ABSTRACT
The first decade post-independence began with a politically volatile five-year period known as the crise congolaise, followed by a second five years of autocratic rule in the wake of the 1965 coup that brought President Mobutu into power. Despite the euphoria of independence in 1960, the elected Congolese leaders faced insurmountable challenges. Days after independence, an army mutiny quickly escalated and violence targeting Europeans spread across the country. Thousands of Westerners fled the country, taking with them much of the expertise – in government, agriculture, engineering, medical care, and education – needed to run the country. The murder of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba in 1961 drew global reproach. Uncertainty reigned in the face of political infighting, the succession of the mineral-rich Katanga province, and ethnic rebellion in the east.
Against this backdrop of political turmoil, Joseph-Désiré Mobutu staged a bloodless coup in 1965 and proceeded to run the country with an iron fist, centralizing power under his office, renaming the country Zaïre, and inaugurating a period of relative stability. Minerals – so plentiful in Congo – drew high prices on the global market, allowing Mobutu to dream big. From the start, he tapped into the national treasury to maintain his lavish lifestyle.
