Main Character Index Superpowers: Großgermanisches Reich | United States of America Major Powers: Republic of China (GBASAR) | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Minor Powers: Empire of Japan (Chōsen/Korea) | United Kingdom | Kingdom of Italy | French State | United States of Brazil | Argentine Republic | Union of South Africa | Republic of Indonesia | Commonwealth of Australia Other Nations (Europe): Spain | Ireland | Netherlands | Portugal Other Nations (The Americas): Mexico | Colombia | Venezuela Other Nations (Asia): Malaya | Singapore | Philippines | Vietnam | Afghanistan | Syria Other Nations (Africa): Egypt | Congo | Katanga Misc: Miscellaneous
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Democratic Republic of the Congo
Official Name: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ruling Party: Union des Forces du Progrès pour le Développement du Congonote
Ideology: Neoclassicalismnote
The Congo. A nation so vast and rich in resources, and yet it has only known exploitation for much of its recent history; be it under the Belgians or the Germans. While the ills of war and misery are yet to leave the country, things are beginning to change. Slowly, but surely. Democracy has blossomed in every corner of the DRC, and stability has finally returned for the first time in decades. The people are beginning to reap the fruits of their labor; and even though the daggers of colonialism continue to separate the peoples of the Congo, the future is bright. General Tropes
- African Terrorists: A number of small Katanga-backed insurgent groups have been active in the province of Kivu since the 1990s. While the Congolese National Army managed to stabilize the situation over the years, the insurgents continue to lurk in the jungles and terrorize local villages.
- Allohistorical Allusion: The Congo's situation immediately after Independence was similar to the one they faced in OTL, with the country lacking an educated class who were capable of governing the country and political strife leading to civil war. In this timeline, the Congo's first constitution was partially drafted by the Americans, who made the country into a federal presidential republic as a compromise between the many ethnic and tribal leaders. When Patrice Lumumba was elected and tried to introduce unitarism and a new constitution that would strengthen the central government, the country was split between Unitarists/Lumumbists and Federalists; the latter of whom went on to try and coup Lumumba and starting the civil war. In the end, the Unitarists won. The civil war has some parallels to the real Congo Crisis, with South Kasai, the ABAKO and Katanga playing a role in the conflict.
- Balkanize Me: If the DRC loses the Second Congo War and is forced to make concessions to Katanga and recognize its independence, the government will be severely weakened and will lose entire regions to local warlords and insurgent groups, with foreign corporations using the conflict to exploit the Congo and feeding the cycle of violence and terror.
- Corrupt Politician: Corruption is by far the biggest issue for the DRC. The judicial system is ineffective thanks to previous authoritarian governments and politicians who steal millions of Congolese dollars often go unpunished. This ends up hindering the effectiveness of much needed public services and is a roadblock to developing the country and tapping into its full potential.
- Crapsaccharine World: The DRC is a rapidly developing economy and one of the more prosperous ones in Africa, and it has a democratic system with a bustling, diverse political environment. It is said to be a giant in the making, and the DRC has the potential to become an important regional power in the upcoming decades. However, a closer look reveals that the DRC is extremely fragile. Corruption is rampant and democracy is still new to the Congo and prone to instability. One crisis could be all it takes to undo years of progress.
- Democracy Is Flawed: Congolese democracy is young and far from perfect. Voter suppression, corruption and several other problems prevent the system from functioning as intended, and historically, all it took was one authoritarian President to undo decades worth of progress towards political stability. However, things have begun to improve substantially since the 90s, and Congo's future is bright should it survive the upcoming turmoil.
- The Federation: The DRC is an OFN partner, having aligned itself with the United States under the pro-American Oscar Kashala.
- Gaia's Vengeance: The methaphorical subtype. During the fifties, the Germans dammed the mouth of the Congo river to increase shipping lanes into RK Zentralafrika as well as bringing more profits to the colonial administration, not giving any regard to the potential ecological and humanitarian disaster this would cause. Decades later and it's the Congolese who have paid the price. Floods wreak havoc across the country on a near-constant basis, the imbalance in local fauna has led to many issues to people living in remote areas, and a malaria crisis plagues the country and puts a strain on the Congo's public health system. It seems almost like nature's vengeance is being inflicted upon the Congolese.
- Good Capitalism, Evil Capitalism: The neoclassical reforms under Kashala and the Congo's rich natural resources have made the DRC into an attractive location for foreign investment, creating thousands of jobs and opportunities for the Congolese people. However, the American corporations who do business in the DRC have less noble intentions, with some wanting to weaken the DRC and destroy any roadblocks preventing them from exploiting the country's resources further and maximizing their profits.
- Please Select New City Name: After independence, several towns had their names changed. Léopoldville became Kinshasa, Stanleyville became Boyoma, Albertville became Kalemie, Erichsdorf became Goma, and Hitlerstadt was at first renamed to Ésanga and later to Président Lumumba.
- Rags to Riches: At the time of independence, the Congo had nothing. There were only a handful of educated citizens and trained professionals, and the mineral-rich Katanga province was arbitrarily separated for the interests of the local Belgian elites. But under proper leadership, the DRC progressed and is now a rapidly developing economy with a promising future.
- Shocking Defeat Legacy: During the First Congo War (1987-1991), the DRC intervened in the conflict between the Katangese government and the FLNC insurgency in support of the FLNC. To everyone's surprise, the smaller but well-prepared Katangese Army defeated the larger but disorganized Congolese National Army. The war was a complete humiliation for the Congo, while the instability spilled over into the DRC's borders and almost led to the collapse of the country. Twenty years later, Katanga's continued existence reminds the Congo of their mutilated nationhood.
- Villainous Legacy: The Nazi occupation of the Congo left scars not only on her people, but also on the landscape. The creation of the Congo Lake led to thousands of Congolese from various ethnicities moving to neighboring provinces and radically altering the ethnic makeup of the country, not to mention the plethora of public health and environmental issues caused by what was virtually a huge ecological disaster. This is without getting into the brutal living conditions the Germans inflicted upon the natives during their two decades of terror.
- Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: To the Congolese, the Congolese National Liberation Front was considered a heroic patriotic organization fighting against colonialism and for reunification during its insurgency in Katanga. To the Katangese, the FLNC was a terrorist organization trying to take away their independence.
Kashala Government
Oscar Kashala
Role: President
Party: Union des Forces du Progrès pour le Développement du Congonote
Ideology: Neoclassicalismnote
Doctor Oscar Kashala Lokumuena is a man whose legacy will surely rival that of Lumumba himself. The Harvard-educated scientist left his comfortable life in the United States to return to his country and contest the 2002 elections as a center-right opposition candidate. The Doctor won over the hearts of millions of frustrated voters who wanted a fresh face to oppose the MNC-led establishment. Since then, Kashala has become recognized as one of the great statesmen of the world - and his Presidency has brought many positive changes to the young nation. Oscar now pursues a third and final term, which he is sure to win.- The Charmer: Kashala captivated millions of Congolese voters with his promises for economic prosperity and his image as an educated and well-spoken man. As a result, he and his newly-formed UFPDC party won the elections with a great majority and formed the first right-wing government in the country's history.
- Dark Horse Victory: Kashala was a newcomer to the DRC's political scene and his election was met with surprise from foreign observers.
- The Exile: He left the Congo in the early 80s and spent two decades studying abroad in the United States, continuing his education there to become a Harvard-educated scientist and a wealthy philanthropist. He only returned to the Congo to run for the 2002 elections, which he would go on to win.
- Internal Reformist: Having been elected on a platform of anti-corruption and economic development, Kashala has liberalized the Congolese economy and introduced much-needed political reforms to make Congolese democracy more transparent and stable.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: As an outsider to politics and a moderate, Kashala made sure to work with as many potential allies as he could find regardless of ideological views or personal gripes, figuring that is the kind of attitude Congolese leaders need.
- Universally Beloved Leader: Kashala is the most popular President since Patrice Lumumba, his professionalism and technocratic governance bringing much-needed prosperity to the DRC and keeping him and his party on top despite challenges from the Lumumbist opposition.
Ève Bazaiba
Role: Prime Minister
Party: Mouvement Social Démocratique du Congonote
Ideology: Green Conservatismnote
Ève Bazaiba is the first female Prime Minister in Congolese history and a well-known human rights advocate in the country. Having worked with Kashala and rallied the liberal-conservative anti-MNC opposition behind his government, she has used her position to push for civil rights legislation and environmentalism.- Breaking the Glass Ceiling: She is the first female Prime Minister the Congo has ever had.
- Defector from Decadence: Originally a member of the Congolese National Movement (MNC) in the 1980s, Bazaiba disapproved of the party's left-wing direction and the authoritarianism in Antoine Gizenga's government, eventually becoming a fierce critic of the MNC and an important opposition leader.
- Nature Hero: She is an environmentalist who has brought the country's environmental problems to the table and sought to properly address them, being the first Prime Minister to have a solid green agenda.
- Suffrage and Political Liberation: She has used her position in government to advance the rights of women and vulnerable groups despite the heavy social conservative attitudes amongst her colleagues and compatriots.
