Congolese Australians
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Congolese Australians are a people who were either born in the
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 ...
or the
Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo), is a country located on the western coast of Central ...
, or are of Congolese heritage, who have since settled in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. The Congolese Australian population has seen a marked increase since the end of the 20th century, growing from 21 individuals in 1996, to 5,522 by the 2016 Census. The influx of Congolese immigrants in the 1990s were initially the result of the
First Congo War The First Congo War, also known as Africa's First World War, was a Civil war, civil and international military conflict that lasted from 24 October 1996 to 16 May 1997, primarily taking place in Zaire (which was renamed the Democratic Republi ...
, a civil war in the country of
Zaire Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 18 May 1997. Located in Central Africa, it was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-la ...
(present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo), as well as the effects of the
Rwandan genocide The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, occurred from 7 April to 19 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. Over a span of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Gre ...
on the eastern border of the country, which created rebel militia groups, completely destabilizing state authority at the time. According to the 2016 Census, approximately 80% (3,228) of all Congolese-born Australians arrived in Australia between 2006 and 2016, this sudden increase in Congolese immigration was the result of a conflict between the Democratic Republic of the Congo's conflict against the
Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (, FDLR; , IDKR) is an armed rebel group active in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. As an ethnic Hutu group opposed to the ethnic Tutsi influence, the FDLR is one of the last fact ...
, an ongoing conflict beginning in 2004. The Congolese Australian population have settled evenly across the country's states and territories, with the largest populations being located in
Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
,
Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
, and
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
. Like most African Australians, it is not uncommon for Congolese Australians to experience racism, and research on their experience has been ongoing following their arrival in the early 2000s.


History

The Congo attained independence from
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
in 1960, however the Belgian preparation of the Congo for this was hasty, and therefore there was not sufficient infrastructure for a new Congolese government to effectively function, and as a result, the 1960s and 1970s saw a couple of internal conflicts.   These internal tensions, resulting from resistance to the rule of the current 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 ...
, existing tensions between existing ethnic groups, and the Rwandan genocide forcing 1.5 million
Hutu The Hutu (), also known as the Abahutu, are a Bantu ethnic group native to the African Great Lakes region. They mainly live in Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda where they form one of the principal ethnic groups alongside the Tutsi and the Great L ...
and
Tutsi The Tutsi ( ), also called Watusi, Watutsi or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region. They are a Bantu languages, Bantu-speaking ethnic group and the second largest of three main ethnic groups in Rwanda and Burundi ( ...
people to seek refuge in the Congo in 1994 were the causes of the First Congo War, lasting from October 1996 – May 1997, and caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, both of combatants and civilian groups. The government installed after the war by the
AFDL The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (), also known by the French acronym AFDL, was a coalition of Rwandan, Ugandan, Burundian, and Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congolese dissidents, disgruntled minority group ...
(consisting of
Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...
,
Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
,
Burundi Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...
,
Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
, SPLA, and
Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...
n aggressors) faced the same issues as Mobutu's administration, and therefore caused the outbreak of the
Second Congo War The Second Congo War, also known as Africa's World War or the Great War of Africa, was a major conflict that began on 2 August 1998, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just over a year after the First Congo War. The war initially erupted ...
. The 1990s and 2000s saw continuing conflicts, and thereby caused the exodus of 300,000 Congolese people into neighboring countries. Most Congolese people who have arrived in Australia since 2004, have immigrated through the Australian Government's Humanitarian Program. The 2016 Census records that Congolese immigration to Australia prior to 2001 was very small, however, 38.9% (1,596 people) of the Congolese-born Australian population arrived between 2006 and 2010, and an even greater proportion, equaling 39.8% (1,632) arrived between 2011 and 2016, showing a clear increasing trend in the immigration of Congolese nationals to Australia


Population Distribution

Australia's Congolese population has distributed across all the states of Australia since their arrival, the largest concentration of Congolese Australians are located in Queensland, with 1,183 people as of 2016.  Victoria, Western Australia and
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
also have large populations, all over 600 Congolese born people, smaller states and territories; the
Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
,
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
and the ACT, have a small population. Further, despite being one of the more populous states,
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
has a comparatively small Congolese population, with only 550 individuals stating they were born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.


Language

In terms of languages, the Congolese Australian community is for the most part, heterogenous;
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
,
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), ...
,
Lingala Lingala (or Ngala, Lingala: ) is a Bantu languages, Bantu language spoken in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the northern half of the Republic of the Congo, in their capitals, Kinshasa and Brazzaville, and to a lesser de ...
,
Nyanga Nyanga may mean: *Nyanga Province, of Gabon *Nyanga River, in Gabon and Congo *Nyanga people, an ethnic group from Congo *Nyanga, Zimbabwe, a town *Nyanga District, Zimbabwe *Nyanga National Park in Zimbabwe *Nyanga, Western Cape, a township in Sou ...
and
Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language officially used in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes. * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa. * Swahili culture, the culture of the Swahili p ...
are the most commonly spoken languages by people who have arrived from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there is also a wide variation of dialects in their Swahili, leading to difficulty in interpreting and translating; Congolese Swahili, by comparison to Standard Swahili, uses more words with an etymology similar to
Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language * Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for National ...
, than
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
. Other official languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that may be spoken by Congolese Australians are
Kongo Kongo may refer to: Kongo culture *Kingdom of Kongo *Kongo cosmogram *Kongo language or Kikongo, one of the Bantu languages *Kongo languages *Kongo people *Kongo religion Places * Kongo, Ghana, a town in Ghana *Kongo Central, formerly Bas-Cong ...
and Tshiluba. Swahili is the most commonly reported first language for those born in the DRC (53%) and the Republic of Congo (36%), followed by French, 17% of DRC arrivals and 29% for the Republic of Congo.  According to the 2016 Census, 8.2% of Congolese-born Australians speak English as their sole language, whereas 72.2% of the population are both proficient at English and other languages, with only 18.1% can speak other languages but cannot speak English well. The wide variety of languages spoken by Congolese-born Australians, including minority languages such as Lingala, means that the Census omits some instances of multilingualism, this can mean that these minority languages may not be reported in the Census. The underreporting of speakers of these languages means that appropriate resources have not been allocated to having interpreters for those languages.


Social Status

Racism against Congolese Australians, similarly to all African-Australian groups, is not uncommon, with African Australians feeling as though they are criminalized and scrutinized due to their skin colour, even rejected by the society they are seeking to participate in due to the prejudices of members of the population. Given that most Congolese Australians are fleeing from conflict in their home country, they simultaneously are removed from the country they fled, but also due to this racialization, lack a feeling of belonging. Access to healthcare is another element of Australian resettlement that has barriers affecting Congolese-born refugees, of these, the commonly reported barriers are the differences between the Australian and Congolese health system, the complexity of the Australian healthcare system and communication issues. The main difference between the two systems is the ease of purchasing medication in Africa when compared with Australia; purchasing necessary medications in Africa did not require a prescription, including antibiotics, unlike Australia where diagnosis and prescription of medicine by a professional is usually required before being allowed to purchase more serious medicines. The Australian pharmacy system can also be a barrier, with the combination of generic and brand names for medicines, requiring multiple medicines for newly diagnosed conditions and prescriptions, none of which are present in the Congolese system. The language barrier is a common problem also, and can make the previous issues more severe, many feel that their English is not adequate to describe their symptoms to a GP or a pharmacist, and made it difficult for healthcare professionals to communicate with their patients.


Employment

Employment is often used as an indicator for assessing the successful integration of migrants into their new host country for purposes of acculturation, as well as being able to provide for any family members who have migrated with them. Demographic factors are associated with successful employment applications for Congolese Australians; gender, age, English proficiency and how long the applicant has been living in Australia. Male migrants between the ages of 25 and 44 with strong English skills were far more likely to find employment than others, as for length of stay in the host country, the longer the time spent and the greater their understanding of Australian cultural practices, the greater their odds of finding employment. The difficulty in attaining employment status due to these barriers can induce stress in some applicants when compounded with the preexisting stress of needing to adjust living in a new country.


Youth

Proficiency in English, particularly ability to speak it fluently, is a key factor for successful resettlement of African youths in Australia, youths that were proficient have found settling into Australian culture faster and smoother. The lack of recognition by Australian schools for previous schooling is an existing issue for African youths settling, seeing as older students may not be able to complete their schooling and may be required to attend adult education centers.  Having proficiency in the English language is also a barrier for youths seeking to access medical treatment, African Australian youths have a high degree of mental health issues, namely
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...
(PTSD) due to the trauma of enforced separation from their home country and potentially even family members. Finding employment is a challenge for refugee youths from the DRC, given that most job listings in Australia are placed online, refugees who are not familiar with the technologies required to apply for these jobs face additional barriers. Congolese-born refugee youths socialize within their community; playing sports with other Congolese people, or engaging through functions hosted by their local church. Most Congolese-born youths are Christian in belief; oftentimes attending church multiple times in a week, and also serves a social role in the lives of the youths. Financial support is offered to Congolese Australian refugees through welfare, however financial difficulties are still a serious issue, along with the availability of housing.


Notable people

*
Future D. Fidel Future D. Fidel is a Congolese-Australian playwright. Future Destin Fidel was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and became an orphan at the age of 13. Living with his sister at Uvira on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, he fled across the ...
, playwright


See also

*
African Australians African Australians are Australians descended from any peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa, including naturalised Australians who are immigrants from various regions in Sub-Saharan Africa and descendants of such immigrants. At the 2021 census, the n ...
*
Congolese Americans Congolese Americans () are Americans descended from the peoples of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, which consist of hundreds of ethnic groups. In the 2020 U.S. Census, 110,537 people reported Congolese descen ...


References

{{African diaspora Ethnic groups in Australia African diaspora in Australia + People of African descent