Congo Post-Leopold

Warm-Up Activity 1890 George Washington Williams’ letters First missionary reports reach outside 1904 Casement Report 1904 E.D. Morel and Casement create the CRA 1904 Debate in British Parliament on Congo Policy 1908 Belgian State annexes Congo How was reform in the Congo Free State achieved? In pairs, write one (grammatically correct) sentence to answer this question including as many ways / facts that you can…

Independence 1960 June – Congo becomes independent (Democratic Republic of Congo) with Patrice Lumumba as Prime Minister 1961 February – Lumumba murdered, reportedly with US and Belgian complicity* Why? (Lumumba sought aid from Russia to help with civil unrest) *The state of being involved with others in an illegal activity or wrongdoing

Joseph Mobutu: President 1965 - 1991 1965 - Took power by coup (the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group) 1971 - Renamed the Congo – “Zaire” France his only ally 1973-74 Mobutu nationalizes many foreign-owned firms and forces Europeans out of Zaire

Joseph Mobutu: President 1965 – 1991 continued Mobutu looted the economy (thought to have amassed a $4b personal fortune) Zaire’s wealth shrank 40% from 1988 -1994 1997 – Mobutu flees and dies in Morocco

Laurent Kabila: President 1997 - 2001 Laurent Kabila toppled Mobutu but failed to improve his people’s lot Zaire renamed Democratic Republic of Congo Great hopes were soon disappointed Kabila appoints family members to key positions His son, Joseph, is deputy head of army 1997 and 1998 – Civil war in Congo Impact of Rwanda genocide (1994) Widespread instability 2000 – UN Security Council authorizes a 5,500-strong UN force to monitor a ceasefire

Laurent Kabila: President 1997 - 2001 continued 1997 and 1998 – Civil war in Congo Impact of Rwanda genocide (1994) Widespread instability 2000 – UN Security Council authorizes a 5,500-strong UN force to monitor a ceasefire

Ethnic tension – Tribal groups – a patchwork quilt

Looting the Congo Kabila gave Angola and Zimbabwe mining contracts $5 billion in mining assets were transferred without payment Rwanda and Uganda plundered eastern Congo’s gold and diamonds

What are the long term impacts? Kabila’s rebels start recruiting child soldiers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K4yhPSQEzo

President of Congo Today After Laurent Kabila’s assassination, his son, Joseph, became President First free elections after 40 years 2002 - peace deal 2006 – New Constitution, new flag All foreign armies forced to withdraw But…fighting continues in eastern provinces

The legacy? Estimated 3-5 million died – mostly from starvation and disease A brutalized population