French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
: ''Cité de l'OUA'') is a governmental complex situated in the Ngaliema commune of
Kinshasa
Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the Capital city, capital and Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-grow ...
,
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
. It is located near Mont Ngaliema and serves as a venue for diplomatic and governmental functions.
The complex was commissioned by President
Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa za Banga ( ; born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu; 14 October 1930 – 7 September 1997), often shortened to Mobutu Sese Seko or Mobutu and also known by his initials MSS, was a Congolese politician and military officer ...
in 1967 when Kinshasa hosted the heads of state summit of the
Organization of African Unity
The Organisation of African Unity (OAU; , OUA) was an African intergovernmental organization established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 33 signatory governments. Some of the key aims of the OAU were to encourage political and ec ...
(OAU). Since then, it has served as the sanctum sanctorum for guests of the Congolese Head of State, as well as for the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
's
meetings
A meeting is when two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal or business setting, but meetings also occur in a variety of other environments. Meetings can be used as form of group decision-making.
Definiti ...
The establishment of the complex can be traced back to December of 1966 when President Mobutu extended an invitation to the Heads of State and governments across Africa, inviting them to the 1967 Assembly in Kinshasa, a convocation designed to showcase their support for the Congo and fortify his position domestically and internationally. On 9 February 1967,
Boubacar Diallo Telli
Boubacar Diallo Telli (1925 – February 1977) was a Guinean diplomat and politician. He helped found the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and was the second secretary-general of the OAU between 1964 and 1972. After serving as Minister of Just ...
, the Guinean Secretary-General of the OAU, announced that Kinshasa had been chosen as the venue for the year's Assembly. This was achieved after thirty of the OAU member states had accepted the Congolese invitation, well over the two-thirds majority of the total membership of thirty-eight required as a quorum. The OAU City complex was constructed to accommodate participating Heads of State. Lumumba Boulevard, the city's arterial thoroughfare, was electrified to N'Djili International Airport. On September 14, 1967, despite Ivorian President
Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Félix Houphouët-Boigny (; 18 October 1905 – 7 December 1993), affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux ("The Old One"), was an Ivorian politician and physician who served as the first List of heads of state of Ivory Coast, pr ...
's boycott, 36 countries and 15 heads of state attended. The summit occurred amidst the
eastern Congo
Eastern or Easterns may refer to:
Transportation
Airlines
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 192 ...
political crisis and the
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Biafran War, Nigeria-Biafra War, or Biafra War, was fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a Secession, secessionist state which had declared its independen ...
.
In 2009, the OAU City complex was rehabilitated by the
China Railway Engineering Corporation
The China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) is a state-owned holding company of China, which is under the supervision of the State Council. The company is the major shareholder of China Railway Group Limited (CRGL), its subsidiary. CREC i ...
(CREC) under President
Joseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila Kabange ( , ; born 4 June 1971) is a Congolese politician and former military officer who served as the fourth President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2001 to 2019. He took office ten days after the assassination o ...
's administration, in anticipation of the
Southern African Development Community
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana.
Goals
The SADC's goal is to further regional socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and se ...
(SADC) summit, which was held in Kinshasa the following September. The summit was attended by several African leaders, including
Seretse Khama Ian Khama
Seretse Khama Ian Khama() (born 27 February 1953) is a Motswana politician and former military officer who was the fourth President of the Republic of Botswana from 1 April 2008 to 1 April 2018. After serving as Commander of the Botswana Defence ...
,
Pakalitha Mosisili
Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili (born 14 March 1945) is a former Mosotho politician who was the fourth prime minister of Lesotho from May 1998 to June 2012 and again from March 2015 to June 2017.Armando Emílio Guebuza,
Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba (born 18 August 1935) is a Namibian politician who served as the second president of Namibia from 21 March 2005 to 21 March 2015. He won the 2004 Namibian presidential election, 2004 presidential election overwhelming ...
,
Jacob Zuma
Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan names Nxamalala and Msholozi. Zuma was a for ...
,
Mswati III
Mswati III (born Makhosetive Dlamini; 19 April 1968) is the ''Ngwenyama'' (King) of Eswatini and head of the Swazi royal family. He heads an absolute monarchy, as he has veto power over all branches of government and is constitutionally immune fr ...
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of th ...
Arvin Boolell
Arvin Boolell (Bhojpuri : आर्विन बूलेल; May 26, 1953) is a Mauritian doctor and politician currently serving as Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries. Boolell formerly served as the Leader of ...
Joaquim Alberto Chissano
Joaquim Alberto Chissano (born 22 October 1939) is a Mozambican politician who served as the second President of Mozambique, from 1986 to 2005. He is credited with transforming the war-torn country of Mozambique into a successful African democra ...
.
In 2010, the OAU City complex experienced another phase of rehabilitation during the celebrations commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of Congolese Independence Day. This period saw the erection of over forty villas, a hospital clinic, and several administrative edifices, all of which are stringently secured by the
Republican Guard
A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...
.
Félix Tshisekedi
Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo (; born 13 June 1963) is a Congolese politician who has served as the fifth president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since 2019.
He was the leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (Demo ...
was inaugurated as President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on January 25, 2019, and took up residence at the Cité de l'Union Africaine.