 DR Congo |  Italy |
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Democratic Republic of the Congo- Italy relations are the current and historical foreign and trade relations between Democratic Republic of the Congo and Italy.
DR Congo | Italy |
|---|---|
Democratic Republic of the Congo- Italy relations are the current and historical foreign and trade relations between Democratic Republic of the Congo and Italy.
The Italian Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was established in 1960 in Kinshasa. [1] The Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo is located in Rome. [2]
The relations between Italy and the Congo Free State, a ‘personally-owned colony’ of Leopold II of Belgium, started from 1884. A largely overlooked role of Italian citizens and the government in the “Congo question” has been linked to the events that led the State of Congo and its associated private companies to involve a significant number of civilian and military officials of Italian origin. In particular, a group of officers of the Italian Army was sent to the Congo in 1903 for a three-year term, within an agreement which also foresaw the settlement of Italian colonists in the interior of the country. In the same period, Leopold II organised a propaganda campaign in Italy with the aim of obtaining a favorable outcome for the agreement. The Italian government played a relatively neutral role, as it was mainly concerned with pursuing a policy of Italian “presence” in Central Africa. [3]
The independence of the Belgian colony seemed stable until 1955. The first reports concerning independence were sent from the Brussels embassy starting on June 8, 1960.The main concerns seemed to come from the fate of the Italian colonists. In Leopoldville, the Italian consul general, Vittorio Mascia, on May 18, 1960, noted that tension had risen in the context of the elections in Congo. The Italian settlers were restless: some women and children had fled the country. He asked the Belgians to strengthen their security apparatus and to appoint a minister to reside in Congo "until independence". By the time of the celebration of the declaration of independence of Congo, on June 30, 1960, the Italian delegation was significantly reduced.The president of the Italian republic, Giovanni Gronchi talked to the Congolese prime minister, Patrice Lumumba; the two exchanged diplomatic promises of good cooperation. [4]
On 22 February 2021, in North Kivu, a region on the border with Rwanda, a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy was attacked and 3 people were killed. [5] They were a WFP employee, Mustapha Milambo, the Ambassador of Italy in DRC, Luca Attanasio, and a Carabinieri officer Vittorio Iacobacci. North Kivu is an unstable region in DRC where ethnic conflicts and conflicts over control of the area's resources and illegal trafficking occur frequently. The resources are gold, gems and coltan, a component used for electronic devices. Since 2010, UN blue helmets have also intervened to restore order with the mission called MONUSCO. The conflicts are part of a broader context in which over 20 ethnic groups and their militia are supported by other international actors, such as the governments of neighbouring states and by the Islamic State of Caliph al-Baghdadi. [6]
The gross domestic product of the Democratic Republic of the Congo stands at $38 billion. With a population of about 92 million people, the GDP per capita is 560 dollars compared to the Italian one which is close to 35,000. However, the GDP growth rate is much higher in the DRC (5.8% per year in 2018) than in Italy (0.8%). [7]
Trade relations between the two countries is disproportionately unbalanced in favor of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2013, Italy imported over 500 million euros worth of goods from the African country, compared with exports in the opposite direction of just 67 million euros. Over the years, the deficit has undergone adjustments, but the gap is still wide: in 2019, compared with exports of 63 million euros, Italy was importing 250 million. Italian exports are varied and mainly concern ships, boats, agricultural machinery, motors, electric distributors. Imports are mainly based on the products of the Congolese mining industry. [8]
From 2016 to 2019 Italy's net direct investment in the Democratic Republic of Congo dropped from 58 million to -17 million. [9]
On 17 November 2016 the Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection and the Environment, Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development of Democratic Republic of Congo Ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in the field of climate change mitigation and adaptation. On this occasion, a Joint Committee was also set up to define the Work Plans and activities undertaken in Democratic Republic of Congo. Italy is funding the project with 2 million euros. [10]
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Kinshasa, DRC, DR Congo, or simply the Congo and known from 1971–1997 as Zaire, is a country in Central Africa. By land area, the DRC is the second-largest country in Africa and the 11th-largest in the world. With a population of around 112 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populous officially Francophone country in the world. The national capital and largest city is Kinshasa, which is also the economic center. The country is bordered by the Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, the Cabinda exclave of Angola and the South Atlantic Ocean.
The mining industry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo produces copper, diamonds, tantalum, tin, gold, and more than 63% of global cobalt production. Minerals and petroleum are central to the DRC's economy, making up more than 95% of the value of its exports.
Italy–South Africa relations are foreign relations between the Italian Republic and the Republic of South Africa. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1929. Italy has an embassy in Pretoria, a consulate-general in Johannesburg and a consulate in Cape Town. South Africa has an embassy in Rome and a consulate-general in Milan.
Agriculture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is an industry in the country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has plenty of potential.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo was a net energy exporter in 2008. Most energy was consumed domestically in 2008. According to the IEA statistics the energy export was in 2008 small and less than from the Republic of Congo. 2010 population figures were 3.8 million for the RC compared to CDR 67.8 Million.
Its location in the center of Africa has made the Democratic Republic of the Congo a key player in the region since independence. Because of its size, mineral wealth, and strategic location, Zaire was able to capitalize on Cold War tensions to garner support from the West. In the early 1990s, however, with the end of the Cold War and in the face of growing evidence of human rights abuses, Western support waned as pressure for internal reform increased.
The People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have maintained diplomatic relations since 1961 and contacts between the two regions stretch back to 1887 when representatives of the Congo Free State established contacts with the court of the Qing dynasty. The first treaty between the two powers was signed in 1898.
Democratic Republic of the Congo–Kenya relations are bilateral relations between Kenya and Democratic Republic of the Congo. The DRC is a strategic partner of Kenya in many areas, particularly trade and security.
Coffee production in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is centered in the Lake Kivu provinces. There are about 11,000 coffee farmers in the country who produce two main varieties of coffee, Robusta and Arabica.
Democratic Republic of the Congo–India relations are the international relations that exist between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and India.
Democratic Republic of the Congo–Spain relations are the bilateral relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Spain. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has an embassy in Kinshasa.
Events in the year 2021 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Events in the year 2021 in the Republic of the Congo.
Luca Attanasio was an Italian diplomat who served as the ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2017 until his murder there in 2021.
Luca Attanasio, the Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was killed on 22 February 2021 along with two other people when a World Food Programme (WFP) delegation travelling on a field visit was attacked by armed individuals. The two-vehicle convoy with seven people was travelling in the Congolese province of North Kivu, from the province's capital of Goma to a WFP school feeding programme in Rutshuru, a town 70 kilometres north of Goma, on a route that would have taken the vehicles through Virunga National Park. The attack occurred at 10:15 a.m. local time near the townships of Kibumba and Kanyamahoro. The WFP and North Kivu governor Carly Nzanzu said the convoy did not have a security escort at the time of the attack. In 2023, six men were convicted of murder.
Italy–Ukraine relations are the bilateral relations between Italy and Ukraine. Italy has an embassy in Kyiv. Ukraine has an embassy in Rome and consulates in Milan and Naples. Italy is a member of the European Union, which Ukraine applied for in 2022. Both nations are members of the Council of Europe.
Central African Republic-Germany relations are the bilateral relations between the Central African Republic (CAR) and Germany. The relations between both countries are described by the Federal Foreign Office as "problem-free, but of low intensity". Since the closure of the German Embassy in Bangui, the German Embassy in Cameroon has been responsible for relations with the Central African Republic. The Central African Republic is one of the few countries that does not have its own embassy in Germany. The Central African Embassy in Paris is responsible for relations with Germany.
Democratic Republic of the Congo–Germany relations are primarily characterized by the development aid that Germany provides in the DR Congo. Germany is one of the most important donor countries to the DR Congo.
DR Congo–France are the bilateral diplomatic relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and France. Both nations are members of the Organisation internationale de la francophonie and the United Nations.
Events of the year 2023 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.