Boarding Pass to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congo: Africa’s world war?

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) is a vast country with immense economic resources and, until recently, has been at the center of what some observers call “Africa’s world war”, with widespread civilian suffering the result.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the second-largest country in Africa and is both a major source of displaced people while also hosting several refugees from neighboring countries.

In addition to the over half a million refugees living in the DRC, there are also 5 million people who have been internally displaced due to conflict in the country. Ever since the DRC won its independence in 1960, there has been ongoing fighting throughout the country. Despite the end of a civil war in 2003, violence continues to plague regions of the DRC and has forced millions to flee from their homes.

The largest Congolese communities in the U.S. are Boston, New York City, and the Washington, D.C.–Baltimore area. There is also a significant population of Congolese Americans in the Charlotte and Raleigh areas, in of the state North Carolina, in North Texas, in Ohio, especially around the Columbus area, and in Iowa, where the Congolese community of DRC this growing due to sending refugees. There is also a growing population in Portland, Maine.

Since 2001, many Congolese refugees of the DRC have been resettled in the United States. So, in 2013, it was estimated that more than 10,000 Congolese refugees of DRC living in this country, more than 3,000 of which arrived to United States in 2010.

Verbio helps you communicate with diverse groups (migrants, minority cultures, etc.) within your own community.

• Country: République Democratique du Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
• Capital: Kinshasa (largest city in central Africa)
• Currency: Congo franc (FC)
• Population: 101,780,000 (2020)
• Languages: French is the official language and is used in governmental activities. Lingala and Monokutuba are commonly spoken trade languages. Over sixty local languages and dialects are spoken, the most widely used of which are Kikongo, Sangha, and Bateke. A talking drum language developed in the villages as a form of long-distance communication. Specific beats are broadcast for marriages, deaths, births, and other information.

*Many Congolese are multilingual, and the language used depends on the context. For instance, a government official might use French to set a tone of formality and authority with another official, use Lingala when buying goods at a market, and the local language when in his home village.

**Recent immigrants can speak less English than the earlier Congolese migrants., and because of this, it has been more difficult for recent immigrants to adapt to life in the United States; the earlier immigrants were better-educated.

Learn what other languages Verbio works with: https://verbiogroup.com/languages/

Officially known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country has a 25-mile (40-km) coastline on the Atlantic Ocean but is otherwise landlocked. It is the second-largest country on the continent; only Algeria is larger. The capital, Kinshasa, is located on the Congo River about 320 miles (515 km) from its mouth. The largest city in central Africa, it serves as the country’s official administrative, economic, and cultural center. The country is often referred to by its acronym, the DRC, or called Congo (Kinshasa), with the capital added parenthetically, to distinguish it from the other Congo republic, which is officially called the Republic of the Congo and is often referred to as Congo (Brazzaville).

CULTURAL TIP

The Congolese take great pride in their appearance and manner of dress. Regardless of financial status, it is common to wear clean and pressed handmade garments. There is a certain formality in social interactions in both urban and rural areas. An inquiry must be made about one’s health and family to indicate the required level of respect. Older people are shown respect through physical gestures, and agreement with them is considered more important than frankness.

Do you seek help with strategy and communications to identify and negotiate with a new manufacturer or distributor? Verbio can help.

ECONOMICS

In 2019, Congo (Kinshasa) GDP was an estimated $49.0 billion (current market exchange rates); real GDP was up by an estimated 4.4%; and the population was 98 million.

EXPORTS

• Congo (Kinshasa) was the United States’ 139th largest goods export market in 2019.
  U.S. goods exports to Congo (Kinshasa) in 2019 were $132 million, up 69.1% ($54 million) from 2018 and up 65.9% from 2009.
• The top export categories (2-digit HS) in 2019 were: machinery ($22 million), vehicles ($16 million), meat (poultry) ($15 million), cereals (wheat) ($12 million), and electrical machinery ($10 million).
• U.S. total exports of agricultural products to Congo (Kinshasa) totaled $42 million in 2019. Leading domestic export categories include: poultry meat & products (ex. eggs) ($15 million), wheat ($12 million), prepared food ($4 million), pulses ($1 million), and dairy products ($225 thousand).

IMPORTS

• Congo (Kinshasa) was the United States’ 156th largest supplier of goods imports in 2019.
• U.S. goods imports from Congo (Kinshasa) totaled $22 million in 2019, down 56.3% ($28 million) from 2018, and down 93.4% from 2009.
• The top import categories (2-digit HS) in 2019 were: cocoa ($6 million), art and antiques ($5 million), precious metal and stone (diamonds) ($4 million), coffee, tea & spice (coffee) ($4 million), and wood and wood products ($696 thousand).
• U.S. total imports of agricultural products from Congo (Kinshasa) totaled $10 million in 2019. Leading categories include cocoa beans ($6 million), unroasted coffee ($4 million), essential oils ($216 thousand), snack foods ($2 thousand), and spices ($2 thousand).

CONGOLESE CUISINE

Cassava, fufu, rice, plantain and potatoes are generally the staple foods eaten with other side dishes.

Less than two percent of the land is cultivated, and most of this is used for subsistence farming. Congo’s farmland is the source of a wide variety of crops. These include maize, rice, cassava (manioc), sweet potatoes, yam, taro, plantain, tomatoes, pumpkin and varieties of peas and nuts. These foods are eaten throughout the country, but there are also regional dishes. The most important crops for export are coffee and palm oil.

Congolese meals often consist of a starchy ingredient, along with vegetables and meat in the form of a stew. The starch can come in the form of a paste or mash made of cassava or corn flour, called fufu or ugali. When eaten, the fufu is rolled into golf ball-sized balls and dipped into the spicy stew—often an indentation is made with the thumb in order to bring up a thimbleful of sauce.

Fun fact: Apparently locals eat mayo with everything. A legacy of the Belgian colonial period is the overwhelming preference for huge blobs of mayonnaise on almost everything – meat, fish, fried plantains, manioc, peas, and salad are just a few examples.
Many choose to mix it with the extremely potent local chili pepper sauce, known as piri piri, or pepper pepper in Swahili. This tones down the fieriness of the pepper and adds flavor to the mayo.

Here is a list of dishes that we recommend you try when you visit Congo:

• Palm wine #1 – made from the sap of a wild palm tree, is fermented by natural yeasts, and gives an alcohol content of between five and seven percent.
• Sombe or Pondu #2 – boiled, pounded and cooked cassava leaves
• Fufu #3 – sticky dough-like dish made of cassava flour. This is a staple dish much as rice or potatoes in other countries.
• Moamba #4 – a sauce or a dish prepared with a sauce usually made from peanut butter.

Sources: Brittanica – Every Culture – Wikipedia – The UN Refugee Agency – CNN – US Trade Representative

“No matter how hard you throw a dead fish in the water, it still won’t swim.”
― Congolese Proverb

Would you like to schedule an appointment with Verbio to discuss how to effectively communicate and connect with the Congolese community?