| Mobutu Sese Soko was born Joseph-Desire | | | | stating that they were the root cause of all the |
| Mobutu on 14 October 1930 in Belgian Congo, the | | | | country’s problems. In 1967, he unveiled the |
| son of a cook and a domestic servant. His | | | | Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR), which |
| mother worked for a Belgian judge, whose wife | | | | was the only political party allowed and it was |
| took a liking to the young Mobutu and taught him | | | | obligatory for all citizens to join. It’s manifesto |
| how to read and write French. His father died | | | | was apolitical, not left, right or centre; parliament |
| when he was eight and his mother moved often, | | | | was abolished and Mobutu took complete control |
| following the work and so Mobutu was schooled in | | | | of the media which bombarded the population |
| a number of catholic schools. By all accounts he | | | | with propaganda. He also embarked on a policy of |
| was a good student but he was also known for | | | | Africanisation of the country, he introduced a new |
| being a prankster, eventually finding himself being | | | | flag and national anthem and re-named the |
| expelled and conscripted into the Force Publique, | | | | country Zaire and changed the name of the |
| the colonial army of the Belgian Congo. Initially, he | | | | capital from Leopoldville to Kinshasa. All buildings, |
| found the army discipline difficult but his fluency in | | | | streets and even people’s names were given |
| French served him well, he was trained as a | | | | African names while Western attire was banned. |
| non-commissioned officer and given a desk job as | | | | Mobutu also developed a cult like worship of |
| an accountant. He rose quickly through the ranks | | | | himself through all forms of media. His rule |
| reaching the rank of sergeant-major by the time | | | | became progressively corrupt and oppressive |
| of his discharge which was the highest achievable | | | | driving Zaire into the ground, by the mid-eighties it |
| rank allowed to Congolese nationals. He continued | | | | was billions of dollars in debt while Mobutu had |
| his education, reading anything he could get his | | | | amassed billions in personal wealth. |
| hands on, he was heavily influenced by the | | | | Mobutu dealt with any resistance or criticism with |
| writings of Machiavelli, Churchill and De Gaulle. | | | | an iron fist, publicly executing any rivals, plotters |
| After leaving the military he began working as a | | | | or challengers. He also used bribery, giving huge |
| journalist, rising to the position of editor of a | | | | amounts of cash to keep his rivals content, he |
| weekly publication named Actualites Africaines. He | | | | also constantly rotated people from position to |
| later began writing for the daily L’Avenir, he | | | | position to ensure that nobody could attempt to |
| was assigned to cover the 1958 World Exposition | | | | build a power base. Bizarrely, he also played cat |
| in Belgium, he stayed on, attending the Brussels | | | | and mouse with people, torturing them before |
| School of Journalism. He began moving in circles of | | | | re-appointing them into positions of power. He |
| Congolese intellectuals who were to be the | | | | nationalised all foreign-owned business and forced |
| movers and shakers of post-colonial Congo. He | | | | all Western investors to leave the country, often |
| also made very influential contacts with CIA | | | | giving their assets to relatives and friends. |
| agents, wealthy backers and built a close | | | | Although Zaire was in dire straits, with a wrecked |
| relationship with Patrice Emery Lumumba who | | | | infrastructure and a starving people due to |
| was at the forefront of the independence | | | | Mobutu’s ridiculous rule, he still enjoyed |
| movement and was to become the first legally | | | | significant support from the United States and the |
| elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic | | | | International Monetary Fund, while France kept a |
| of Congo. | | | | close association with Zaire and it‘s |
| Mobutu returned to Congo just before | | | | preposterous ruler. In May 1990, Mobutu was |
| independence was declared, an event which threw | | | | forced to lift the ban on political parties and |
| the country into chaos. A coalition government | | | | appointed a transitional government with the |
| was formed under Lumumba but there were | | | | promise of free and fair elections. His hand was |
| dozens of political parties left out who believed | | | | forced by the removal of American support |
| that they had a right to power. To compound the | | | | following the end of the Cold War as well as |
| instability, the army mutinied against the remaining | | | | serious economic decline. He was eventually |
| Belgian officers, Lumumba appointed Mobutu as | | | | overthrown in 1997, under the backdrop of floods |
| Chief of Staff, giving him the task of restoring | | | | of refugees arriving in eastern Zaire from |
| order. The government remained fragile and on | | | | neighbouring Rwanda. Amid this chaos, rebels |
| 14 September 1960, Mobutu took control in a | | | | under the leadership of Laurent Kabila rose up |
| CIA-sponsored coup. After a brief rule, Mobutu | | | | against Mobutu. Mobutu fled with his family, |
| returned the government to civilian control, | | | | seeking exile in Morocco where he died of |
| however the faction fighting and instability | | | | prostrate cancer a few months later. Kabila took |
| immediately returned. In 1965, Mobutu once again | | | | control of the country re-naming it the |
| took power, he made all political parties illegal, | | | | Democratic Republic of Congo . |