Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Ambassador
H.E. Yvette Kapinga Ngandu
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United States
Ambassador Kapinga Yvette Ngandu was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the United States in June 2025 and joined her duty station on 30 October 2025.
Prior to this appointment, Ambassador Ngandu was Commissioner for Gender Promotion, Human and Social Development at the Economic Community of Central African States Commission (from August 30, 2020 to August 2025), with Libreville, Gabon as duty station. As such, she was the first woman to head the largest department of ECCAS, with ten key sectors to oversee (health, humanitarian action, education and scientific research, culture, migration, employment, humanitarian action, gender, youth, sports, and social affairs); and the youngest of the seven elected members of the new Commission at just 44 years of age.
Amb. Ngandu already has more than 25 years of professional experience in the diplomatic world, with a strong expertise in Mediation, Conflict Resolution and Prevention, having worked in six international organizations and diplomatic bodies such as the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in Johannesburg, the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa for twelve years, the United Nations Secretariat in New York, the International Peace Institute (IPI) in New York, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in Washington DC, the Voice of America, and the US State Department in Washington DC.
Her most notable achievements and contributions at the continental and regional levels include: contributing to the AU Declaration on Gender (adopted at the Conference of Heads of State in July 2004) and the AU Report on Women and Children in Armed Conflict (2010), which led to a decision by the AU Conference (Summit) of Heads of State and Government in June 2017 to establish a Pan-African Network of Women Mediators (FemWise-Africa); creating in 2008 and leading the African Union Continental Mediation Unit and the Secretariat of the Panel of the Wise. As coordinator of both projects, Ms. Ngandu was responsible for managing the AU’s preventive diplomacy and mediation operations for 12 years. At the AU, she coordinated the conflict prevention, mediation, and good offices missions of the members of the Panel of the Wise, such as the post-election mediation led by Kofi Annan in 2008; in South Africa in 2009 during the pre-election period; in Tunisia and Egypt from 2011 to 2013 during the Arab Spring; the facilitation and good offices led by Edem Kodjo in the DRC from 2016 to 2018; in Senegal in support of the mediation led by President Obasanjo to avoid an electoral conflict; in Ghana in 2013, in Sierra Leone in 2013, and in Togo since 2015 in support of the mediation supported by the Catholic Church; in Burkina Faso in 2016 in support of mediation led by Edem Kodjo for the restoration of constitutional order and the return of power to civilians, etc.
At the AU, Amb. Ngandu also supervised and coordinated the production of thematic reports to enable the various Chairpersons of the AU Commission (Mr. Jean Ping, Ms. Dlamini Zuma, and Mr. Mahamat Moussa Faki), and AU member states to take appropriate actions on emerging threats to peace and security in Africa, such as the AU reports on “election-related conflicts” in 2008; the AU report on “Impunity, Justice and National Reconciliation” in 2009; the report on “Women and Children in Armed Conflict” in 2010; the report on “Managing Unconstitutional Changes of Government” in 2012; and finally, the AU Decision on the Culture of Peace in 2015.
Ambassador Ngandu previously worked as a senior Africa program manager at the International Peace Institute (IPI) based in New York from 2003 to 2008. Before joining the IPI, she worked with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and Voice of America in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.
She holds a master’s degree in public administration and international relations from Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA.
Having participated in over 30 African Union summits of heads of state and organized some countless seminars and peace missions in various African countries, she is well versed in African Affairs.
Finally, she is fluent in French, English, Spanish, and Lingala (with intermediate skills in Portuguese and Swahili). She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Africa at California State University, Sacramento, California, and the Technical Advisory Team of the Addis Ababa-based Panafrican think tank called the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS).
Some of her publications include:
PUBLICATIONS:
- “Fast-tracking the establishment of the ECCAS Humanitarian Action Architecture & boosting its capacity to assist member states in times of crisis through a regional Solidarity Fund” https://www.accord.org.za/analysis/anchoring-eccas-peace-architecture-on-human-security-retrospective-and-prospective-analysis-of-apsa-20/
- “Supporting regional efforts to promote youth engagement in Peace and Security at the national level.” 2023
- « The value of fostering a culture of peace and non-violence” publie par Le Centre africain pour la résolution constructive des conflits (ACCORD) 2021; https://www.accord.org.za/analysis/the-value-of-fostering-a-culture-of-peace-and-non-violence/
- «Positioning the APRM as an Early Warning Tool for Conflict Prevention», published by the African Union African Peer Review Mechanism Newsletter, Governance Link, May 2020;
- «Le Rôle du Groupe des sages dans les efforts de prévention de conflits violents en Afrique» publié par The United Nations Chronicles, vol. LIV n ° 3 2017 octobre 2017. https://www.un.org/fr/chronicle/article/le-groupe-des-sagesson-role-pour-prevenir-les-conflits-violents-en-afrique
- Le groupe s sages de l’Union africaine : une histoire concise. Le Centre africain pour la résolution constructive des conflits (ACCORD) 2015, co-écrit avec le professeur Joao Homes Porto
- Règlement pacifique des différends frontaliers : leçons de l’affaire Bakassi et de l’Accord de Greentree. Académie / Institut international de la paix ; co-écrit avec Mashood Issaka
https://www.ipinst.org/2008/10/pacific- settlement-of-border-disputes-lessons-from-the-bakassi-affair-and-the-greentree-agreement
- Évaluation des efforts pour améliorer la gestion des conflits en Afrique de l’Ouest. Académie / Institut international de la paix; co-auteur avec Dorina Bekoe et Marilyn Aniwa ; https://www.ipinst.org/2004/10/appraising-efforts-to-improve-conflict-management-in-west-africa
MEET OUR EMBASSY DIVISIONS
The Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo represents the DRC interests’ in the United States of America. The Embassy staff engages interested stakeholders on a range of diplomatic, security and economic issues related to the DRC and the U.S.A. while providing consular assistance to Congolese nationals, investors and those seeking to travel to the DRC.
