Central African Republic–Democratic Republic of the Congo border
The Central African Republic–Democratic Republic of the Congo border is 1,747 km (1,086 mi) in length and runs from the tripoint with the Republic of the Congo in the west to the tripoint with South Sudan in the east.[1]
Description
The border starts in the west at the tripoint with the Republic of the Congo at the confluence of the Gouga river and
History
The border first emerged during the
In the following years France explored further into the interior, founding Bangui in 1889, and eventually linking their Central and West African holdings following expeditions in April 1900 which met at Kousséri in the far north of modern Cameroon.[3] These newly conquered regions were initially ruled as military territories, with the two areas later organised into the federal colonies of French West Africa (Afrique occidentale française, abbreviated AOF) and French Equatorial Africa (Afrique équatoriale française, AEF). As a result, the French-Congo Free State boundary was modified to its current position by agreement on 14 August 1894.[3][2] Administration of the Congo Free State was taken over by the Belgian government in 1908 following controversies engendered by the atrocities committed by Leopold's forces there.[5]
The Belgian Congo gained independence (as the Republic of the Congo, later renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo) on 30 June 1960, followed by the French territory of Ubangi-Shari (as the Central African Republic) on 13 August 1960, and their mutual frontier became an international one between two sovereign states.[2]
Since 2003 the border has been crossed by thousands of Central African refugees fleeing the
Settlements near the border
CAR
- Bangui
- Oumba
- Bakéma Dengou
- Mobaye
- Limassa
- Banda
- Ouango
- Malakambo
- Bangassou
- Kouango
- Mongoumba
- Koupia
- Dembia
- Zemio
- Kitessa
- Aminagou
- Panbolinbo
DRC
- Libenge
- Zongo
- Duma
- Gele
- Bangi
- Dula
- Mobayi-Mbongo
- Yakomo
- Dangobe
Border crossings
The main crossings are at Bangui-Zongo, Mobaye-Mobayi-Mbongo and Bangassou-Ndu.[7]
See also
- Central African Republic-Democratic Republic of the Congo relations
References
- ^ CIA World Factbook - CAR, retrieved 18 December 2019
- ^ a b c d e f Brownlie, Ian (1979). African Boundaries: A Legal and Diplomatic Encyclopedia. Institute for International Affairs, Hurst and Co. pp. 602–06.
- ^ a b c d e f International Boundary Study No. 109 – Central African Republic-Democratic Republic of the Congo Boundary (PDF), 30 April 1971, retrieved 19 December 2019
- ^ De Roo, Bas (2014). "The blurred lines of legality. Customs and contraband in the Congolese M'Bomu Region (1889-1908)". Journal of Belgian History. XLIV (4).
- ^ Stengers, Jean (1969). "The Congo Free State and the Belgian Congo before 1914". In Gann, L. H.; Duignan, Peter (eds.). Colonialism in Africa, 1870–1914. Vol. I. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 261–92.
- ^ UNHCR (18 May 2018), Thousands flee Central African violence into remote region of northern DRC, Relief Web, retrieved 22 December 2019
- ^ Sean Rorison (2012) Bradt Travel Guide - Congo, pg. 88