How is the Western Rift Valley connected to the Congo basin’s landforms?

The Western Rift Valley is connected to the landforms of the Congo basin primarily through its influence on the region's tectonic activity and drainage patterns.

The Congo basin is characterized by a persistent tendency toward subsidence, which has resulted in the formation of a vast central depression known as the cuvette. This subsidence is accompanied by significant uplifting along the edges of the basin, particularly on its eastern side, a process that has been directly influenced by the formation of the Western Rift Valley.12

Furthermore, the two systems are physically linked by the Lukuga River, which serves as a drainage connection between the Congo basin and the Western Rift Valley. The Western Rift itself, which extends through a series of deep, fjordlike lakes such as Lake Tanganyika, acts as a major geographic boundary to the east of the Congo basin.3142