The Congos Power Struggle with Belgium - 1276 Words

The template for the Congo wars stems from disorderly years of power struggles and international interference that followed the country’s independence from Belgium in 1960. President Mobutu Sese Seko (starting 1971) for nearly three decades ruled with autocratic and corrupt values, which increased the gradual decay of all their state institutions that left communities throughout the country to fend for themselves. Mobutu’s regime after a certain amount of time began to be destabalized and that aided the emergence of a rebellion in eastern Congo in 1995. The group was successful in toppling the Mobutu dictatorship however the alliance fell apart after Kabila and his Ugandan and Rwandan backers turned on each other, which sparked the Second Congo War on August 2, 1998. The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL or ADFLC) was a coalition of Congolese protestors, irritated minority groups and nations that formed an insurgency to overthrow Mobutu Sese Seko in 1996 with the recruitment of tens of thousands child soldiers from local communities in the East A Laurent Kabila came into power in the First Congo War (1996-1997). . A â€Å"war of liberation† was inspired in 1996–97 when a regional alliance, spearheaded by Rwanda and Uganda, sent thousands of soldiers to support the AFDL. The campaign falsely geared great hopes of change and renaissance throughout the country and made a triumphal entry in the Congolese capital in May 1997 as Mobutu fledShow MoreRelated Patrice Lumumba’s Struggle Against Belgian Imperialism Essay921 Words   |  4 PagesPatrice Lumumba’s Struggle Against Belgian Imperialism It is hard to believe that in 2002 there is still imperialism being practiced in the world, but the fact of the matter is, it is. 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From the first colonization of the area under King Là ©opold’s reignRead MoreThe Congo Crisis2477 Words   |  10 PagesOver a period from 1960-1965, the first Republic of the Congo experienced a period of serious crisis. There was a terrible war for power that displayed senseless violence and the desperation to rule. There were many internal conflicts among the people. The country eventually gained independence from Belgium. For many countries this would be a time for celebration. Unfortunately for the people of the Congo this became a time to fo rget. Almost immediately after independence and the general electionsRead MoreThe Relations Between China And The Democratic Republic Of Congo1757 Words   |  8 PagesWall came down in 1989. In fact, many countries around the globe became economically competitive, politically stable, and culturally optimistic. 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Lumumba was finally granted temporary release, attended the Round Table, and was never required to finish his remaining fiveRead More Preventing the export of conflict diamonds in the Democratic Republic of the Congo4642 Words   |  19 Pagesthe future development of the Congo region. In the late 1870’s, King Leopold II of Belgium colonized the Congo territory. Treaties were signed with several tribal ru lers in the territory, giving the King Leopold sovereignty in their areas. In 1885, the territory formally became the Congo Free State, headed by King Leopold. Because Leopold did not have sufficient funds to support his endeavors, he gave Belgium the right to annex the Congo in exchange for funds. The exploitations of the land beganRead MoreNotes18856 Words   |  76 PagesChapter 4 Colonialism and the African Experience Virtually everything that has gone wrong in Africa since the advent of independence has been blamed on the legacies of colonialism. Is that fair? 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