Democratic Republic of the Congo
Brazil has maintained diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, former Zaire) since 1968. The Embassy of Brazil in Kinshasa was opened in 1972 and the DRC opened its Embassy in Brasilia in 1971.
In 2010, Minister of Foreign Affairs Celso Amorim visited Kinshasa. The Brazilian Government announced a contribution of $ 1 million to mechanisms for redress and access to justice for victims of sexual violence in the DRC. In August 2011, the DRC Minister of International and Regional Cooperation, Raymond Tshibanda visited Brazil. In August 2015, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira visited Kinshasa, and was received by President Joseph Kabila.
It is also worth noting visits by ministers of state in other areas, such as that of DRC Minister of the Environment, Bavon Mputu Elima, in September 2013; of Defense Minister Celso Amorim, in March 2014; and of DRC Minister of Economy and Trade, Jean-Paul Begepole, in November 2014.
Brazil plays a major role in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Since December 2019, the Mission’s military force is under the command of Division General Ricardo Augusto Ferreira Costa Neves. Previously, MONUSCO had been under the command of Brazilian generals Santos Cruz (2013-15) and Elias Rodrigues Martins Filho (2018-2019).
In 2011, the III Session of the Brazil-DRC Joint Commission was held in Brasilia, after a hiatus of 25 years since the last meeting. On the occasion, bilateral partnerships were re-launched in areas such as agroecology, family farming, human resources training, science and technology.
Since 2007, Brazil has been one of the countries that has granted most university places to Congolese students – which is done through the Undergraduate Exchange Student Program (PEC-G). The DRC is one of the countries with the largest number of beneficiaries of the Merit Scholarship, a program that grants monthly scholarships to undergraduates who demonstrate exceptional academic performance.
Brazil's humanitarian cooperation in the DRC has also been significant. In addition to the aforementioned contribution for the benefit of women victims of sexual violence (2010), which has reached more than 500 victims, Brazil contributed with donations of cash and food, through the World Food Program (WFP) in 2009 and 2012, to mitigate the risk of food insecurity in the DRC.
In 2013, the Brazilian government announced the rescheduling of the DRC's debt with Brazil. In 2017, the Agreement on Restructuring the Sovereign Debt of the DRC with Brazil was signed.
Chronology of bilateral relations
|
2019 |
The UN appoints Brazilian division general Ricardo Augusto Ferreira Costa Neves as commander of the military force of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – MONUSCO (December) |
|
2018 |
The UN appoints Brazilian division general Elias Rodrigues Martins Filho as commander of the military force of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - MONUSCO (May) |
|
2017 |
Signing of Agreement on Restructuring the Sovereign Debt of the DRC with Brazil (03/28) |
|
2016 |
Visit by the Minister of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) and President of the World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Antonio Herman Benjamin (July 2016) |
|
2015 |
Senator Jean-Claude Mokeni, president of the Foreign Relations Commission (CRE) and president of the Brazil-DRC Friendship Group visits Brazil |
|
Congresswoman Benedita da Silva (PT / RJ) visits Kinshasa |
|
|
In Goma, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira holds a working meeting with the UN Secretary-General's special representative for the DRC and head of the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), Martin Kobler. He also meets with Brazilian general Carlos Alberto Santos Cruz, commander of MONUSCO's Military Force (August 30) |
|
|
2014 |
Implementation of the "Capoeira for Peace" project with demobilized children from armed groups undergoing re-socialization, in the city of Goma, capital of the province of North Kivu. The initiative is a partnership between the Brazilian government, the NGO AMADE-Mondiale and UNICEF and has the support of the governments of Canada and Switzerland; |
|
Visit of the Minister of Economy and Trade of the DRC, Jean-Paul Nemoyato Begepole, to Salvador (November) |
|
|
The Minister of Defense of Brazil, Celso Amorim, visits Kinshasa |
|
|
2013 |
DRC Environment Minister Bavon Mputu Elima visits Brazil |
|
The UN appoints Brazilian division general Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz as commander of the military force of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) (May) |
|
|
Brazilian government announces debt rescheduling with the DRC (May) |
|
|
2011 |
Third Session of the Brazil-DRC Joint Commission, in Brasilia (August 18 and 19) |
|
2010 |
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Celso Amorim, visits Kinshasa (November) |
|
Brazilian government decides to allocate US$ 1 million to support activities related to strengthening mechanisms of reparation and access to justice for victims of sexual violence in DRC, through the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (October) |
|
|
Foreign Minister Celso Amorim meets with DRC Foreign Minister Alexis Mwamba, on the sidelines of the 65th Session of the UN General Assembly |
|
|
New ABC mission to the DRC, in which it is decided to integrate Congolese health technicians in the activities related to the “Project to Combat Sickle Cell Disease” |
|
|
2009 |
ABC technician visits Kinshasa to discuss resuming technical cooperation with the DRC |
|
Visit to Brazil of the DRC Minister of Mines, Victor Kasongo (May) |
|
|
Visit to the DRC by Defense Minister Nelson Jobim (May) |
|
|
2008 |
Mission to Brazil of three Congolese health technicians for training in the field of epidemiological surveillance in malaria (July) |
|
2007 |
The RDC was reincluded in the Undergraduate Exchange Student Program (PEC-G), and since then it has become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the program |
|
Mission to the DRC by a team from the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, to explore possibilities for bilateral technical cooperation (September) |
|
|
Visit to the DRC by the Coordinator of the EMBRAPA Office in Africa, to explore possibilities for technical cooperation in agriculture (August) |
|
|
Visit to Brazil by the president of the Independent Electoral Commission (May) |
|
|
2006 |
Visit to Brazil of the president of the Independent Electoral Commission, on the occasion of the 1st round of the Brazilian general elections (October) |
|
Brazil donates 2950 canvas ballot boxes to the DRC government (October) |
|
|
Brazil sends observer to the general elections in the DRC (July) |
|
|
Judge of Regional Electoral Court in Minas Gerais visits Kinshasa to teach a course on electoral disputes (April) |
|
|
2005 |
Brazil sends observer mission to the Congolese constitutional referendum (December) |
|
Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba visits Brazil |
|
|
2004 |
Brasil reopens its embassy in Kinshasa |
|
1997 |
Brazil deactivates its Embassy in Kinshasa |
|
1987 |
Mission of DRC authorities to Brazil (February) |
|
Signing of the Complementary Protocol to the Economic, Commercial, Technical, Scientific and Cultural Convention pertaining to the Opening and Exploitation of the D7 Katanga Gold Mine of the Office des Mines d’Or de Kilo-Moto (February) |
|
|
1980 |
First Meeting of the Bilateral Joint Commission, in Brasília |
|
1974 |
Opening of the Embassy of the DRC in Brasília |
|
1973 |
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nguza Bond, visits Brasília (February) |
|
Signing of Trade Agreement (February) |
|
|
Signing of a Technical and Scientific Cooperation Agreement (February) |
|
|
Signing of the Protocol for the Establishment of Air Services (February) |
|
|
1972 |
Opening of the Embassy of Brazil in Kinshasa (April) |
|
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mario Gibson Barbosa, visits the DRC (November) |
|
|
Signing of the General Convention on Economic, Commercial, Technical, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation (November) |
|
|
1968 |
Establishment of diplomatic relations |