Navy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Navy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Active 1960s—present
Country  Democratic Republic of the Congo
Branch Navy
Role Protection of waters of DR Congo
Size
  • 1,000 personnel
  • 8 boats (one operational)
Part of Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Command locations
Engagements Kivu conflict
Commanders
Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Rombault Mbuayama Nsiona

The Congolese Navy, known as the National Navy (French: Marine Nationale), is the maritime component of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a brown-water navy, which is currently commanded by Vice Admiral Rombault Mbuayama Nsiona.

History

Ordonnance no.70/295 of 9 November 1970 fixed the organization of the Coast, River, and Lake Guard, after it had been created by ordonnance-loi 70/060 of the same day. A coast guard was headquartered at Banana, the River Guard at Kinshasa and the Lake Guard at Kalemie. Some five years later, however, the organization became the Force Navale Zairoise.[1]

Before the downfall of Mobutu Sese Seko, Zaire operated a small navy on the Congo river with a few facilities on the Atlantic coast. It consisted of 1,300 personnel, including 600 marines. One of its installations was at the village of N'dangi near the presidential residence in Gbadolite. The port at N'dangi was the base for several patrol boats, helicopters and the presidential yacht.[2][3]

The 2002 edition of Jane's Sentinel described the Navy as being "in a state of near total disarray" and stated that it did not conduct any training or have operating procedures.[4] The Congolese navy shares the same discipline problems as the other services. It was initially placed under command of the MLC when the transition began: the current situation is uncertain.

The Congolese navy took part in an exercise overseen by United States Army troops in 2010 in Lake Tanganyika, to verify that it met African Union standards.[5]

During the Dongo conflict in the northwestern DRC, a number of navy personnel fled across the Congo River to the nearby Republic of the Congo as refugees, along with many civilians.[6]

In September 2017 the Congolese navy supported army operations against a Mai-Mai militia and sunk a rebel boat in Lake Tanganyika.[7]

Organization

A FARDC naval patrol on Lake Kivu in 2012

The 2007 edition of Jane's Fighting Ships states that the Navy is organised into four commands, based at Matadi, near the coast; the capital Kinshasa, further up the Congo river; Kalemie, on Lake Tanganyika; and Goma, on Lake Kivu.[8]

The IISS, in its 2007 edition of the Military Balance, confirms the bases listed in Jane's and adds a fifth base at Boma, a coastal city near Matadi.

Various sources also refer to numbered Naval Regions. Operations of the 1st Naval Region have been reported in Kalemie,[9] the 4th near the northern city of Mbandaka,[10] and the 5th at Goma.[11]

The IISS lists the Navy at 1,000 personnel and a total of eight patrol craft, of which only one is operational, a Shanghai II Type 062 class gunboat designated "102". There are five other 062s as well as two Swiftships which are not currently operational, though some may be restored to service in the future. According to Jane's, the Navy also operates barges and small craft armed with machine guns.[12]

Known chiefs of staff

References

  1. ↑ Ordonnance no. 75/128 du 19 mars 1975 portant creation et organisation de la Force Navale Zairoise, JOZ no. 13, du 1 July 1985, 665-666.
  2. ↑ L'Express, 22. December 2008, page 13
  3. ↑ Zaire - Navy. Country Data.
  4. ↑ Jane's Sentinel Security Assessment—Central Africa. Issue 11—2002. Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group.
  5. ↑ George Allen, , AFRICOM, 2010
  6. ↑ Conflict in the DRC causes refugee problem
  7. ↑ Ross, Aaron (28 September 2017). Congo naval boats battle rebels on Lake Tanganyika. Reuters. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  8. ↑ Saunders, Stephen (editor). Jane's Fighting Ships Vol. 110, 2007–2008. Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. p. 163.
  9. ↑ DanChurch Aid, Destruction of stockpiles in Kalemie Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine., 2 May 2006
  10. ↑ Hilaire Kayembe, Naufrage dans une rivière à Mbandaka, Le Potential, 7 August 2006
  11. ↑ Human Rights Division / MONUC, Monthly Human Rights Assessment: April 2007, 17 May 2007. The HR report stated a Goma student was shot by a soldier of the 5th Naval Region for refusing to hand over a cellphone.
  12. ↑ Saunders, Stephen (editor). Jane's Fighting Ships Vol. 110, 2007–2008. Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. p. 163.
  13. 1 2 Supreme Defense Council welcomes good performance of the FARDC Embassy of DR Congo in India. Published 6 November 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Supreme Defense Council says security is higher (In French) Digital Congo. 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  15. ↑ Joseph Kabila meets with security council (In French) Digital Congo. Published 5 November 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
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