Congo Democratic Republic

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo was first settled by the Bantus people during the 5th century. As the first expansion of the Pygmies was coming to an end, the Bantus soon began an expansion of their own. They followed major river basins, and also moved southward and arrived at the border of the rainforest about as early as 900 BC. The Bantus people at this time were transitioning from stone age to iron age techniques. Many hunter-gatherer groups were still prominent, and metal tools were soon being developed. This development of using metals revolutionized agriculture and animal herding forever. As the number of the Bantu population increased during the

The large size of the Congo also raised some doubts, even among the largest supporters of the “Belgian Solution”. Under the control of Belgium, the Congo changed very little. One of the biggest concerns for Belgium was to make sure they got the wealth they desired, since that was the core reason for taking up the control of Belgium. They also brought missionaries into the land, to give the Africans a good Christian education. 10% of Congolese children attend primary school in comparison to the 3% in neighboring African countries. The missionary presence also had an important role in political control and regression. The importance of rubber quickly begins to decline in the late 1920's. In 1901, it represented 87% of congo's exports, but in 1928, it had a low

At the time rubber exportation was failing, 7% of the world's coal was coming from the Congo. Diamonds were also a big factor in the wealth of the Congo. It once again becomes one of Africa's richest regions. The country hit a slump during the time of World War 2, because they are a region dependent on the export of raw materials. The Congo's minerals contributed greatly to the war effort. After the war, the nation finally became independent on June 30th, 1960. Although, Belgian officials stayed in the nation to train the officials, and their army was forced to remain under Belgian control. Following this, Lumumba became the prime minister, and Kasavubu became the president of the New Republic of Congo. This arrangement seemed to be a match for future trouble, but more immediate problems form. Just 5 days later, a rebellion formed within the Congo army. The army goes berserk and riots against the Belgian population. Within a week, 25,000 Belgians flee the country. Nearly 10,000 Belgians fly to the Congo to protect the Belgians still living in the Congo, especially in