Timeline Congo-Brazzaville
Republic of Congo
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The Republic of Congo, (aka French Congo or Middle Congo) next
to the former Zaire (Congo). An independent member of the French
Community.
(WSJ, 6/6/97, p.A11)(WUD, 1994, p.309)
1889-1910 The Congo (called the
French Congo and later the Middle Congo) was administered primarily by
French companies that held concessions to exploit the area's rubber and
ivory resources.
(http://tinyurl.com/dk45a)
1905 Sep 14, Pierre de Brazza
(b.1852), Franco-Italian explorer, died and was buried in Algeria. He
was born in Italy and later naturalized French. Brazza single-handedly
opened up for France entry along the right bank of the Congo that
eventually led to French colonies in West Africa. In 2006 his remains
were exhumed and moved to a mausoleum in Brazzaville, capital of the
Republic of Congo.
(Econ, 10/7/06,
p.6)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Savorgnan_de_Brazza)
1905-1906 Scandals broke out over the
decimation of the African population (Middle Congo) through forced
labor and porterage.
(http://tinyurl.com/dk45a)
1907 France restricted the role of
the concessionaires.
(http://tinyurl.com/dk45a)
1910 The Congo became a colony in
French Equatorial Africa.
(http://tinyurl.com/dk45a)
1928 Renewed forced labor (in
Middle Congo) and other abuses sparked an African revolt.
(http://tinyurl.com/dk45a)
1940-1945 The Free French forces made the Congo a
bastion of their struggle against the Germans and the Vichy regime
during World War II.
(http://tinyurl.com/dk45a)
1946 The Middle Congo region was
granted a territorial assembly and representation in the French
parliament .
(http://tinyurl.com/dk45a)
1958 Nov 28, Chad, Gabon and
Middle Congo, became autonomous republics within the French community.
The Middle Congo province of French Equatorial Africa voted to proclaim
itself independent as the Congo Republic (Brazzaville).
(AP, 11/28/97)
1960 Jul 12, Pres. de Gaulle
granted independence to all French colonies in Africa.
(SFC,10/17/97, p.D8)(WSJ, 8/8/95, p. A1)(WSJ,
1/24/97, p.A14)(MC, 7/12/02)
1960 Aug 15, Congo (formerly
Congo/Brazzaville) declared Independence from France.
(MC, 8/15/02)
1963-1966 Pascal Lissouba served as Prime Minister
(1963-66) under President Alphonse Massamba-Débat.
(www.answers.com/topic/pascal-lissouba)
1968 Sep 4, In the Republic of
Congo, Brazzaville, an army coup deposed Pres. Masemba-Debat.
(WUD, 1994, p.1687)
1977 Mar 18, Marien Ngouabi, the
military president of the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville),
was assassinated.
(AP, 3/18/07)
1979 Feb 8, In the Republic of the
Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso (b.1943), a member of the Mbochi minority,
began 13 years of rule as a Marxist dictator.
(WSJ, 12/31/98,
p.A10)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Sassou-Nguesso)
1981 Republic of Congo Pres. Denis
Sassou Nguesso signed a friendship treaty with the USSR, while
maintaining the Congo’s strong economic ties with France.
(www.bartleby.com/65/sa/SassouNg.html)
1990 By this year the Republic of
Congo was totally bankrupt. The French oil company Elf Aquitaine
dominated oil production. The country was Africa’s 4th largest producer
of crude oil.
(SFC,10/17/97, p.D8)
1991 Republic of Congo’s reform
minded citizens convened a national conference and Denis Sassou Nguesso
was stripped of most of his power and national elections were organized.
(SFC,10/17/97, p.D8)
1992 Aug 31, Pascal Lissouba
(b.1931) became president of the Republic of Congo.
(www.answers.com/topic/pascal-lissouba)
1992 Republic of Congo’s
Sassou-Nguesso relinquished power after an election’s loss to Pascal
Lissouba. He maintained a private militia known as the Cobras in his
northern domain.
(SFC, 6/10/97, p.A12)
1993 Rory Nugent wrote “Drums
Along the Congo: On the Trail of Mokele-Mbembe, the Last Living
Dinosaur.” It was an account of his trip to the Republic of Congo.
(WSJ, 6/23/97, p.A12)
1993 Republic of Congo’s Pres.
Lissouba signed a $150 million oil agreement with Occidental Petroleum.
He was convicted in 2001 in absentia for selling oil at low prices and
in part for personal gain.
(SFC, 12/29/01, p.A6)
1997 Jun 5, Republic of Congo
government troops began an attack on the residence of Denis
Sassou-Nguesso. He was able to flee and rally his forces for a
counterattack.
(SFC, 6/10/97, p.A12)
1997 Jun 8, In the Republic of
Congo a private militia of 5,000 loyal to former leader Denis
Sassou-Nguesso fought to gain control of Brazzaville. Soldiers loyal to
Pres. Pascal Lissouba were arming the citizens and looting homes.
(SFC, 6/9/97, p.A10)
1997 Jun 11, The leaders of the
militias ravaging Brazzaville, Congo, called for a cease-fire, but
fighting continued unabated.
(AP, 6/11/03)
1997 Jun 23, The travel adventure
book “No Mercy: A Journey to the Heart of the Congo” by Redmond
O’Hanlon was about his journey to the Republic of the Congo. It was
compared to the 1993 adventure book by Rory Nugent.
(SFEC, 5/11/97, BR p.5)(WSJ, 6/23/97, p.A12)
1997 Jun 25, In the Republic of
Congo a truce ended in a ferocious battle for the Brazzaville airport.
Former president Nguesso appeared to have begun an assault on the
airport.
(SFC, 6/26/97, p.A10)
1997 Sep 24, In the Republic of
Congo it was reported that the Cobras, the private militia of former
military dictator Gen’l. Denis Sassou-Nguesso, had taken control of
more than three-quarters of the country.
(SFC, 9/24/97, p.A10)
1997 Oct 1, Congo’s Pres. Kabila
ordered troops into the Congo Republic after 2 days of cross border
shelling that killed as many as 31 in Kinshasa.
(WSJ, 10/2/97, p.A1)
1997 Oct 9, The UN reported that
both sides in the Republic of Congo have signed a cease-fire pact.
Gen’l. Sassou Nguesse signed the document that his opponents, Pres.
Pascal Lissouba and prime minister Bernard Kolelas, agreed to sign last
month.
(SFC, 10/10/97, p.D5)
1997 Oct 12, In the Republic of
Congo Angolan troops backed the rebels in an offensive around southern
cities. Rebels surrounded Brazzaville and Gen’l. Jean-Marie Tiaffou
urged government troops to surrender. There were reports that Angola’s
UNITA rebels were backing Pres. Lissouba.
(SFC, 10/13/97, p.A12)
1997 Oct 14, In the Republic of
Congo Pres. Lissouba fled the presidential palace in Brazzaville.
Premier Bernard Kolelas fled the Republic of Congo when militia
fighters loyal to Sassou-Nguesso toppled President Pascal Lissouba.
(SFC,10/16/97, p.A13)(AP, 10/14/05)
1997 Oct 15, In the Republic of
Congo rebel forces loyal to the former Marxist dictator Denis
Sassou-Nguesso, backed by as many as 1000 troops from Angola, gained
full control of Brazzaville, the capital and Pointe Noire, the 2nd
largest city.
(SFC,10/16/97, p.A13)(SFC,12/12/97, p.B4)
1997 Oct 25, In the Republic of
Congo Gen. Dennis Sassou-Nguesso was sworn in as president.
(SFEC,10/26/97, p.A22)
1997-2007 In the Republic of Congo some 12,000 people
were killed during this period mostly from 4 major conflicts. Some
860,000 people were displaced and 27,000 women raped.
(Econ, 8/11/07, p.38)
1998 Oct 16, In the Republic of
Congo a court indicted 100 members of the recently ousted government on
charges of assassination, torture, rape, fraud and theft.
(SFC, 10/17/98, p.A14)
1998 Dec 27, In the Congo Republic
troops from Angola, allied to Pres. Sassou-Nguesso, killed dozens of
people in a weekend attack on Nkayi. Government troops were called
"Cobras," while the rebels were called "Ninjas." The rebels were
aligned with former Prime Minister Bernard Kolelas, a member of the
ethnic majority.
(WSJ, 12/30/98, p.A1)(WSJ, 12/31/98, p.A10)
1999 Jun 21, Fighting broke out in
the Republic of Congo near the main port of Pointe-Noire. 140 people
were reported killed by the end of the week.
(SFC, 6/25/99, p.D2)
2000 In the Republic of Congo a
Brazzaville court sentenced former premier Bernard Kolelas to death for
crimes ranging from torture to the rape of prisoners during a
5-month-long civil war in 1997.
(AP, 10/14/05)
2001 Jan 10, In the Republic of
Congo 2 freight trains collided near Nvoungouti station and at least 30
people were killed.
(SFC, 1/12/01, p.A18)
2001 Dec 2, An outbreak of Ebola
virus hit Gabon with the 1st death in Ekata, about 5 miles from the
Congo border. Within weeks at least 15 people died. The virus spread to
Congo and movement in the area was restricted.
(SFC, 12/21/01, p.A5)
2001 Dec 6, An int’l. team of
doctors flew to Congo to investigate the deaths of 17 people with
Ebola-like symptoms in Dekese. Ebola was confirmed in Gabon on Dec 9.
(WSJ, 12/7/01, p.A1)(SFC, 12/10/01, p.A3)
2001 Dec 28, In the Republic of
Congo a court convicted former Pres. Lissouba on treason and corruption
charges.
(www.answers.com/topic/pascal-lissouba)
2002 Feb 6, In the Republic of
Congo a new death from Ebola raised fears that it had spread from Gabon.
(WSJ, 2/7/02, p.A1)
2002 Mar 10, In the Republic of
Congo Pres. Dennis Sassou-Nguesso won elections with 89% of the vote.
Turnout was nearly 75%.
(SFC, 3/14/02, p.A8)
2002 Mar 29, In the Republic of
Congo rebels launched a new wave of attacks.
(SFC, 6/18/02, p.A8)
2002 Jun 14, In the Republic of
Congo rebels launched their first attack on Brazzaville since
restarting this West African nation's civil war in late March.
Government troops hunted down rebels who staged a surprise attack on
the city. More than 100 rebels and 17 government soldiers were killed.
The rebels called themselves Ninjas and were led by renegade pastor
Frederic Bitsangou (Frederic Ntoumi).
(AP, 6/14/02)(SFC, 6/15/02, p.A8)(SFC, 6/18/02, p.A8)
2002 Jun 15, In the Republic of
Congo it was reported that 5 people had died from an outbreak of ebola,
the 2nd outbreak in the region this year.
(SFC, 6/15/02, p.C10)
2002 Jun 28, In the Rep. of Congo
officials reported that supporters of President Denis Sassou-Nguesso
won a majority in the nation's new parliament after a runoff vote held
last week.
(AP, 6/28/02)
2002 Aug 14, Republic of Congo
President Denis Sassou-Nguesso promised to fight corruption as he was
sworn after winning this central African nation's first elections since
back-to-back civil wars.
(AP, 8/14/02)
2003 Feb 12, The Republic of Congo
reported that an Ebola outbreak was suspected in the recent deaths of
48 people.
(SFC, 2/13/03, p.A7)
2003 Feb 6, Medical experts headed
to northern Republic of Congo to investigate a feared outbreak of Ebola
after 16 suspicious deaths.
(AP, 2/6/03)
2003 Mar 12, It was reported that
the Ebola outbreak in the Republic of Congo was decimating the gorilla
population with up to 800 lost at the Lossi sanctuary.
(WSJ, 3/12/03, p.A1)
2003 Nov 6, In the Congo Republic
9 people have died in a suspected outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in
a remote forest region where 120 were killed by the disease earlier
this year.
(Reuters, 11/7/03)
2003 Dec 17, The fifth outbreak in
two years of the deadly Ebola virus in a the Republic of Congo has so
far killed 29 people.
(AP, 12/17/03)
2003 In Congo-Brazzaville Frederic
Ntoumi, head of an estimated 5,000 Ninja fighters agreed to make peace
with the government. Plans to disarm his men were repeatedly delayed.
(Econ, 5/7/05, p.42)
2004 Mar 21, In the Republic of
Congo a train derailed 90 miles south of Brazzaville, killing 31 people
and injuring scores of others.
(AP, 3/23/04)
2004 Jul 9, A UN-backed body
barred the Republic of Congo from the legitimate world diamond trade,
accusing it of blatantly sending millions of dollars in smuggled gems
onto the global market.
(AP, 7/10/04)
2005 Feb 5, In the Republic of
Congo leaders of seven Central African countries signed a landmark
treaty to work together to help save the world's second-largest rain
forest.
(AP, 2/6/05)
2005 May 18, Authorities in the
Republic of Congo quarantined two districts hit by the deadly Ebola
virus to ensure the highly contagious disease does not spread.
(AP, 5/21/05)
2005 Aug 17, Top Republic of Congo
officials were acquitted of genocide and war crimes charges stemming
from the disappearance of 350 refugees who had returned home during a
cease-fire in the country's civil war.
(AP, 8/17/05)
2005 Sep 10, In the Republic of
Congo a plane crashed north of Brazzaville, killing 13 people.
(AP, 9/10/05)
2006 Jan 24, A government
spokesman said Sudan has withdrawn from the competition to lead the
African Union amid criticism of its human rights record. Diplomats said
the presidency would go to the Republic of Congo.
(AP, 1/24/06)
2006 Jan 29, Republic of Congo
President Denis Sassou-Nguesso launched his role as a top African peace
mediator, meeting with the prime minister of civil war-divided Ivory
Coast days after taking over as African Union head.
(AP, 1/29/06)
2006 Jun 10, In Brazzaville, the
Congo Republic, ministers from across Africa approved a draft democracy
charter, laying down guidelines on elections and good governance in the
world's poorest continent.
(Reuters, 6/10/06)
2007 Jun 24, Congo held a first
round of elections. The Congolese Labor Party won 22 of the 44 seats up
for grabs. President Denis Sassou Nguesso's party won the first phase
of the two-round legislative elections held amid chaos and charges of
widespread fraud.
(AFP, 6/30/07)
2007 Aug 10, Congo's ruling
coalition in Brazzaville was declared the winner of legislative
elections, despite opposition charges of electoral fraud.
(AFP, 8/10/07)
2007 Sep 10, Congolese authorities
blocked Frederic Bintsamou, an ex-rebel chief, from entering
Brazzaville to take up duties as a deputy minister under a peace deal,
but promised they were still adhering to the "principle" of his
inclusion in the government.
(AFP, 9/10/07)
2007 Sep 12, The Republic of
Congo, the smaller, oil-rich western neighbor of the Democratic
Republic of Congo, numbered about 3.7 million inhabitants.
(AFP, 9/12/07)
2007 Oct 15, Brazil’s President
Luiz Ignacio Lula Da Silva arrived in the Congolese capital Brazzaville
for a one-day visit, the first by a Brazilian leader to the African
country.
(AFP, 10/16/07)
2007 Nov 15, Congo and the London
Club of private creditors reached a deal to cancel 80% of the central
African country's estimated 2.5-billion-dollar debt.
(AFP, 11/15/07)
2007 The population of
Congo-Brazzaville stood at about 4 million.
(Econ, 8/11/07, p.38)
2008 Mar 10, Leaders of the
Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) converged on
Kinshasa for a summit focusing on the situation in Chad in the wake of
a failed rebel assault.
(AFP, 3/10/08)
2008 Nov 17, The Kenya Wildlife
Service (KWS) said a ton of ivory items and 57 suspects were netted in
a four-month operation billed Africa's largest-ever crackdown on
wildlife crime. Operation Baba also seized cheetah, leopard, serval cat
and python skins as well as hippo teeth at several markets, airports
and border crossings in Congo Brazzaville, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and
Zambia.
(AFP, 11/17/08)
2009 Jan 30, In Libreville, Gabon,
leaders of the six Central African states (Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, CAR,
Congo, Equatorial Guinea), began meeting to discuss closer economic
ties, including the creation of a new regional airline. The Economic
and Monetary Union of Central Africa, known as CEMAC, planned
discussions on such issues as monetary reform and the free movement of
citizens.
(AFP, 1/30/09)
2009 Mar 26, French President
Nicolas Sarkozy visited Brazzaville and Kinshasa. During the Kinshasa
trip, given over in large part to regional political issues, Areva
signed an agreement with the government allowing the company to
prospect for and mine uranium.
(AP, 3/27/09)
2009 Apr 29, A Boeing 737 on a
test flight from Brazzaville crashed southeast of Kinshasa, killing 7
people.
(AP, 4/30/09)
2009 May 5, A French judge decided
to investigate three African heads of state for money laundering and
other alleged crimes linked to their wealth in France. The probe
follows a complaint by Transparency International France, an
association that tracks corruption, against Gabon's Omar Bongo,
Republic of Congo's Denis Sassou-Nguesso and Teodoro Obiang of
Equatorial Guinea.
(AP, 5/6/09)
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