Relationship dossier
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Italy
Relationship assessment
Development cooperation and diplomatic engagement, overshadowed by the 2021 killing of Italy’s ambassador in the DRC
Democratic Republic of the Congo toward Italy
+5Congolese authorities investigated the 2021 killing of Italy’s ambassador, Luca Attanasio, and other members of his convoy. The scope of other direct Congolese government cooperation with Italy is unclear.
Italy toward Democratic Republic of the Congo
+20Italy provides development and humanitarian cooperation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and maintains diplomatic engagement with its government.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship includes Italian development and humanitarian cooperation and continued diplomatic engagement. The 2021 killing of Italy’s ambassador and other convoy members was a major shock, while Congolese authorities pursued an investigation. The scale and durability of bilateral cooperation are unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Italy and the Democratic Republic of the Congo maintain bilateral engagement, including Italian development and humanitarian cooperation. In 2021, Congolese authorities investigated the killing of Italy’s ambassador, Luca Attanasio, and other members of his convoy. The relationship combines practical cooperation with the serious impact of that attack; details of the scope and implementation of bilateral programs are limited.
Areas of tension
- The killing of Italy’s ambassador, Luca Attanasio, and other convoy members in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2021.
Key developments
Italy’s ambassador Luca Attanasio and other members of his convoy were killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Congolese authorities investigated the attack.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of Italian development cooperation with the Democratic Republic of the Congo are unclear.
- The extent of ongoing bilateral security and diplomatic cooperation is unclear.