Press release number: IFAD 26/04

Rome 15 July 2004 – A new programme to rebuild structures and services in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo will provide a new lease on life for 70 000 poor households in the rural hinterlands of the Equateur Province.

The USD 22.6 million programme will be financed partly by a USD 14.7 million loan from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). A further USD 6.0 million will be contributed by the Belgian Government through the Belgian Survival Fund. The loan agreement was signed today at IFAD headquarters by Innocent Mokosa Mandende, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Italy and IFAD President Lennart Båge.

Following a devastating five-year civil war and long periods of poor governance, the people of this rural area were left with few means to earn a living. There were no farming or fishing tools, infrastructure was badly damaged and transportation and communications were limited. The programme will help to rebuild the agricultural sector, providing farmers with access to tools, information, technology and markets.

“Poverty is one of the cruellest legacies of conflict. Without access to agricultural inputs and markets, the road to recovery would be even longer,” said Leopold Sarr, IFAD’s Country Portfolio Manager for the Democratic Republic of Congo. “This programme will make a difference, especially to highly vulnerable groups, such as women and pygmies.”

At the core of the programme are community organization networks that provide training and capacity building. For instance, farmers will learn how to raise crop yields by using seeds and fertilizer, and fishers will increase the value of their catch by drying or smoking it. Better communications, including rural radio, will bring market information to remote communities, helping farmers to gain the best price for their yield.

With this loan, IFAD will have financed four projects to the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a total of approximately USD 80 million.

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IFAD is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to combating rural poverty in the most disadvantaged regions of the world. Since 1978, IFAD has financed 653 projects and programmes in 115 countries and territories for a total commitment of approximately USD 8.1 billion in loans. Through these projects, about 250 million rural people have been supported in their efforts to overcome poverty.