Political scientists frequently characterize Zaire and other African states as "corporatist," manifesting a system in which interest groups are officially sanctioned and noncompetitive. Although corporatism has not been a dominant theme in official Zairian discourse, it is present, notably in the oft-repeated phrase, "toutes les forces vives" (all the vital forces). When a new policy is to be launched, "toutes les forces vives" of the nation or of the region, as appropriate, are called together-- representatives of the employers, employees, churches, and other pertinent groups.

In 1991, as Zaire initiated a national conference on the model of those held in Benin, Congo, and other French-speaking African states, a new expression arose to refer to interest groups: civil society (la société civile), a sociological expression that originated in the writings of nineteenth-century German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

Data as of December 1993

NOTE: The information regarding Congo, Democratic Republic of the on this page is re-published from The Library of Congress Country Studies and the CIA World Factbook. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Interest Groups information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Congo, Democratic Republic of the Interest Groups should be addressed to the Library of Congress and the CIA.