shortage of fuel due to the government’s insistence on fixing prices for petroleum at an unprofitably low level. By July the annual rate of inflation was officially recognized as having reached 240%.

Internal criticism of the government was muted, partly through fear of arrest but mainly because there was little confidence that any competent alternative regime was likely to present itself. The rebels, relying heavily upon foreign financial and military assistance for their success, were considered unacceptable in that role.

Quick Facts
Area: 2,344,858 sq km (905,354 sq mi)
Population (1999 est.): 50,481,000
Capital: Kinshasa
Head of state and government: President Laurent-Désireé Kabila
Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1999
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Harvard
  • Chicago
You have successfully emailed this.
Error when sending the email. Try again later.
Edit Mode
Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1999
Tips For Editing




Thank You for Your Contribution!



Uh Oh


Email this page