Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are administrative divisions of provinces with the exception of Kinshasa which itself has the status of a province. Cities are further divided into communes. They are led by mayors except for Kinshasa which is led by a governor.

Provincial cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is located in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Boma
Boma
Matadi
Matadi
Kenge
Kenge
Bandundu
Bandundu
Kikwit
Kikwit
Tshikapa
Tshikapa
Kananga
Kananga
Mbuji-Mayi
Mbuji-Mayi
Lusambo
Lusambo
Kabinda
Kabinda
Mwene-Ditu
Mwene-Ditu
Kamina
Kamina
Kolwezi
Kolwezi
Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi
Likasi
Likasi
Kalemie
Kalemie
Kindu
Kindu
Bukavu
Bukavu
Goma
Goma
Butembo
Butembo
Beni
Beni
Bunia
Bunia
Inongo
Inongo
Mbandaka
Mbandaka
Boende
Boende
Kisangani
Kisangani
Lisala
Lisala
Gemena
Gemena
Zongo
Zongo
Gbadolite
Gbadolite
Buta
Buta
Isiro
Isiro
Lumumbaville
Lumumbaville
Cities marked in red are provincial capitals
(Note: click mark for city article)
Category2nd-level administrative division of a unitary state
LocationDR Congo
Found inProvince
Number33 (as of 2023)
Additional status
Government
  • Appointed administration
Subdivisions

Provincial cities

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The 25 provinces of DR Congo are divided into 33 cities (fr. villes, sing. ville) and 145 territories (fr. territoires, sing. territoire).[1] Each provincial division is also a constituency of the National Assembly as well as of the Provincial Assembly of its province.[2]

Each city is led by a mayor (fr. maire) and is further divided into communes with each commune led by a burgomaster (fr. bourgmestre).[3] Currently mayors, burgomasters, and their deputies are appointed by the government.[4] Elections to bring about elected local government in provincial capitals are scheduled for December 2023—September 2024.

All provincial capitals are, by organic law, cities and do not need to meet the requirement of having a population of at least 100,000.[5]

Kinshasa

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The capital city of Kinshasa is a one of a kind administrative division due to article 2 of the Constitution which makes it a division of the country and gives it the status of a province.[6] In practice this means that—like a province—it has a provincial government with an elected governor and an Assembly, but—like a city—it is divided into communes led by burgomasters.[7] Uniquely, its 24 communes are also Provincial Assembly constituencies and are grouped into four National Assembly constituencies.[2]

List of cities

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Cities directly represented in the 2024–2028 National Assembly[8][9][10]
City Province # of
Com.
Assembly Seats Coordinates Pre-2015 Province
Nat'l
(500)
Prov'l
(elected)
Bandundu Kwilu 3 2 3 of 43 3°19′S 17°23′E / 3.31°S 17.38°E / -3.31; 17.38 (Bandundu) Bandundu
Beni North Kivu 4 2 2 of 44 0°30′00″N 29°28′00″E / 0.5°N 29.4667°E / 0.5; 29.4667 (Beni) North Kivu
Boende Tshuapa 2 1 1 of 17 0°13′11″S 20°51′36″E / 0.2196°S 20.86°E / -0.2196; 20.86 (Boende) Équateur (old)
Boma Kongo Central 3 2 3 of 36 5°51′S 13°03′E / 5.85°S 13.05°E / -5.85; 13.05 (Boma) Bas-Congo
Bukavu South Kivu 3 5 7 of 44 2°30′00″S 28°52′00″E / 2.5°S 28.8667°E / -2.5; 28.8667 (Bukavu) South Kivu
Bunia Ituri 3 2 3 of 43 1°33′37″N 30°14′24″E / 1.5604°N 30.24°E / 1.5604; 30.24 (Bunia) Orientale
Buta Bas-Uélé 4 1 1 of 17 2°49′N 24°44′E / 2.82°N 24.74°E / 2.82; 24.74 (Buta) Orientale
Butembo North Kivu 4 4 4 of 44 0°07′30″N 29°17′56″E / 0.1251°N 29.299°E / 0.1251; 29.299 (Butembo) North Kivu
Gbadolite Nord-Ubangi 3 1 2 of 17 4°16′30″N 21°00′00″E / 4.275°N 21°E / 4.275; 21 (Gbadolite) Équateur (old)
Gemena Sud-Ubangi 4 1 2 of 26 3°15′00″N 19°46′00″E / 3.25°N 19.7667°E / 3.25; 19.7667 (Gemena) Équateur (old)
Goma North Kivu 2 4 4 of 44 1°40′46″S 29°14′01″E / 1.6794°S 29.2336°E / -1.6794; 29.2336 (Goma) North Kivu
Inongo Mai-Ndombe 3 1 1 of 17 1°56′S 18°17′E / 1.94°S 18.28°E / -1.94; 18.28 (Inongo) Bandundu
Isiro Haut-Uélé 3 1 1 of 18 2°47′00″N 27°37′00″E / 2.7833°N 27.6167°E / 2.7833; 27.6167 (Isiro) Orientale
Kabinda Lomami 4 1 1 of 25 6°07′47″S 24°28′48″E / 6.1296°S 24.48°E / -6.1296; 24.48 (Kabinda) Kasaï-Oriental (old)
Kalemie Tanganyika 3 2 3 of 23 5°54′53″S 29°11′38″E / 5.9147°S 29.1939°E / -5.9147; 29.1939 (Kalemie) Katanga
Kamina Haut-Lomami 3 1 1 of 24 8°44′06″S 24°59′53″E / 8.7351°S 24.998°E / -8.7351; 24.998 (Kamina) Katanga
Kananga Kasaï-Central 5 4 6 of 31 5°53′49″S 22°26′56″E / 5.897°S 22.4488°E / -5.897; 22.4488 (Kananga) Kasaï-Occidental
Kenge Kwango 5 1 1 of 22 4°48′20″S 17°02′30″E / 4.8056°S 17.0417°E / -4.8056; 17.0417 (Kenge) Bandundu
Kikwit Kwilu 4 3 4 of 43 5°02′00″S 18°49′00″E / 5.0333°S 18.8167°E / -5.0333; 18.8167 (Kikwit) Bandundu
Kindu Maniema 3 1 3 of 20 2°57′00″S 25°55′00″E / 2.95°S 25.9167°E / -2.95; 25.9167 (Kindu) Maniema
Kinshasa n/a 24 56 44 4°19′24″S 15°18′29″E / 4.3233°S 15.3081°E / -4.3233; 15.3081 (Kinshasa) n/a
Kisangani Tshopo 6 6 9 of 27 0°30′55″N 25°11′28″E / 0.5153°N 25.1911°E / 0.5153; 25.1911 (Kisangani) Orientale
Kolwezi Lualaba 2 3 6 of 22 10°43′00″S 25°28′00″E / 10.7167°S 25.4667°E / -10.7167; 25.4667 (Kolwezi) Katanga
Likasi Haut-Katanga 4 3 4 of 44 10°59′00″S 26°44′00″E / 10.9833°S 26.7333°E / -10.9833; 26.7333 (Likasi) Katanga
Lisala Mongala 2 1 1 of 18 2°08′N 21°31′E / 2.14°N 21.51°E / 2.14; 21.51 (Lisala) Équateur (old)
Lubumbashi Haut-Katanga 7 14 20 of 44 11°40′11″S 27°27′29″E / 11.6697°S 27.4581°E / -11.6697; 27.4581 (Lubumbashi) Katanga
Lumumbaville Sankuru 2 1 1 of 23 4°04′29″S 24°33′05″E / 4.07475°S 24.551472°E / -4.07475; 24.551472 (Lumumbaville) Kasaï-Oriental (old)
Lusambo Sankuru 4 1 1 of 23 4°58′11″S 23°25′48″E / 4.9696°S 23.43°E / -4.9696; 23.43 (Lusambo) Kasaï-Oriental (old)
Matadi Kongo Central 3 3 4 of 36 5°49′00″S 13°29′00″E / 5.8167°S 13.4833°E / -5.8167; 13.4833 (Matadi) Bas-Congo
Mbandaka Équateur 2 2 3 of 19 0°02′55″N 18°15′37″E / 0.0486°N 18.2603°E / 0.0486; 18.2603 (Mbandaka) Équateur (old)
Mbuji-Mayi Kasaï-Oriental 5 6 10 of 22 6°07′15″S 23°35′48″E / 6.1209°S 23.5967°E / -6.1209; 23.5967 (Mbuji-Mayi) Kasaï-Oriental (old)
Mwene-Ditu Lomami 3 1 3 of 25 7°00′S 23°27′E / 7°S 23.45°E / -7; 23.45 (Mwene-Ditu) Kasaï-Oriental (old)
Tshikapa Kasaï 5 2 4 of 30 6°25′00″S 20°48′00″E / 6.4167°S 20.8°E / -6.4167; 20.8 (Tshikapa) Kasaï-Occidental
Zongo Sud-Ubangi 2 1 1 of 26 4°21′N 18°36′E / 4.35°N 18.6°E / 4.35; 18.6 (Zongo) Équateur (old)
Total 139 140
provincial capital

Due to the lack of reliable and comparable population figures, electoral districts are allocated seats in proportion to their voter registration numbers. The number of seats allocated to a city in the National Assembly and the Provincial Assembly is one measure of its relative political importance nationally and within its province respectively.

In 2018 cities accounted for 27% of the electorate, or 16% when Kinshasa is excluded.[11]

Cities in the making

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In mid-2018, just before the general election of that year, the government upheld the 2013 granting of city status to a large number of populated places, including 65 not listed above.[12] It was further decided to make these cities operational in stages.[13] Since then the following ones have had their first mayor appointed and take office without being National Assembly districts :

Settlements transforming into cities
Name Province # of
Com.
Mayor Coordinates Pre-2015 Province
Baraka South Kivu 3 Jacques Mmbucwa[14] 4°06′15″S 29°05′38″E / 4.1041°S 29.094°E / -4.1041; 29.094 (Baraka) South Kivu
Kamituga South Kivu 2 Alexandre Bundya[14] 3°04′S 28°11′E / 3.06°S 28.18°E / -3.06; 28.18 (Kamituga) South Kivu
Kasaji Lualaba 3 Georges Kazadi[15] 10°22′00″S 23°27′00″E / 10.3667°S 23.45°E / -10.3667; 23.45 (Kasaji) Katanga
Kasumbalesa Haut Katanga 3 André Kapamba[16] 12°15′23″S 27°48′10″E / 12.2564°S 27.8028°E / -12.2564; 27.8028 (Kasumbalesa) Katanga
Tshimbulu Kasaï-Central 3 Marcel Mutamba[17] 6°29′S 22°51′E / 6.48°S 22.85°E / -6.48; 22.85 (Tshimbulu) Kasaï Occidental
Uvira South Kivu 3 Kiza Muhato[14] 3°24′16″S 29°08′16″E / 3.4044°S 29.1379°E / -3.4044; 29.1379 (Uvira) South Kivu

See also

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Notes and references

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  1. ^ Organic Law No. 08/016, Articles 3–4.
  2. ^ a b Electoral law 2017, Articles 115,143. (not modified in 2022)
  3. ^ Organic Law No. 08/016, Articles 41,3,60.
  4. ^ Radio Okapi 27 Nov 2022.
  5. ^ Organic Law No. 08/016, Article 6.
  6. ^ Constitution, Article 2.
  7. ^ ADIAC 29 Dec 2022.
  8. ^ Compiled from the lists of candidates for the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies available at the CENI website. See for example Sankuru NDCs and Tshuapa PDCs.
  9. ^ Annex III, III.2 p. 25.
  10. ^ Actualité 27 June 2020.
  11. ^ 11,004,059 of 40,371,439 from data in Annex I.4 p. 8.
  12. ^ Digital Congo 25 Jul 2018; Décret n° 18/020; Journal Officiel 20 Jun 2013, Décret n° 13/020–13/030 du 13 juin 2013.
  13. ^ Arrêté Interministeriel n° 25/.../2018.
  14. ^ a b c La Prunelle RDC 25 Feb 2019.
  15. ^ Lualaba ma province 26 Nov 2022.
  16. ^ Nzadi News 7 Mar 2019.
  17. ^ Arrêté Provincial n°01/.../057/2019; 7sur7.cd 17 Sept 2022.

Cited works

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