Democratic Republic of the Congo–Zambia relations

Democratic Republic of the Congo–Zambia relations are the bilateral diplomatic relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (known as Zaire until 1997) and Zambia. The two countries share a state border that is 2,332 km long.

History

In the 1980s, following the rise to power of Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire, the country's relations with several neighboring states deteriorated sharply. In particular, the Zairian government began to view Zambia and Tanzania as hostile states. Border clashes between Zaire and Zambia began, often ending in exchanges of gunfire. In August 1984, relations between the two countries worsened further when the Zairian authorities announced the deportation of Zambian immigrants in retaliation for Zambia's expulsion of migrants from Zaire and West Africa in July of that year. However, on 25 August 1984, Mobutu Sese Seko canceled the deportation order, although many Zambians had already left the country by that time. According to reports from radio stations in Lusaka, Zairian officials lured Zambians to stadiums under the pretext of delivering important information from Lusaka, where they were subsequently beaten.

The main cause of hostility between Zaire and Zambia lay in the economic sphere. Smuggled goods from Zambia were entering the rebellious Zairian region of Shaba, which led to significant tensions between the two countries. In 1983, Zambia was forced to deploy additional troops along the border in order to stop the flow of contraband. From that point onward, periodic border incidents began, involving clashes between Zairian and Zambian soldiers. At the end of 1984, Zaire announced the creation of a Civil Guard to patrol the border so that such incidents would not directly lead to war between the two countries. In 1988, both states introduced strict visa regimes in an attempt to halt the flow of smuggled goods. In 1989, Zaire and Zambia signed an agreement on the delimitation of the state border. In November 1991, Zaire and Zambia resumed railway connections between the two countries.

In 1996, a civil war began in Zaire. As a result of the fighting, thousands of Zairians crossed the border into Zambia and settled in refugee camps. Following the war, Mobutu Sese Seko was overthrown, and Zaire was renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1998, the Second Congo War broke out on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, involving nine states. In July 1999, a ceasefire agreement concerning the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was signed in Lusaka.

At present, Zambia claims part of the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo located on the right bank of the Lunkinda River. In 2016, 21,338 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo were living in Zambia.

Trade

In 2014, Zambia's exports to the Democratic Republic of the Congo amounted to USD 803 million. In 2017, the two countries agreed on the construction of a bridge across the Luapula River, with the project's cost estimated at US$85 million.

See also

• Foreign relations of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Foreign relations of Zambia
• Democratic Republic of the Congo–Zambia border

References

Zambia Democratic Republic of the Congo