rnment had withdrawn from the country; KABILA was assassinated in
January 2001 and was succeeded by his son Joseph KABILA election results:
results of the last election were: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za
Banga reelected president in 1984 without opposition

Legislative branch: a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly
established in August 2000 elections: NA; members of the Transitional
Constituent Assembly were appointed by former President Laurent Desire
KABILA

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Social Christian Party or
PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Forces for Renovation for Union and Solidarity
or FONUS [Joseph OLENGHANKOY]; National Congolese Lumumbist Movement or
MNC [Francois LUMUMBA]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR [three
factions: MPR-Fait Prive (Catherine NZUZI wa Mbombo); MPR/Vunduawe (Felix
VUNDUAWE); MPR/Mananga (MANANGA Dintoka Mpholo)]; Unified Lumumbast Party
or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS
[Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Union of Federalists and Independent
Republicans or UFERI [two factions: UFERI (Lokambo OMOKOKO); UFERI/OR
(Adolph Kishwe MAYA)]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC,
CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), PCA, SADC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Faida MITIFU FAX: [1] (202) 234-2609 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7690,
7691 chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Aubrey HOOKS embassy: 310 Avenue des
Unit 31550, APO AE 09828 telephone:
Flag description: light blue with a large yellow five-pointed star in
the center and a columnar arrangement of six small yellow five-pointed
stars along the hoist side

Economy Congo, Democratic Republic of the

Economy - overview: The economy of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined
drastically since the mid-1980s. The war, which began in August 1998,
has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue and has
increased external debt. Fo