Republic of Congo

Republic of Congo is a country in west central Africa on the Equator with a population of about four million and capital city of Brazzaville. The jungle in the north is mostly uninhabited.

The BBC says of the country, "the former French colony experienced the first of two destructive bouts of fighting when disputed parliamentary elections in 1993 led to bloody, ethnically-based fighting between pro-government forces and the opposition. A ceasefire and the inclusion of some opposition members in the government helped to restore peace. But in 1997 ethnic and political tensions exploded into a full-scale civil war, fuelled in part by the prize of the country's offshore oil wealth, which motivated many of the warlords."

Media
The BBC says of the country's media:


 * News broadcasts on state-run radio and television stations generally reflect the government line. A 2001 press law abolished jail sentences for libel and insult, but retained the punishment for incitement to violence and racism. The newspapers which appear in Brazzaville are all privately-owned. Some of them carry criticism of the government.

Leaders

 * Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Democratic Republic of Congo
 * Henri Lopes - former prime minister

External resources

 * Timeline: Republic of Congo, BBC, accessed March 2008.