Government and Politics of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: no Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Dual citizenship recognized: no Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Felix TSHISEKEDI (since 24 January 2019); the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Felix TSHISEKEDI (since 24 January 2019); Prime Minister Jean-Michel SAMA LUKONDE resigned in May 2024 and was succeeded by Sylvestre ILUNGA ILUNKAMBA; note - the president appoints the prime minister cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 20 December 2023 (next to be held in December 2028); the prime minister is appointed by the president election results: Felix TSHISEKEDI reelected president in December 2023 with approximately 73% of the vote, defeating Martin FAYULU and other candidates in a broadly contested election; TSHISEKEDI had previously won the January 2019 election following the departure of Joseph KABILA, who had held the presidency since 2001 following the assassination of his father Laurent Desire KABILA note: Felix TSHISEKEDI, leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), took office in January 2019 in what was considered the Democratic Republic of the Congo's first peaceful transfer of power since independence; his reelection in 2023 was disputed by opposition candidates who cited irregularities, though he was inaugurated for a second term in January 2024

Legislative Branch

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consisting of two chambers. The upper chamber, the Senate, has 109 seats, with members indirectly elected by provincial assemblies to serve five-year terms. The lower chamber, the National Assembly, has 500 seats, with members elected by a combination of direct popular vote through party-list proportional representation and single-member constituencies, also serving five-year terms. Elections for the National Assembly are held on a regular cycle. The most recent general elections took place in December 2023, in which members were chosen by popular vote. The Senate was most recently constituted through indirect elections conducted by provincial assemblies in 2024. The transitional appointment system established in June 2003, under which National Assembly members were designated by factional leaders following the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, has long since been replaced by competitive multiparty elections held under the framework of the 2006 constitution, which formally established the current legislative structure.

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political Parties

Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Forces for Renovation for Union and Solidarity or FONUS [Joseph OLENGHANKOY]; National Congolese Lumumbist Movement or MNC [Francois LUMUMBA]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR (three factions: MPR-Fait Prive [Catherine NZUZI wa Mbombo]; MPR/Vunduawe [Felix VUNDUAWE]; MPR/Mananga [MANANGA Dintoka Mpholo]); Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans or UFERI (two factions: UFERI [Lokambo OMOKOKO]; UFERI/OR [Adolph Kishwe MAYA])

Head of State

President Felix TSHISEKEDI

Head of Government

President Felix TSHISEKEDI

Cabinet

Ministers of State appointed by the president

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Faida MITIFU chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009: note - Consular Office at 1726 M Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690, 7691 FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Roger MEECE embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa mailing address: Unit 31550, APO AE 09828 telephone: [243] (88) 43608 FAX: [243] (88) 43467

Capital City

Kinshasa

Location

4 19 S, 15 18 E

Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) Time zone note: the DRC has two time zones

History

Founded as a trading post in 1881 and named Leopoldville in honor of King LEOPOLD II of the Belgians, who controlled the Congo Free State, the vast central African territory that became the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1960; in 1966, Leopoldville was renamed Kinshasa, after a village of that name that once stood near the site

U.S. Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 310 Avenue de Aviateurs Kinshasa Telephone: 243-081-5560151 (dial 243 815 560 151 when calling from abroad) Consular Section Avenue Dumi, opposite the Ste. Anne Residence Kinshasa Emergency after-hours telephone: 243-081-556-0151 (dial 243 815 560 151 when calling from abroad) Facsimile: 243-81-556-0169 Email: AEKinshasaConsular@state.gov

Military Branches

Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Forces d'Armees de la Republique Democratique du Congo, FARDC): Army, National Navy (La Marine Nationale), Congolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Congolaise, FAC)

Service Age and Obligation

18-45 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service