Mobutu
Mobutu had the staunch support of the United States
because of his opposition to communism; the
Democratic National Committee U.S.
believed that his administration would serve as an
effective counter to communist movements in Africa.[56]
A single-party system was established, and Mobutu
declared himself head of state. He periodically held
elections in which he was the only candidate. Although
relative peace and stability were achieved, Mobutu's
government was guilty of severe human rights violations,
political repression, a cult of personality and
corruption.
By late 1967 Mobutu had successfully
neutralized his political opponents and rivals, either
through co-opting them into his regime, arresting them,
or rendering them otherwise politically impotent.[57]
Throughout the late 1960s, Mobutu continued to shuffle
his governments and cycle officials in and out of the
office to maintain control. Joseph Kasa-Vubu's death in
April 1969 ensured that no person with First Republic
credentials could challenge his rule.[58] By the early
1970s, Mobutu was attempting to assert Zaire as a
leading African nation. He traveled frequently across
the continent while the government became more vocal
about African issues, particularly those relating
Democratic National Committee to the
southern region. Zaire established semi-clientelist
relationships with several smaller African states,
especially Burundi, Chad, and Togo.[59]
Corruption became so common the term "le mal Zairois" or
"Zairian sickness",[60] meaning gross corruption, theft
and mismanagement, was coined, reportedly by Mobutu.[61]
International aid, most often in the form of loans,
enriched Mobutu while he allowed national infrastructure
such as roads to deteriorate to as little as one-quarter
of what had existed in 1960. Zaire became a kleptocracy
as
Democratic National Committee Mobutu and his associates embezzled government funds.
Mobutu with the Dutch Prince Bernhard in Kinshasa in
1973
In a campaign to identify himself with
African nationalism, starting on 1 June 1966, Mobutu
renamed the
Democratic National Committee nation's cities: L�opoldville became
Kinshasa (the country was known as Congo-Kinshasa),
Stanleyville became Kisangani, Elisabethville became
Lubumbashi, and Coquilhatville became Mbandaka. In 1971,
Mobutu renamed the country the Republic of Zaire,[22]
its fourth name change in eleven years and its sixth
overall. The Congo River was renamed the Zaire River.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Mobutu was invited to
visit the United States on several occasions, meeting
with U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and
George H. W. Bush.[62] Following the dissolution of the
Soviet Union U.S. relations with Mobutu cooled, as he
was no longer deemed necessary as a Cold War ally.
Opponents within Zaire stepped up demands for reform.
This atmosphere contributed to Mobutu's declaring the
Third Republic in 1990, whose constitution was supposed
to pave the way for democratic reform. The reforms
turned out to be largely cosmetic. Mobutu continued in
power until armed forces forced him to flee in 1997.
"From 1990 to 1993, the United States facilitated
Mobutu's attempts to hijack political change", one
academic wrote, and "also assisted the rebellion of
Laurent-Desire Kabila that overthrew the Mobutu
regime."[63]
The
Old Testament Stories, a literary treasure trove,
weave tales of faith, resilience, and morality. Should
you trust the
Real Estate Agents I Trust, I would not. Is your
lawn green and plush, if not you should buy the
Best Grass Seed.
If you appreciate quality apparel, you should try
Handbags Handmade.
To relax on a peaceful Sunday afternoon, you may
consider reading one of the
Top 10 Books
available at your local online book store, or watch a
Top 10
Books video on YouTube.
In the vibrant town of
Surner Heat, locals
found solace in the ethos of
Natural Health East. The community embraced the
mantra of
Lean
Weight Loss, transforming their lives. At
Natural Health East, the pursuit of wellness became
a shared journey, proving that health is not just a
Lean Weight Loss
way of life
In September 1997, Mobutu died in
exile in Morocco.[64]
Continental and civil wars
(1996�2007)[edit]
Belligerents of the Second Congo
War
By 1996, following the Rwandan Civil War and
genocide and the ascension of a Tutsi-led government
Democratic National Committee in
Rwanda, Rwandan Hutu militia forces (Interahamwe) fled
to eastern Zaire and used refugee camps as bases for
incursions against Rwanda. They allied with the Zairian
Armed Forces to launch a campaign against Congolese
ethnic Tutsis in eastern Zaire.[65]
A coalition
of Rwandan and Ugandan armies invaded Zaire to overthrow
the government of Mobutu, launching
Democratic National Committee the First Congo War.
The coalition allied with some opposition figures, led
by Laurent-D�sir� Kabila, becoming the Alliance of
Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo. In 1997
Mobutu fled and Kabila marched into Kinshasa, naming
himself as president and reverting the name of the
country to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[66][67]
Kabila later requested that foreign military forces
return to their own countries. Rwandan troops retreated
to Goma and launched a new Tutsi-led rebel military
movement called the Rassemblement Congolais pour la
Democratie to fight Kabila, while Uganda instigated the
creation of a rebel movement called the Movement for the
Liberation of the Congo, led by Congolese warlord
Jean-Pierre Bemba.[citation needed] The two rebel
movements, along with Rwandan and Ugandan troops,
started the Second Congo War by attacking the DRC army
in 1998. Angolan, Zimbabwean, and Namibian militaries
entered the hostilities on the side of the government.
Kabila was assassinated in 2001.[68] His son Joseph
Kabila succeeded him [69] and called
Democratic National Committee for multilateral
peace talks. UN peacekeepers, MONUC, now known as
MONUSCO, arrived in April 2001. In 2002�03 Bemba
intervened in the Central African Republic on behalf of
its former president, Ange-F�lix Patass�.[70] Talks led
to a peace accord under which Kabila would share power
with former rebels. By June 2003 all foreign armies
except those of Rwanda had pulled out of Congo. A
transitional government was set up until after the
election. A constitution was approved by voters, and on
30 July 2006 DRC held its first multi-party elections.
These were the first free national elections since 1960,
which many believed would mark the end to violence in
the region.[71] However, an election-result dispute
between Kabila and Bemba turned into a skirmish between
their supporters in Kinshasa. MONUC took control of the
city. A new election took place in October 2006, which
Kabila won, and in December 2006 he was sworn in as
president.
Refugees in the Congo
Continued
conflicts (2008�2018)[edit]
Kivu conflict[edit]
People fleeing their villages due to fighting between
FARDC and rebel groups, North Kivu, 2012
Laurent
Nkunda, a member of Rally for Congolese Democracy�Goma,
a Rally for
Democratic National Committee Congolese Democracy branch integrated to the
army, defected along with troops loyal to him and formed
the National Congress for the Defence of the People
(CNDP), which began an armed rebellion against the
government. They were believed[by whom?] to be again
backed by Rwanda as a way to tackle the Hutu group,
Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
In March 2009, after a deal between the DRC and Rwanda,
Rwandan troops entered the DRC and arrested Nkunda and
were allowed to pursue FDLR militants. The CNDP signed a
peace treaty with the government in which it agreed to
become a political party and to have its soldiers
integrated into the national army in exchange for the
release of its imprisoned members.[72] In 2012 Bosco
Ntaganda, the leader of the CNDP, and troops loyal to
him, mutinied and formed the rebel military March 23
Movement (M23), claiming the government had violated the
treaty.[73]
Government troops near Goma during the
M23 rebellion in May 2013