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The Embassy of Democratic Republic of the Congo in Berlin

Contact

Address: Ulmenallee 42 A, 14050 Berlin, Germany

Tel.: (+49) 3030111 298 /296 /285; (+49) 3030111 685 /693

Fax: (+49) 3030111297

E-mail: contact@ambardc.de

www.ambardc.de

The Ambassador

Amb. Tshoha Letamba

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Amb. Tshoha Letamba has been the Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo since 5th November 2018.

History

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The Democratic Republic of Congo was established on 30th June 1960 and Germany established diplomatic relations immediately following this. From 1971 to 1997 country was named Zaire. The Democratic Republic of Congo has struggled with civil wars from 1996 to present.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has rich natural resources, such as cobalt. The Congo is the world's largest producer of cobalt ore, and a major producer of copper and diamonds. At the time of its independence in 1960, the DRC was the second most industrialized country in Africa after South Africa. The mining conditions improved in late 2002, following the Congo Wars, with the withdrawal of a large portion of the invading foreign troops. A number of International Monetary Fund and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan, and President Joseph Kabila has begun implementing reforms.

Political relations between Germany and the Democratic Republic of Congo remained steady over a long period, changing only as a result of the geopolitical upheavals of 1989/1990 when demands for democratization also became pronounced in Congo. Since the end of the Congo Wars in 2002 and the beginning of the transition phase (2002-06), Germany has made an important contribution to the country’s political and economic reconstruction process, together with its European partners and the international community.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is an important partner of German development cooperation and its biggest recipient in Africa in absolute terms. At the fourth intergovernmental negotiations held in Berlin in 2015, the Federal Government pledged EUR 153.4 million in order to continue bilateral development cooperation over the next two years. In higher education Germany awards postgraduate scholarships and hosts research stays by Congolese scientists and academics.