IBS No 52 - Democratic Republic of the Congo (CG).pdf

International Boundary Study No. 52 – June 15, 1965 Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) – Rwanda Boundary (Country Codes: CG-RW) The Geographer Office of the Geographer Bureau of Intelligence and Research The Geographer Office of Research in Economics and Science Bureau of Intelligence and Research INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY STUDY No. 52 DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (Kinsasha) [ZAIRE, CONGO (Leopoldville)] - RWANDA BOUNDARY TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. Boundary Brief 2 II. Historical Background 2 III. Politico - Geographic Setting 4 IV. Boundary Alignment 4 V. Present Situation 6 Appendix 7 Documents 7 Maps 7 Page 2 DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (Kinsasha) [ZAIRE, CONGO (Leopoldville)] - RWANDA BOUNDARY I. BOUNDARY BRIEF The Congo (Leopoldville) - Rwanda boundary has a length of approximately 135 miles. Southward from the Uganda tripoint on Volcan Sabinyo (Sabinio), it crosses an area of volcanic mountains for about 37 miles, passes through Lac Kivu for 71 miles, and follows the thalweg of the Ruzizi (Rusizi) for 27 miles. The Burundi tripoint is located at the junction of the Ruzizi and Luhwa (Ruwa) rivers. II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The Berlin Conference of 1884 - 85 recognized King Leopold II of Belgium as the sovereign head of state for an International Association of the Congo. On July 1, 1885, the entity was renamed the Congo Free State, and in 1908 the state was accorded colonial status as the Belgian Congo. A declaration by the Administrator-General of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Congo Free State stated on August 1, 1885 that the eastern limits of the entity, which included the sector adjacent to Rwanda (then known as Ruanda), were determined southward from the intersection of the 4th parallel of north latitude with the 30th meridian of east longitude as follows: The 30th degree