ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the broader dynamics of the conflict by examining the domestic political situation and ethnonational factors in Zaire. The massive refugee presence in Zaire, including many who perpetrated the genocide—the genocidiaires as they are called—as well as Mobutu Sese Seko's support to the various guerrilla insurgents operating from Zaire in neighboring states. The best known population movement to eastern Zaire was related to the Rwandan genocide in 1994 when very large numbers of Hutu refugees arrived and altered century-old interethnic relations. The Zairean state was on the verge of collapse after thirty years of dictatorial and inept rule under Mobutu, who continued to suffer from cancer and was usually abroad for treatment. The inconclusive democratic transition with different competing institutions and individuals claiming legitimacy further destabilized the country as did the acute economic crisis that paralyzed the administration, the health and educational sector. The Rwandan tragedy of 1994 and the fall of Mobutu's kleptocracy were intimately interconnected.
