Democratic Republic of the Congo

Brazil recognized the independence of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on August 17, 1960. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1968. In 1972, the Brazilian Embassy in Kinshasa was opened. The DRC, then known as Zaire, was one of the first Sub-Saharan African countries to open a resident embassy in Brasília, in 1974. The Brazilian Embassy in Kinshasa was closed in 1997. The reopening of the Brazilian diplomatic mission in the DRC in 2004 marked the beginning of a new phase of rapprochement between the two countries.

In 2010, Foreign Minister Celso Amorim visited Kinshasa. In August 2011, the DRC’s Minister of International and Regional Cooperation, Raymond Tshibanda, visited Brazil. In August 2015, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira visited Kinshasa, where he was received by President Joseph Kabila.

In April 2023, Brazil hosted a visit by then-Minister of Planning, Judith Suminwa Tuluka, who is now the Prime Minister of the DRC. In August of the same year, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi participated in the Amazon Summit in Belém. It was the first time a Congolese president visited Brazil.

In November 2022, Brazil, Indonesia, and the DRC signed the Joint Declaration on Cooperation on Tropical Forests and Climate Action, with the aim of strengthening the positions of the three countries — home to the world’s largest tropical forests — in multilateral climate negotiations.

Brazil plays a prominent role in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). The mission’s military force is commanded by a Brazilian officer, General Ulisses de Mesquita Gomes, who assumed the post in February 2025. Previously, five other Brazilian military officers had commanded MONUSCO.

The history of bilateral technical cooperation includes projects in the areas of elections, agriculture, the environment, biofuels, and health. Since 2022, a bilateral technical cooperation project has been under way to train small Congolese farmers.

Brazil contributed in 2009 and 2012, through the World Food Programme (WFP), with donations aimed at mitigating the risk of food insecurity in the DRC. In 2020, Brazil donated vaccines to the DRC valued at $ 266,201.98.

Trade between Brazil and the DRC reached a record high in 2024, totaling $259 million (a 28% increase compared to 2023). Brazil exported $191.5 million worth of goods, mainly sugars (36%), poultry meat (19%), and pork (8.6%). Imports from the DRC, totaling $67.6 million, consisted primarily of crude petroleum oils or bituminous mineral oils (99.8%).

Chronology of bilateral relations

2025 – The UN appoints Brazilian General Ulisses de Mesquita Gomes as Force Commander of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (February)

2023 – DRC President Félix Tshisekedi participates in the Amazon Summit (August)

2023 – DRC’s Minister of Planning Judith Suminwa Tuluka visits Brazil  (April)

2023 – The UN appoints Brazilian General Otávio Rodrigues de Miranda as Force Commander of MONUSCO (March)

2022 – Brazil, the DRC, and Indonesia — home to the world’s largest tropical forests — sign the Joint Declaration on Cooperation on Tropical Forests and Climate Action

2021 – The UN appoints Brazilian General Marcos de Sá Affonso da Costa as Force Commander of MONUSCO (April)

2019 – The UN appoints Brazilian General Ricardo Augusto Ferreira Costa Neves as Force Commander of MONUSCO (December)

2018 – The UN appoints Brazilian Major General Elias Rodrigues Martins Filho as Force Commander of MONUSCO (May)

2017 – Signing of the Agreement on the Restructuring of DRC’s Sovereign Debt with Brazil (March 28)

2016 – Justice Antonio Herman Benjamin, Minister of Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice and President of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (July) visits the DRC

2015 – Senator Jean-Claude Mokeni, President of the Foreign Affairs Committee and of the Brazil-DRC Friendship Group, visits Brazil

2015 – In Goma, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira holds a working meeting with the UN Special Representative for the DRC and Head of MONUSCO, Martin Kobler. He also meets with Brazilian General Carlos Alberto Santos Cruz, MONUSCO Force Commander (August 30)

2015 – Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira visits Kinshasa, where he meets with Foreign Minister Raymond Tshibanda and is received by President Joseph Kabila (August 29)

2014 – DRC Minister of Economy and Trade, Jean-Paul Nemoyato Begepole, visits Salvador  (November)

2014 – Brazil’s Minister of Defense Celso Amorim visits Kinshasa

2013 – DRC Minister of Environment Bavon Mputu Elima visits Brazil

2013 – The UN appoints Brazilian Major General Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz as Force Commander of MONUSCO (May)

2013 – The Brazilian government announces the rescheduling of DRC’s debt (May)

2011 – The 3rd Session of the Brazil-DRC Joint Commission is held in Brasília (August 18–19)

2010 – Foreign Minister Celso Amorim visits Kinshasa  (November)

2010 – The Brazilian government allocates $1 million to support efforts to strengthen reparations and access to justice for victims of sexual violence in the DRC, through the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (October)

2010 – Foreign Minister Celso Amorim meets with DRC Foreign Minister Alexis Mwamba on the sidelines of the 65th UN General Assembly

2009 – DRC Minister of Mines Victor Kasongo visits  Brazil (May)

2009 – Brazil’s Minister of Defense Nelson Jobim visits the DRC  (May)

2007 – The DRC is readmitted to  the Undergraduate Student Exchange Program (PEC-G), and has since become one of its top beneficiaries

2007 – ABC mission is sent to the DRC to explore opportunities for bilateral technical cooperation (September)

2007 – The Coordinator of EMBRAPA’s Africa Office visits the DRC to explore technical cooperation in agriculture (August)

2006 – Brazil donates 2,950 canvas ballot boxes to the DRC government (October)

2006 – Brazil sends an observer to the general elections in the DRC (July)

2005 – Brazil sends a mission of observers to the DRC constitutional referendum (December)

2005 – Visit to Brazil by Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba

2004 – Brazil reopens its Embassy in Kinshasa

1997 – Brazil closes its Embassy in Kinshasa

1987 – Signing of the Supplementary Protocol to the Economic, Commercial, Technical, Scientific and Cultural Convention regarding the Opening and Operation of the D7 Katanga Gold Mine by the Office des Mines d’Or de Kilo-Moto (February)

1980 – 1st Meeting of the Bilateral Joint Commission, in Brasília

1974 – Opening of the DRC Embassy in Brasília

1973 – Signing of the Air Services Agreement Protocol (February)

1973 – Signing of the Technical and Scientific Cooperation Agreement (February)

1973 – Signing of the Trade Agreement (February)

1973 – Visit to Brasília by Foreign Minister Nguza Karl-i-Bond (February)

1972 – Signing of the General Convention on Economic, Commercial, Technical, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation (November)

1972 – Visit to the DRC by Brazilian Foreign Minister Mario Gibson Barbosa (November)

1972 – Opening of the Brazilian Embassy in Kinshasa (April)

1968 – Establishment of diplomatic relations