Political History
See also: History of the Democratic Republic of the CongoFrom the day King Leopold II established colonial authority in what is now Congo-Kinshasa to today, the country's government has been unstable. This is reflected in its seven name changes since 1885:
- Congo Free State (1885–1908)
- Belgian Congo (1908–60) this was arguably the longest - albeit coerced - period of tranquility the country has experienced.
- Republic of The Congo aka Congo-Leopoldville (1960–64)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo (1964–66)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo aka Congo-Kinshasa (1966–71)
- Republic of Zaire (1971–97)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo aka Congo-Kinshasa (since 1997).
From the day of the arguably ill-prepared independence of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the tensions between the powerful leaders of the political elite, such as Joseph Kasa Vubu, Patrice Lumumba, Moise Tshombe, Joseph Mobutu and others, jeopardize the political stability of the new state. From Tshombe's secession of the Katanga, to the assassination of Lumumba, to the two coups d'état of Mobutu, the country has known periods of true nationwide peace, but virtually no period of genuine democratic rule.
Read more about this topic: Politics Of The Democratic Republic Of The Congo
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