History of Zaire/ Democratic
Republic of the Congo
COLONIAL RULE
INDEPENDENCE
AUTHORITARIAN CORRUPT LEADERS
CIVIL WAR TO WORLD WAR
UNITED NATIONS INTERVENTION & PEACE
KEEPING MISSIONS
King Leopold II of Belgium
Colonial History- 1885
Belgian government exploited resources of Congo
After decades of colonial rule, Belgians became
independendence in 1960.
Democracy: Pres. Lumumba elected, but viewed
as communist!
Patrice Lumumba- 1st
Elected leader of Congo
CIA & rebels in Congo
deposed Lumumba.
Mobuto Becomes the Prime Minister
U.S. Support of Mobutu Sese Seko
Cold War Ally
Minerals & Resources
Even before the war, corruption & poverty in the
Zaire/ Congo!
'In the Rubber Coils', a Punch
cartoon of 1906, shows King
Leopold's stranglehold
Mobutu, one of the world’s
richest men!!
Mobutu deposed 1997, Laurent Kabila becomes
President; renamed Zaire the DRC
NEW LEADER CAME
TO POWER…
INSTABILITY…
Rebel groups
from Uganda
and Rwanda
invaded to flush
out Hutu Extremist,
that had fled to the
DRC.
Many armed
rebel groups in
Eastern Congo.
1997 Events mark the beginning of
African World War- Rwanda
invades the DRC. (1st Congo War)
In 1994 the Rwanda
genocide began…
Hutu extremist killed
800,000 Tutsis in
Rwanda.
After the genocide
ended, close to a million
Hutu rebels and civilians
fled to eastern Congo.
Initially new Rwandan
government invaded to
go after Hutu extremist.
Why did Rwanda invade the DRC?
Laurent Kabila
& Rise of Rebel Groups & World War
Kabila & Government
Forces & Angola & Zambia
Invaders; Uganda,
Rwanda & Burundi
Why didn’t the UN taken Action in Congo in late
1990s?
Genocide Guilt over
Rwanda
 Western powers are
hesitant to criticize
Rwandan invasion..
 U.S./West and other
want access to minerals
Reform the Security Council!
Over time, the
rebel groups
become more
interested in
controlling
the conflict
mineral,
diamonds etc.
in the
Congo!!!
The War
Continues!!
What do the invaders want? What do
corrupt leaders and rebel groups want
control of? What does the West want?
Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement in July 1999
Between Congo & Five States
Congo is home
to the largest
and most
expensive U.N.
peacekeeping
mission in the
world,
MONUSCO.
Sadly, the UN
failures to stop
the atrocities in
the country…
UN Peacekeeping and humanitarian
efforts…. But no action against
invading countries & corrupt
leaders.
Largest UN Peacekeeping mission !!
 Although significant
progress has been
achieved in the DRC
since UN intervention,
 The eastern part
continued to be plagued
by recurrent waves of
conflict, chronic
humanitarian crises and
serious human rights
violations, including
sexual and gender-based
violence.
His son Joseph becomes the next leader…
UN- New Intervention Brigade, 2013
 the Security Council
passed resolution
2098 authorizing the
momentous Force
Intervention Brigade
(FIB).
 The first of its kind, the
force received an
unprecedented offensive
mandate and was
unambiguously tasked
with neutralizing armed
groups.
It is the first of its
kind given an
“offensive”
mandate.
Calls on the
brigade to carry
out “targeted
and robust
offensives” with
the intention of
“disarming
armed groups,”
namely the
M23 rebels
United Nations Security Resolution
2098
Congo, Africa’s World War
Why is it a World War?
Forgotten Crisis
Conflict and
humanitarian
crisis have taken
the lives of 5.4
million people
since 1998
As many as 45,000
dead every month,
according to a
major
International
Rescue Committee
study.
Forgotten Crisis
While Congo
has abundant
natural
resources, it is
also the
world’s
poorest
country per
capita,
according to
the United
Nations.
History of DRC led to
poverty…
China’s recently has invested in the DRC
Beginning of World War; outside invasion,
internal instability. Video is a good review!
Video Clip; explanation of minerals in our technology..