Bilateral relations between the Republic of Serbia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, established in 1961, are traditionally good and friendly. SFR Yugoslavia, within its anti-colonial policy, supported the Congolese National Movement in the struggle for independence, which was achieved in 1960. Since then, relations between the two countries have steadily progressed, with Congo’s constant and principled support for Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty in international organizations.
In terms of its area, Congo is the second largest country on the African continent. The diversity of local languages of around 250 different ethnic groups is overcome by the use of the official French language, so Congo, with a population of over 78 million, is the fourth most populous country in Africa and officially the most populous francophone country.

Kinshasa is the largest and capital city. It used to be just a group of small fishing villages, but today it is a dynamic megalopolis with about 12 million inhabitants and the main port. The city was founded at the end of the 19th century and over time became the cultural and industrial center of the country.
It is a city of strong contrasts, and the largest francophone urban area in the world, which has exceeded the population of Paris.

PRIVATE PROPERTY OF KING LEOPOLD II

By the beginning of the 17th century, the once powerful kingdom of extreme natural wealth was broken into mini-states.
In the seventies of the 19th century, just before the beginning of the conquest of Africa, a survey of the Congo was carried out under the patronage of King Leopold II of Belgium. The king formally acquired rights over the territory of the Congo at the Berlin Conference in 1885 and made the country his private property, which is a unique case in the history of colonialism. All residents of the Congo were considered private property, which led to severe abuses during the expansion of rubber plantations.

In 1908, Belgium, despite hesitation, formally annexed the Congo from the king and formed the Belgian Congo, which then achieved its full independence in 1960, when the Republic of the Congo was born. Patrice Lumumba was then elected as the first prime minister, while Joseph Kasa-Vubu became the first president. However, after only a few years, a period of military coups, tensions, and civil wars followed, which significantly weakened the country.

Patrice Lumumba

PRICELESS BEAUTY AND WEALTH OF NATURE

Congo is extremely rich in natural resources. It is rich in lakes, and a large number of rivers flow through its territory, the largest of which is the Congo River, the deepest river in the world. Its length is 4380 km, which makes it the second longest river in Africa. It is the second largest river in the world after the Amazon, and with its tributaries, it flows through the second largest rainforest in the world, only the Amazon is bigger.
Out of a total of nine national parks, as many as five are under UNESCO protection. The most famous among them is Virunga – because it has some of the last members of the endangered species of mountain gorillas.

THE RHYTHMS OF THE CONGO

Congo is considered the center of popular African music, which is deeply embedded in the nation’s culture. Many contemporary genres of music were created under the great influence of Congolese music, and since 1960, Kinshasa has been known as the music capital. The pop, rumba and Ndombolo rhythms of the Congo that conquered Africa propagate the wearing of colorful and cheerful clothes, and the Congolese rumba recently joined UNESCO’s representative list of intangible cultural heritage.

MOAMBE

Congolese cuisine is proud of its national dish, moambe, which means number eight in the Lingala language, as it consists of eight ingredients: chicken, coconut, fish, peanuts, rice, bananas, leaves of a spinach-like plant, and pepper sauce. It is accompanied by rice beer, palm wine, or ginger juice.