Capital: Kinshasa
Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 town* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Zaire, Equateur, Haut-Zaire, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Shaba, Sud-Kivu

Independence: 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic), 24 November (1965)

Constitution: 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978; amended April 1990; new transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994

Legal system: based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga (since 24 November 1965) election last held 29 July 1984 (next to be scheduled by High Council, the opposition-controlled transition legislature); results - President MOBUTU was reelected without opposition
head of government: Prime Minister Etienne TSHISEKEDI (since NA 1993); note - de facto executive authority is exercised by President MOBUTU
cabinet: National Executive Council; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch: unicameral
parliament: a single body consisting of the High Council of the Republic and the Parliament of the Transition with membership equally divided between presidential supporters and opponents

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders: sole legal party until January 1991 - Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR); other parties include Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba; Democratic Social Christian Party (PDSC), Joseph ILEO; Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans (UFERI), NGUZ a Karl-I-Bond; Unified Lumumbast Party (PALU), Antoine GIZENGA
Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador TATANENE Manata
chancery: 1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: (202) 234-7690 or 7691
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: (vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission John YATES
embassy: 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa
mailing address: Unit 31550, Kinshasha; APO AE 09828
telephone: [243] (12) 21532, 21628
FAX: [243] (12) 21232 or 21534/5, ext. 2308
consulate(s) general: Lubumbashi (closed and evacuated in October 1991 because of the poor security situation)

Flag: light green with a yellow disk in the center bearing a black arm holding a red flaming torch; the flames of the torch are blowing away from the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

NOTE: The information regarding Zaire on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Zaire Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Zaire Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.