These days, it can take as long as one month. Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the Congo for 32 years before Rwandan troops overthrew him in 1997, did little to develop the vast nation. His successor, Laurent Kabila, did even less. Kabila was assassinated on January 16 and succeeded by his son, Joseph. Today, most roads are little more than narrow dirt tracks hacked out of the bush or forest.
Motor vehicles are still a rarity outside major cities.
The problem has been compounded by the war. Rwandan troops held Matadi port for a few weeks at the war's debut and battled their way up the road toward the capital, but were forced out after Angola and Zimbabwe stepped in to back the government. The lucky ones have been dragged through the bog by massive dump-trucks, initially sent by the government with loads of stones to help make the road passable. For the less fortunate, there is only one option - to wait. The hours of boredom are interspersed with danger and made worse by dwindling cash.