DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

	FY 1998 Actual	FY 1999 Estimate	FY 2000 Request
Development Assistance	$13,000,000	$2,500,000	---
Development Fund for Africa	---	---	$1,000,000
Child Survival and Disease	$7,000,000	$5,400,000	$8,500,000
Economic Support Funds	$10,500,000	---	---

Introduction.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the most important countries in sub-Saharan Africa and key to stability and prosperity in all of central Africa. The DRC possesses vast natural resources and is the third most populous country in Africa (with an estimated 50 million people). Its political course and economic prospects will have enormous implications not only for the people of the Congo but also for its nine neighboring countries and the larger region, extending as far as South Africa. The DRC remains important to U.S. national interests.

The Development Challenge.

With the overthrow of the Mobutu government and the coming to power of Laurent Kabila in April 1997, the DRC experienced an initial wave of hope and enthusiasm that rapid political, economic and social reconstruction would begin. Unfortunately, the Kabila government proved unwilling and incapable of following through in opening up national political processes, instituting budgetary reforms and creating a positive environment to attract significant private investment. Despite these disappointments and tensions, however, some improvements occurred at the local and provincial levels.

United States Government assistance resumed in the DRC in 1997 after an absence of several years. In August 1998, an unexpected outbreak of serious hostilities led to the evacuation of U.S. staff. Prior to the evacuation, staff had successfully provided technical and material assistance to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working on civil society issues, and also provided health agent training, crucial technical and material/logistical assistance to the DRC national immunization program which targeted children at risk of infectious childhood diseases. When evacuated staff returned to the DRC in the last months of 1998, USAID was able to complete an element of a DRC childhood immunization initiative. This effort resulted in the innoculation against polio of 3.1 million children in selected regions. The U.S. program continues to support selected NGO activities and health activities.

Other Donors.

In 1996, the largest bilateral donors were Belgium ($11.6 million), France ($12.1 million) and Italy ($79.9 million)

FY 2000 Program.

The USAID program for the DRC must remain highly flexible, given the extreme uncertainty regarding its future course. With war engulfing much of the country, work on reconstruction and development cannot proceed. This request assumes that the DRC remains as it is in early 1999; a full development program is neither advisable nor possible, yet certain activities designed to improve the well-being of the poor majority and respond to global issues can proceed. USAID will continue to work to immunize children, combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, and strengthen the health infrastructure. USAID will continue to support Congolese civil society. USAID will also begin activities to help preserve and protect the invaluable flora and fauna of the DRC.

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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

FY 2000 PROGRAM SUMMARY
(in thousands of dollars)

USAID Mission Director, John Grayzel

USAID Strategic and Special Objectives	Economic Growth & Agriculture	Population & Health	Environment	Democracy	Human Capacity Development	Humanitarian Assistance	TOTALS
S.O 1. Establishment and Increasingly Effective Operation of Processes for Inclusive Participation in National Reconciliation - DFA - CS	--- ---	--- 8,500	1,000 ---	--- ---	--- ---	--- ---	1, 000 8,500

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ACTIVITY DATA SHEET

PROGRAM:Democratic Republic of the Congo
TITLE and NUMBER: The Establishment and Increasingly Effective Operation of Processes for Inclusive Participation in National Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Economic and Social Development 660-S001
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 2000 $1,000,000 DFA, $8,500,000 CS
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1998 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2005

Summary: The present program seeks to assist the creation of viable processes and necessary circumstances for the transition to peace and inclusive internal participatory processes of national reconciliation and self-renewal in the Congo. The program recognizes the uncertain, complex and highly constraining circumstances of multiple conflicts engulfing the Great Lakes region and central Africa at this writing. Given limited financial, human and political resources, the program has pulled back from its initial hopes for rapid and substantial assistance to institutional and infrastructure renewal directed toward the immediate transition to a stable democratic and market based society. Its new orientation is more limited in time and stresses: 1) assistance for the creation and implementation of processes for reaching internal consensus on how to address critical national and local issues; 2) providing critically needed humanitarian-related assistance, including protection of populations at high risk and, major threats to child survival; 3) addressing high risk global concerns in the areas of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases; and 4) mitigating threats to tropical forests and bio-diversity. The main beneficiaries include: 1) the local communities assisted by USAID operations; 2) children under five served under the polio Immunization programs; 3) youth and young adults for HIIV/AIDS control; and 4) pro-democracy local non-governmental organizations (NG0s) for election and constitution related assistance.

The program contributes to the overall U.S. mission objectives to build a new base of mutual trust between the United States and DRC while helping to revitalize the faith, vision and capacity of the Congolese people to move forward in creating a dynamic, stable nation experiencing steady improvement in social, economic and political conditions.

Key Results: National level accomplishments: Perhaps the most immediately visible impact of U.S. government efforts to assist the citizens of the DRC since USAID reopened its doors in 1997 was the successful implementation of a phased childhood immunization program to protect small children against infectious diseases such as polio. The estimated overall vaccine coverage for the 125 health zones involved in the first round of the polio vaccination campaign was 91%. Kinshasa reported the highest coverage (98%) and Bas-Congo the lowest (86.7%). Based on the target population of 3.9 million, this means that an estimated 3.5 million children were vaccinated with the oral polio vaccine during the first round campaign.

USAID also provided assistance to train, give material support and technical assistance to Congolese non-government civil society advocacy groups. USAID resources complemented other donor contributions to permit a series of structured meetings and resultant reports aimed at the articulation of goals and strategies for achieving peace in the Congo. Some of the activities implemented through a U.S. NGO were: 1) operation of a resource center where reference material are freely available and where soon two internet sites will allow the public to do research on democracy and government; seminars will be held on the role of woman in elections; a grass roots level activity will be designed by Congolese staff and largely implemented by Congolese citizens.

Performance and Prospects: The proposed national polio campaign successfully immunized over three million children in 123 out of a potential 306 health zones. Preparations for the next phase are underway and additional new efforts are planned for at least the next three years. The HIV/AIDS program developed initial materials for a campaign target to reach 10 million youths, and millions of others; 16 million condoms will be distributed by July 2001. A survey of baseline data has begun and expansion is planned to all major cities as security conditions permit. The International Foundation for Election Systems has provided guidance and information upon request to a multiplicity of groups in connection with the development of a proposed new constitution and has assisted in some initial attempts to create new forums for collaborative efforts by Congolese civil society to develop alternative options for peace and expanded political participation.

Possible Adjustments to Plans: In the absence of a peaceful settlement to the conflict, USAID is prepared to implement a proactive, short-term strategy to promote the development of an inclusive transitional political process and structures agreed-upon by all relevant Congolese stakeholders. Such a process should lead to the development of accountable and representative government institutions at the local, provincial, and national levels that can effectively govern and implement transition policies.

Host Country and Other Donors: The DRC National Immunization Day program, UNICEF and the World Health Organization/Africa Regional Office (WHO/AFRO) are major immunization program partners. The U.S. program collaborates with a broad spectrum of organizations and citizen groups. Constant communication and exchange of information occurs directly with other donors such as Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, Germany and the United Nations Development Program. More direct joint efforts are under study, particularly in the area of vulnerable youth such as street children and victims of conflict.

Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: Implementing partners are UNICEF, and WHO/AFRO. Technical contractors include Development Associates International and Basic Support for Institutionalizing Child Survival. Tulane University is the major partner to reestablish the Kinshasa School of Public Health. Population Services International (PSI) is the main partner for the HIV/AIDS prevention program. Other partners are IFES for election assistance, and numerous international humanitarian response NGOs, (e.g. Catholic Relief Services, the International Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders).

Selected Performance Measures: The development of baseline indicators and targets was interrupted by the outbreak of conflict and U.S. evacuation. Indicators and targets will be developed as future circumstances permit.

With USAID support, UNICEF, WHO and the DRC Ministry of Health expected to organize a successful national polio immunization campaign in 1998. This campaign would have reached children throughout the DRC and attained a coverage rate of at least 90%. With the outbreak of hostilities, it proved impossible to conduct this campaign nationally. However, the campaign was able to attain coverage of over 90% in the areas covered.

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