Relationship dossier
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Zimbabwe
Relationship assessment
Security cooperation during the Second Congo War is the relationship’s clearest defining feature.
Democratic Republic of the Congo toward Zimbabwe
+35During the Second Congo War, the Congolese government sought Zimbabwean military assistance, providing concrete evidence of security cooperation with Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe toward Democratic Republic of the Congo
+45Zimbabwe deployed military forces to support the Congolese government during the Second Congo War, following the Congolese government’s request for assistance.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship is notably shaped by Zimbabwe’s military intervention in support of the Congolese government during the Second Congo War, following a request for assistance from the DRC. The extent to which that wartime cooperation developed into sustained later collaboration is 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
The relationship has a notable history of security cooperation. During the Second Congo War, the Democratic Republic of the Congo sought Zimbabwean military assistance, and Zimbabwe deployed forces to support the Congolese government. This intervention is the clearest basis for assessing the relationship; the scope and continuity of subsequent bilateral cooperation are less clear.
Key developments
The Congolese government requested military assistance from Zimbabwe during the Second Congo War, and Zimbabwe deployed forces in support.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of later bilateral agreements are unclear.
- The extent of sustained government cooperation after the Second Congo War is uncertain.