Sections & Offices

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The Political Section is responsible for advising the Ambassador on the overall conduct of U.S. relations with the DRC. The Section maintains regular contacts with the government, parliament, and political parties of the DRC on issues affecting the bilateral relationship.

In addition, the Section keeps the U.S. government informed of relevant political and social developments in the DRC.

The Economic and Commercial Section is responsible for interacting with the Congolese government in matters pertaining to its economic relationship with the United States and for gathering information and reporting about the DRC’s economic situation to officials in Washington and elsewhere.  This encompasses a wide variety of areas from commercial advocacy, international business, natural resources, transportation, banking, finance, agriculture, labor, infrastructure, and of course communicating with the Ministry Officials of the DRC. The Section also serves as a conduit for American businesses interested in trade and investment in the DRC.  The Section further works with the Congolese government and businesses to aid and advance the local economy by presenting the various available U.S. government programs for developing nations.

Commercial Reference Library material is located at:

American Cultural Center
498, Avenue Col. Lukusa
Kinshasa, Gombe (across the Gas Station SHELL)

For access, contact KabanguNX@state.gov

For inquiries please email KinshasaEcon@state.gov with Subject specifying a general  topic from one of the following:

  • Mining
  • Commercial Inquiries
  • Market Research Analysis
  • Hydrocarbons
  • Trade and Fair
  • Macroeconomics
  • Telecommunications
  • Exhibitions
  • Public finance and Bankings
  • Energy
  • Business Regulations
  • Public Enterprises
  • Aviation and Air
  • Private and Government Tenders
  • Infrastructures
  • Transport
  • Investments
  • Environment
  • Labor and Business
  • Intellectual Property Right
  • Road, River and Railway Transport
  • Inquiries related to the above sectors
  • Agribusiness
  • Forestry Agriculture

American Companies in DR Congo

U.S. Government Resources

International Financial  Institutions

Trade and Investment Organizations

General Information

The Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of the United States of America to the Democratic Republic of the Congo seeks promote an informed and objective understanding of American policies, institutions, and societal values among the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Emphasis is placed on explaining U.S. policy toward the Congo and the Great Lakes/Great Rivers sub-region and on promoting democracy, peace and reconciliation, and sustainable development. The section works to strengthen U.S.-Congolese bilateral relations by:

*Clearly articulating the foreign policy objectives of the United States of America, to engage broad audiences and inform them of the people, culture and policies of the United States of America, and to vigorously counter mistaken perceptions of the people, culture, and policies of the United States of America.

*Presenting a broad spectrum of American life and culture to people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by highlighting and showcasing American art, music, literature, and cultural/educational institutions.

*Crafting foreign assistance instruments that advance Mission strategic goals, and entering into foreign assistance agreements with partners that advance and strengthen civil society.

We accomplish these goals through a variety of means such as interacting with Congolese press, providing information via the Embassy’s website and social media platforms, and organizing cultural, educational, and academic exchange programs directly with the citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

  • Cultural programs include exchange programs to bring American artists to the DRC, and support for local cultural events.
  • Educational exchanges include Fulbright and Humphrey Fellows exchanges, among others.
  • Professional Exchanges:  The International Visitor Leadership Program is designed to build mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through carefully designed visits that reflect the participants’ professional interests and support U.S. foreign policy goals.  The IVLP has sent more than 500 professionals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United States in the past 30 years.
  • The U.S. Speakers’ Program brings American subject matter specialists to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to interact with their counterparts on specific policy issues, and address the Congolese people in public lectures.
  • EducationUSA: Our EducationUSA Advisor facilitates the process of applying to U.S. colleges and universities by providing prospective students with accurate, unbiased, comprehensive, objective and timely information on the full range of educational opportunities in the United States and our services are FREE.

The Public Affairs Section also invites proposals for support through our PAS grants program (please link to PAS grants). These PAS grants help further projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo primarily in the areas of citizen security, combating gender-based violence, environment and climate change mitigation, youth empowerment, global education, and culture.

Calls for proposals will be issued by the Embassy around January and July of each year and reviewed during those months. Unsolicited proposals may be submitted throughout the year, but will be reviewed on a quarterly basis. All proposals will be competitively reviewed; only fully completed proposals with all required PAS Grants forms will be considered for support.

The Phillis Wheatley American Center. The Center has a fully functioning auditorium that seats 80 people, and a library with computers and Internet access. Research requests for information on U.S. policies and institutions submitted by members of the Congolese government, academics and civil society leaders are researched by the Center’s library.

The Congo-American Language Institute (CALI), the premier English Language program in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is managed by the Public Affairs Section.

The United States Embassy Kinshasa has a small Defense Attaché Office, which serves three traditional roles:

USDAO Kinshasa’s mission is to represent the U.S. Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Commander of U.S. Africa Command in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of the Congo.  To accomplish this mission its personnel advise the respective U.S. Ambassadors to these countries on military matters, implement a variety of bi-lateral military engagement programs, and report political-military developments in a timely and thorough manner.

The U.S. Defense Attaché, an Army Lieutenant Colonel, leads USDAO Kinshasa and serves as the U.S.  Ambassadors’ principal military advisor.  He is aided in this role by an Assistant Army Attaché, an Army Major.  An Operations Coordinator, an Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, manages the daily operations of the DAO, assisted by an Army operations noncommissioned officer and two locally engaged staff.

Among the programs managed by USDAO Kinshasa are a study of sexual and gender based violence in eastern DRC, a U.S. Army Medical Institute for Infectious Diseases study of Monkeypox in Kole, a cultural and language immersion program for cadets from the U.S. Military Academy in Kikongo, and coordinating the U.S. Government’s security sector reform efforts with those of the European Union Security Cooperation Mission in the Congo and the United Nations Mission in the Congo.

United States Air force Medical Team Works With Congolese Counterparts to Treat Congolese Civilians

One thousand civilian patients, mainly children, benefited from medical care during the visit March 5-9 to Kinshasa of four U.S. Air Force medical officers.  The American personnel worked with Congolese military counterparts to deliver this care.  The Americans are from military units stationed in Europe, and include two pediatricians, one public health specialist and a medical technician.  With their Congolese counterparts at Camp Kokolo, the American doctors also exchanged information on:

  • Disaster responses
  • Basic field deployment medicine, triage, transporting patients
  • Pre-deployment preparation
  • Infectious disease surveillance, field sanitation and hygiene
  • Clinical pediatrics

An important component of programs such as this one is to demonstrate the role of the military in service to the civilian population.

General Information

The mission of the Office of Security Cooperation (OSC) is to enhance the long-term bilateral defense relationship between the Democratic Republic of Congo/ the Republic of Congo and the United States. We accomplish this by managing several programs under the Security Assistance umbrella. These include:

  • International Military Education and Training (IMET);
  • Foreign Military Financing (FMF);

  • Monitor State funded (PKO) civilian contractor training engagement

    1. Senior Leader /Tactical/Doctrinal Training in Kinshasa and Camp Base
    2. Civil Military Operations training (CMO) occurring throughout the DRC
    3. Military Justice Reform Program occurring throughout the DRC
    4. Military Agriculture Program, Camp Base, Kisangani

  • Military to Military (Mil to Mil) training engagement. With focus on:

    1.  Military law
    2.  Defense Institute for International Legal Studies (DIILS)
    3.  Military Medicine
    4.  Basic Military/ Tactical Intelligence

  • The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
  •  Humanitarian and Civic Assistance (HCA) projects
  • Humanitarian Mine Action activities-demining

The OSC Chief is currently a U.S. Army officer and is dually accredited/responsible for military engagement activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. The OSC Chief serves as the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) Strategic Plans and Policy representative for cooperative security assistance to the Senior Defense Official and the Country Team.

Related Links: US Army AFRICOM — http://www.africom.mil/

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