History of the Democratic republic of Congo

The territory which bears today the name of Democratic republic of Congo is populated since at least 200 approximately 000 years. Bantous speakers come from a zone ranging between the East of the Nigeria and Grassfields of the Cameroun settled there as of -2600 years. However, this territory is made known only about the years 1867 with the international level grace the first exploration of Congo-Kinshasa by Henry Morton Stanley. This opening will mark the beginning of the Colonisation of Congo until the annexation of the country by the taking possession by the king Léopold II of Belgium (1885). This last, i.e. the king Léopold II, will take possession of this zone in his proper name under the name of free State of Congo . Also early had, of forwardings of exploration are launched, and the developed transportation routes. But the control of the territory is completed only in 1894.

Since, it becomes hearth of intensive exploitation, where the missionaries côtoient themselves as well as the adventurers in the easy search of fortune by all the means. However, in 1908, the Belgian Parliament took again the supervision on the territory of what was going from now on to be called the Belgian Congo .

Some June 30th 1960 Congo obtain its Indépendance, after one decade of political struggles. Belgium ends up withdrawing itself, fearing a war of independence similar to that which still prevailed in Algérie. Patrice Lumumba and other Congoleses played a key role in the accession with independence.

Prehistory, the Middle Ages and colonization

detailed Article: Congo précolonial

The zone which bears today the name of Democratic republic of Congo has been populated for at least approximately 200.000 years. Speakers Bantous come from a zone ranging between the east of the Nigeria and the Grassfields of the Cameroun settled there as of -2600 years.

The large kingdoms (Luba, Lunda, kongo) are formed between the first centuries after Jesus-Christ and before the 15th century, time of the arrival of the first Portuguese on the Atlantic littoral. But of many populations lived then in chefferies, i.e. of small more or less self-sufficing principalities. As from this time, one sees these kingdoms bursting under the impulse of the draft and the emergence of new power struggles which will lead to colonization.

The domination and the official exploitation by Europeans lasted of the years 1880 until independence in 1960. The first European chart of the area is due to the Venetian Explorateur Luigi Cada-Mosto with the service of the Portugal (16th S.). That of cutting is due to Henry Morton Stanley, which prepared it to receive the European colonists. Congo was given to the king Léopold II of Belgium during the Conférence of Berlin of 1885 (conference during which the Africa is declared LMBO nullius , i.e. thing belonging to nobody, which allows to Europeans " to be useful itself officially and without scrupules").

Belgian colonization

detailed Article: Colonization of Congo The Colonisation of Congo refers to the period ranging between the first exploration of Congo-Kinshasa by Henry Morton Stanley (1867) until the annexation of the country by the taking possession by the king Léopold II of Belgium (1885).

Property of the king Léopold II

detailed Article: State independent of Congo

The king Léopold II takes possession of the territory in his proper name under the name of State Libre of Congo . Forwardings of exploration are launched, and the developed transportation routes. The control of the territory is essentially completed in 1894 with the end of the war against Arabo-Swahilis.

The intensive exploitation of the territory starts then, where the missionaries côtoient themselves as well as the adventurers in the easy search of fortune by all the means. The local population will have in particular to collect by the forced labor on behalf of the Field royal or companies private of the rubber, an expanding market because of the growth of the number of tires manufactured starting from rubber. The sale of this rubber and other resources, following the introduction of the line of Railroad Matadi-Léopoldville, and after having been used to refund the loans, made the fortune of Léopold II, which made build many buildings with Brussels and Ostend.

During the period 1885 - 1908, the population had to suffer from this forced exploitation, in a direct or indirect way (Famine, Exode…). Very many exactions (murder, tortures…) were made, and the population decreased. There were however protests against these treatments which went against the principles founders of the State, in particular on behalf of the writer Mark Twain, of the British diplomat Roger Casement, whose report/ratio of 1904 condemned the practices in force to Congo and especially of the English journalist of the African West email Edmond Morel.

The Parliament takes again Congo of the hands of the king

detailed Article: Belgian Congo

In 1908, the Belgian Parliament took again the supervision on the territory of what was going from now on to be called the Belgian Congo . The situation of the population improved gradually: a network of medical institutions made it possible to make move back the diseases and malnutrition, teaching was developed, and the country was put in exploitation, with in particular the discovery of the formidable mining resources of the Katanga. The forced labor persisted however in various forms until the Second world war, and population controls it was structured, having in particular recourse to ethnic pointing and methods of Apartheid. An emancipation of the population, in particular by the access to higher learning, was considered only at the dawn of independence in 1960.

Many personalities of Congo were drawn up against this oppression as of its origin. It is the example of Nzinga Nkuwu, Mpanzu has Nzinga, later Kimpa Vita until Simon Kimbangu.

During the release of the First World War, the Police force took part in the countryside against the German Eastern Africa. Belgium will recover protectorate of it on the Ruanda-Urundi. During the Second world war, the Police force gained a certain number of victories over the troops Italy in North Africa. Belgian Congo provides also the ore of Uranium of the mine of Shinkolobwe which was going to be used for the nuclear bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Independence

Takeover of Mobutu

Mode of Mobutu

The mode of Mobutu is based on the authority and the Nationalisme, which are the secrecies of its longevity. Immediately, Mobutu is presented in the form of a liberator of the Blacks, by nationalizing the mines (1966) and unbolting the colonial Statue S in the Capitale renamed Kinshasa the same year. The Congoleses who have just left the colonial time are then very sensitive to this propaganda. Mobutu renames Léopoldville in Kinshasa and starts its famous policy of African authenticity. The sixth birthday of independence organizes a procession which shows the history of the country, and the Belgian inflicting the racist chicotte like indécrottable. Mobutu will also make plunder and return the embassy of Belgium. However all this was done with the complicity of the Belgian capacity. Indeed in Congo with a handle of academics all the Congolese ministers have their Belgian adviser, the national army is framed by Belgian officers. The university education, secondary or even primary education could not function without the Belgian personnel. Mobutu is seen personally like a black monarch after Léopold II. Journalists noticed how the young person Head of State tried to resemble to king Baudouin at his beginnings. All the plan of Mobutu is there, to direct an enormous State in absolute Monarque and to die in Billion surface.

As regards the authority the security agents as a civilian are there, the Censure reign, the children learn as of their more young age obedience with the finger and the eye with Mobutu at the school and through the media. The demonstrations are subdued in the blood and the opponents imprisoned without lawsuit. At the same time Mobutu and Congo is the American rampart of the S Capitaliste S vis-a-vis the rise of the modes Communiste S in Africa. Thus Congo will accommodate the refugees Angola is during their war with the Portugal (1961-1975). But Mobutu will recognize under the pressure of the American only FNLA and UNITA as Angolan government which will be besides in exile in Congo.

Zaïrianisation

Premises

As of 1972, Mobutu takes series of measure to be detached from all that can point out the Occident. The country is famous “Republic of Zaire”. The Mobutu general became Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Zabanga, and obliges all his fellow-citizens to adopt African names (suppression of the Western first names, and addition of a “Postnom”). The Abacost is promulgated. A news Monnaie - the Zaire divided into 100 makuta (singular Likuta) - replaces the Franc Congolese. Many cities are renamed.

Zaïrianisation

Realized in the current of the year 1974, the “Zaïrianisation” constituted one of the events of most important of the policy followed by the mode mobutist, namely the progressive Nationalization of the commercial goods and the land and buildings which belonged to foreign nationals or financial groups. Actually, if this measurement fitted officially in an effort aiming to the national reappropriation of the economy like to the redistribution of the richnesses acquired during the Colonisation, it constituted a failure especially.

Economic structures

After the First war of Congo, Mobutu, new Head of State was committed regaining the confidence of the foreign mediums of businesses. In 1966, powerful mining industries of the Kasaï and Katanga were nationalized. It is then the golden age of Congo, now independent: in 1967 1 Franc Congolese is worth 2 then American Dollars, the public schools develop and the rural migration accelerates; the prices of the Coffee, the Copper or other ores are flourishing but the economy of the country still, as at the time colonial, too much is turned towards export and thus fragile.

Starting from 1973, the country is touched by an acute economic crisis, which had with the fall in the prices of the Cuivre and with the increase in those of the Pétrole. The Corruption spreads and the Inflation becomes gallopping, while Mobutu privatize of many companies to its name or the names of its close relations (“Zaïrianisation”). The produced country of important quantity of coffee for export but does not meet its food needs, Mobutu makes import cereals and Viande of South Africa and Rhodesia (two modes Ségrégation nists) instead of modernizing the Agriculture country which, considering its climate, could easily provide for its needs.

In a general way, the new owners of economic and financial goods were not sufficiently prepared to ensure a management of means and long run of the production equipment. Those which did not make Faillite placed immense investments in Occident. Mobutu diverts the Devise S of State in such way that in 1984, it is one of the richest men of planet with 4 billion dollars, the equivalent of the Foreign debt of the country. The Dette increases still more with the Pharaonic construction of the hydroelectric stopping of Inga, building site bequeathed by the colonial Belgium and which the Zaire did not need. If the Barrage of Inga brought back money to the French or (EDF) Italian companies this one, just like the steel-works of Maluku was quickly damaged. This nationalist policy of the mode have also for consequence to slow down the overseas investments in Zaire, supporting in fine a form of Monopoly of entry of foreign assets in the chief of the various funds from development co-operation.

The Dictatorship, persecutions and the Paupérisation make flee the brains in Occident (Belgium and France at the head).

Political structures

The provision of goodwill and economic inheritances also constituted a relay of the Clientélisme maintained by the capacity. The clan surrounding the Head of the State thus could profit from the fruits of the policy of Nationalization, just like those which in the various areas of the country, made allegiance with the mode in exchange of a trade or land and buildings. Many Western countries signed conventions with the Zaire in order to proceed to the compensation for the despoiled parts, but in the very large majority of the cases, these agreements were never applied.

Combined Western of Mobutu

So that the mode mobutist fitted from the beginning in the wake of the Cold war, by privileging close links with the old Belgian colonial power, the the United States and France, one can nevertheless speak in a general way of particular political diagram.

The Coup d'etat orchestrated the November 25th 1965 with Kinshasa could not have taken place without Western supports, which feared a swing of the African giant in the sphere of the Soviet Union. Colonel Mobutu represented in their eyes the only alternative vis-a-vis the policy preached formerly by the panafricanist Lumumba and to the impossibility of the president Kasa-Vubu of stabilizing his government. Of 1970 with 1980, Zaire constituted the shape of rampart anticommunist in Africa, an all the more attractive situation for the Western countries that the damming up of the Soviet sphere (e.g. Congo-Brazzaville), was accompanied by an access to the very important mining basement (Cuivre, Uranium, Cobalt, etc).

Thus, in parallel of the military cooperation supported with countries like Belgium and France, Zaire also served as principal base camp of supply weapons of the rebellion of the National front of release of the Angola FNLA of Holden Roberto and the UNITA of Jonas Savimbi, supported by the United States and South Africa, against the Angolan Marxist mode. A key component of the conflict in the South-western African forwarded thus by the channel of the Zairean mode and this, in exchange of an external political support but also intern. In 1977 of the rebels “katangais” from Angola invaded the Shaba, the troops of Mobutu were impotent, the rebels were only pushed back by Moroccan troops conveyed by French aviation. In May 1978 again, 4000 rebels from Angola “the gendarmes katangais” attacked the mining city of Kolwezi, as one shows them to have massacred French Europeans the Foreign legion and Belgian soldiers intervene to subdue the rebellion. Certain geopoliticians saw in these two operation an attempt of the Angolan Marxists to weaken Mobutu which supported the UNITA and the FNLA. The rebels in any case drowned the mines of Kolwezi and makes flee for good the engineers, which weakened the Zairean economy in the long run. This war interposed between Luanda and Kinshasa shows also the importance of Zaire to the eyes of the Westerners. For as much, in spite of the close links maintained with the Western capitals, president Mobutu never closed truly the door with the countries located in the Soviet orbit and with the China. Actually, they were more affinities of the Zairean mode for the tinsels the various communist systems than for the basic ideology. Thus, the model of the Cultural revolution of Mao inspired the Zairean leader, who adapted it to his country: birth of the abacost (“with bottom the costume”) surmounted of a Mao collar, publication of the green book and return to the “authenticity” of the individual patronyms. Although largely lower than the Western assistance, the supports resulting from the countries of the Eastern bloc were not less existing following the example provision of co-operators in the teaching or the financing of microphone-projects of development.

Fall of Mobutu

Towards democratization

Situation in Congo

In 1996, Zaire de Mobutu is very weakened. It kept the support of France, after having accepted that the refugees Rwanda is flee the zone of the Turquoise Opération to come to take refuge in Ituri. But the other western powers do not rely any more on him, and withdraw its support to him. Physically, Mobutu is sick: he suffers from a Cancer of the prostate. Its Prime Minister Kengo Wa Dondo exerts more and more of being able.

The army of Zaire east déliquescente. Only presidential special Division is more effective.

At the border with Rwanda, of Rwandan the Hutu refugees live in refugee camps. The capacity Rwandan tutsi worries about this presence at its border: it fears that they do not take again the weapons and make fall the capacity Rwandan tutsi. Already, these Hutu refugees are shown to persecute Tutsis of Congo. That will be a pretext with the war.

Come to power of Laurent-Desired Kabila

Detailed article: First war of Congo

A strange coalition between the Rwanda of Paul Kagame, the Uganda of Yoweri Museveni, the the United States of Bill Clinton and the Angola of Back Santos and of course of Zairean volunteers will create an armed uprising against Mobutu, with at its head a former Congolese Marxist, Laurent-Desired Kabila. This last, Muluba, born in Moba in Katanga which militated for the independence of Belgian Congo, have flees the Civil war of 1960-1965 in Tanzania. Become over there trafficker of Ivoire and Or, it also fell in love with the English language there, which will be worth the support of American to him.

The war interafricaine

Detailed article: Second war of Congo

The old allies of Laurent Kabila are raised against him and form two camps the MLC, of J-P Bemba supported by l´Ouganda and the RCD supported by Rwanda. Not being able to face these armies Kabila call armies Angolan, Zimbabwean and Namibian with l´aide.

Standardization

Detailed articles: Transition government and Third Republic

Democratic republic of Congo

See too

Peace agreements: reunification of Congo

Agreement of Lusaka
Agreement of Pretoria

References and notes

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