USAID has provided assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continuously since the country’s first years of independence. During the 1960s, USAID programs were directed at developing the United Nations’ new role as the coordinator of bilateral assistance. These programs focused on implementing a comprehensive economic stabilization program to contain inflation and improving internal security through military and police training.

In the first half of the 1970s, USAID helped the DRC establish infrastructure for road, river, maritime, and air transportation, and by the mid-1970s, USAID assistance expanded to meet the country’s basic developmental needs—health, agriculture, rural development, and human resource development. 

In the 1980s, other components were added to USAID funded development assistance programs, including balance of payment support to encourage the manufacturing sector, reduce food shortages, encourage policy dialogues to foster the adoption of sound fiscal and monetary policies, and support private sector initiatives

USAID programs have had to remain flexible over the last 50 years due changing circumstances, particularly during periods of instability and conflicts. Currently, USAID’s strategy has been developed to contribute to the U.S. Government’s foreign policy goal in the DRC: the emergence of a stable country that is at peace with its neighbors and provides for the basic needs of its citizens.