DR Congo: Giant weakened by violence and poverty

Its 10th outbreak of Ebola since 1976 was declared on August 1 and has claimed at least 285 lives, according to a health ministry update in early December.

A cholera epidemic has claimed 857 lives since the start of the year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said last month.

Last year, the country had 55,000 cases of cholera, resulting in 1,190 fatalities.

– Cobalt, copper, coltan –

The DRC has the potential to be one of Africa’s wealthiest countries “if it can overcome its political instability,” the World Bank says.

It is the world’s leading producer of cobalt, a key ingredient in top-range batteries including for smartphones and electric cars, and a top supplier of coltan, another mineral used for electronic products.

It is also Africa’s top producer of copper and sits on hydrocarbons, tropical timber, gold, diamonds and other minerals.

But competition for the wealth has bred conflict, graft, smuggling and mismanagement.

It is ranked 176 out of 188 for its human development (UN Human Development Programme) and 161 out of 180 for corruption (Transparency International).

In 2017 its economy grew 3.7 percent, according to the World Bank.