The Belgian Congo gained its independence in 1960 and became the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) or (DRC) in 1964. It was known as the Republic of Zaire from 1919 to 1997. It went through the First Congo War (1996-1997) and the Second Congo War (1998-2003) and has faced insurrection in eastern Kivu since 2015. DRC is a member of the AU, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), NAM, and UN. The capital is Kinshasa.