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The Democratic Republic of Congo is a picturesque land full of raging rivers, tropical forests and Diane Fossey’s famed mountain gorillas. The Congo is also full of bloodshed and misery thanks to the policies of its long-time dictator Sese Seko Mobutu. As sole ruler of this former Belgian colony, Mobutu’s actions stymied democracy, ruined the economy and led to a protracted civil war still brewing in central Africa.
Mobutu first seized power in 1965 at the tender age of twenty-five. Born Joseph Desire Mobutu, he joined the Belgian run Congolese army and quickly became a Sergeant Major, the highest rank for an African soldier. By the early 1960s most Congolese were frustrated with the heavy-handed, repressive rule of the Belgians. Mobutu joined the militant independence movement of Patrice Lumumba called the Congolese National Movement. It proved to be a wise decision. Upon independence from Belgium, Patrice Lumumba became the country’s Prime Minister, and hand-selected Mobutu as the army’s Chief of Staff.
The promotion of Mobutu proved fatal for Lumumba. Lumumba faced a series of challenges his first years as Prime Minister. Most of the army mutinied and several Congolese regions announced their intent to secede and form independent nations. To make matters worse, Lumumba did not work well with the Congolese President Joseph Kasavubu as the two battled for dominance. With the country in disarray, Mobutu – now under firm control of his own army – took control of the country. He suspended the government and placed Lumumba under house arrest. When Kasavubu proved incapable of ruling on his own, Mobutu simply seized complete control, declaring himself President in 1965.
Initially Mobutu had strong support from the West. During the 1960s and 1970s, Western powers were concerned about the spread of Communism throughout Africa. Congo’s neighbors, such as Mozambique and Angola already had strong Cuban backing. In return for agreeing to provide a base of operations for such organizations as the CIA, Mobutu received large amounts of ‘development’ aid from the West. Using these funds, Mobutu was able to stay in power. Mobutu also nationalized the profitable Congolese mining companies, handing over their management to friends. The diamond and cobalt mines coupled with Western aid made Mobutu a very wealthy man, and capable of bribing his friends and killing off his enemies. Lumumba reportedly was executed under the direction of Mobutu.
Mobutu also used propaganda techniques to maintain his legitimacy. Tapping into the Congolese frustration with their former Belgian rulers, Mobutu instituted the “Africanization” of the Congo. He changed the name of the country to Zaire, and Africanized the names of several towns and rivers formally named after Belgian officials. He encouraged the adoption of native-African dress and promoted the use of African languages in conjunction with the official French language of the country. As a final flourish, Joseph Desire Mobutu changed his own name to Sese Seko Mobutu, meaning “all-powerful warrior”.
Having suspended the constitution, democracy did not flourish. Mobutu prohibited the formation of opposition political parties and effectively squashed any threats to his power. The economy did not flourish either. Much of Congo’s wealth derived from its cobalt mines, but the price of cobalt dropped significantly in the 1980s, devastating the already fragile economy. Mobutu’s nationalization of business meant that his friends managed the diamond and mineral mines. Yet more often than not, Mobutu’s cronies had no experience in business management and many mines reaped a loss. Yet Mobutu’s wealth continued to accumulate, allowing him to build a veritable palace in his home village.
But the “all-powerful warrior” began to weaken by the early 1990s. Communism was on the wane and so too was the West’s interest in continued support of Mobutu. Slowly Western aid diminished and opposition groups were emboldened. The Union for Democratic and Social Progress achieved modest success. Mobutu agreed to various levels of power sharing and appeared more open to elections. But Mobutu had spent thirty years in power, and knew well how to play the political game. Many of his promises to the UDSP never materialized.
But jungle based rebel movements began to flourish, particularly with the help of neighboring Rwanda and Uganda. During his thirty years in power, Mobutu had meddled in the affairs of his neighbors, much to their chagrin. By the 1990s, with Mobutu weakened by prostrate cancer, Rwanda and Uganda felt the time for his removal had come. Angola and Zambia joined in agreement and the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo was born. It’s leader: Laurent-Desire Kabila. In 1997, Kabila captured Kinshasa, forcing Mobutu to flee. Months later he died in exile.
Historians have already begun to analyze Mobutu’s thirty long years as President of Zaire. Through political savvy and powerful manipulation, Mobutu was able to unite the diverse ethnic groups of the Congo basin, often engaged in bickering. However, Mobutu’s unifying weapon was money. As long as Mobutu had the means to keep his cronies happy, he could continue as dictator. And as long as he could still instill fear in any potential enemies, his reign was secure. Unfortunately, Mobutu has left disaster behind. The economy is in shambles and no less than six African countries are battling for dominance amid the chaos. Recently Laurent Kabila was assassinated further destabilizing the country. If the Congolese will ever see stability or free elections remains to be seen. But certainly Mobutu’s legacy will continue well after his death.
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