The ambassador of Russia to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the official representative of the president and the government of the Russian Federation to the president and the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The ambassador and his staff work at large in the Russian embassy in Kinshasa. The current Russian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo is , incumbent since 10 October 2024.
History of diplomatic relations
Formal diplomatic relations between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Soviet Union were established on 7 July 1960, shortly after the country's independence from Belgium. The first diplomat appointed was in July that year, as temporary chargé d'affaires. was appointed as the first ambassador on 2 August 1960. The country, at the time known as the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville), to distinguish it from the neighbouring country of the same name, also termed Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville), quickly became embroiled in conflict as the Congo Crisis began. The embassy was evacuated on 18 September 1960. It resumed operating on 6 July 1961, under a chargé d'affaires, with appointed ambassador on 9 August 1962. The situation remained highly unstable, and with the Soviet-backed Simba rebellion taking place in the country, the Congo government broke off relations on 19 November 1963. They were restored on 30 November 1967, in a period of relative stability following the 1965 coup d'état led by Mobutu Sese Seko. The country's name had by this time been changed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A new Soviet ambassador, , was appointed on 16 April 1968. Exchange of ambassadors continued throughout the following years, during which time the name of the country was again changed, this time to the Republic of Zaire, in 1971. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the incumbent Soviet ambassador, , continued in post as the Russian ambassador until 1993.
List of representatives of Russia to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1960–present) Soviet Union to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1960–1991) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesChargé d'affairesJuly 1960Ambassador2 August 196018 September 1960Credentials presented on 17 August 1960Congo Crisis - Diplomatic relations interrupted (1960-1961)Leonid PodgornyChargé d'affaires19611962Ambassador9 August 196219 November 1963Credentials presented on 20 September 1962 Congo Crisis - Diplomatic relations interrupted (1963-1968)Ambassador16 April 196829 December 1970Credentials presented on 21 June 1968Ambassador29 December 197024 September 1979Credentials presented on 15 March 1971 Ambassador24 September 197927 May 1984Credentials presented on 30 October 1979 Ambassador27 May 198413 January 1986Credentials presented on 18 September 1984 Ambassador13 January 19861 February 1988 Ambassador1 February 1988 25 December 1991
Russian Federation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1991–present) NameTitleAppointmentTerminationNotesAmbassador25 December 199116 March 1993Ambassador16 March 199316 October 1998Ambassador16 October 199830 September 2003Ambassador30 September 200327 August 2008Ambassador27 August 200811 June 2013 Ambassador11 June 2013 7 August 2017Ambassador7 August 201710 October 2024Credentials presented on 16 November 2017Ambassador10 October 2024Credentials presented on 15 January 2025
Notes
References