Congo Country Report

The Republic of Congo is relatively stable. Political tensions have, however, escalated into violence as armed groups, allegedly linked to civil war-era militias and opposition leaders, conducted a low-intensity conflict in the Pool and Bouenza departments, although violence has significantly declined since the end of 2017. While the government’s survival does not appear to be significantly threatened by the situation in Pool and Bouenza, political stability remains elusive due to a variety of factors including the president’s age and the lack of popular support for his son and likely successor. Corruption is endemic in the country and rule of law remains weak. The Republic of the Congo has limited infrastructure, with few well-maintained roads outside of the two main urban centers. Power outages are frequent occurrences, and rural areas are, by and large, not connected to the national grid. Medical facilities are limited and severely underdeveloped, including in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, and medical evacuation is generally required for all major procedures.

Congo experienced a surge in violence in the Pool and Bouenza departments following the controversial re-election of President Denis Sassou-Nguesso in 2016. The violence has been characterized by sporadic attacks on security forces and convoys, although a ceasefire between the government and rebels in the Pool department signed in December 2017 has largely held. Petty street crime is likely to pose the most significant threat to foreign travelers, particularly in the country's main urban centers. Although the country has a lower crime rate relative to many other countries in the region, street crime, including pickpocketing, mugging and bag-snatching, occurs regularly and foreign travelers may be targeted due to perceptions of wealth disparity. Armed banditry is also a threat in rural areas with criminals known to set up roadblocks and checkpoints in order to extort money from travelers. Civil unrest occurs sporadically in the country, generally driven by socio-economic and political issues, and can lead to significant violence and disruption.

There are concerns regarding the regulatory oversight of air travel in the country, although several international airlines provide flights to the two main airports.

Only a few major highways, namely those between Pointe Noire and Brazzaville and Brazzaville and Ouesso, are in a good state of repair and many secondary roads are rendered impassable during the rainy season.

The Port of Pointe Noire is the only sea port of the Republic of the Congo. The port is currently non-congested and traffic is regular.

Despite improvements to electricity production, aging infrastructure and facilities have resulted in frequent load shedding and power outages. Internet penetration is low, with slow and expensive services largely limited to Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.

The country is considered both an unlikely sponsor of and unlikely target for cyber attacks; its defenses against such an attack are understood to be weak.

The Republic of Congo has a generally hot and humid tropical climate, with some regional variation. In areas north of the equator, there is less of a distinct rainy and dry season and temperatures vary less throughout the year. In central and southern regions, there is a more distinct dry season between June-September, which is also the period when temperatures can drop slightly. Periods of sustained heavy rainfall during the wetter months can cause significant disruption to travel in rural areas and can lead to widespread flooding as well as landslides making many roads impassable. The harmattan, a season in which dust is blown south from the Sahara, can affect much of the country between February and March. The Republic of Congo is also affected by unexploded ordnance contamination, with the issue being exacerbated in some areas by unsafe storage of explosives and ammunition.

Several vector-borne diseases are present in the Republic of Congo, including malaria, dengue fever, filariasis, leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis (river blindness). Vaccines before travel are also required, for example, for yellow fever. Medical facilities are generally underdeveloped and limited, including in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, and medical evacuation is often required for serious injuries or complex procedures. Medications and medical supplies are often in short supply and difficult to obtain in local pharmacies. Only bottled water should be consumed as tap water is generally considered unpotable.

Despite the continued domination of President Sassou-Nguesso and his Congolese Labour Party (PCT), political stability in the Republic of Congo continues could be undermined by issues of succession and poor economic conditions. Sassou-Nguesso's re-election in 2021 passed off peacefully. Corruption is a major issue in the country, affecting most government bureaucracies and the security forces as well as the country's business environment. Rule of law is limited, and a culture of nepotism and patronage often defines positions and appointments.