1. Dictatorship in Zaire Paige Brown, Erik Lainer History Ms. Barben February 8th, 2016

2. Congo Crisis Political upheaval from 1960-65 Took place after regaining independence from Belgium Unofficially under ruling of Joseph Mobutu, causing civil war Proxy conflict- conflict between two nations where neither country directly engages with each other The us and Soviet Union supported opposing factions

3. Overview of Major Dictators Patrice Lumumba, first elected Congolese leader His support to Soviet Union caused problems with President Joseph Kasa Vubu and Chief of Staff Joseph Mobutu Democratic Republic of Congo's prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, killed by troops loyal to army chief Joseph Mobutu 1965 Mobutu seized power, as known as Mobutu Sese Seko Mobutu Military Dictator Re named Zaire in 1971 Very wealthy

4. Why has Zaire been a victim Government was corrupted after gaining independence from Belgium Mobutu was known to be very wealthy but stole from the Congolese government

5. How Dictators impact the country Half the population lives in poverty The DR Congo has a lot of wealth in minerals and oil Due to the civil war and dictators, it has stunted what should be vast economic growth One of sub-Saharan Africa's main oil producers Oil is the steady income of the economy, and in recent years the country has tried to increase it for financial reasons 2010, the IMF and World Bank approved debt relief for the Congo of $1.9 billion, reducing its debt burden by 34% in an effort to free up resources to support growth and social policies

6. How The International community has responded 1965 Mobutu seized power, renaming the country Zaire and himself Mobutu Sese Seko He turned Zaire into a springboard for operations against Soviet-backed Angola and thereby ensured US backing Also made Zaire synonymous with corruption After Cold War, Zaire ceased to be of interest to the US 1997 neighbouring Rwanda invaded it to remove extremist Hutu militias Gave boost to anti-Mobutu rebels, quickly captured the capital (Kinshasa) This made Laurent Kabila president and renamed the country DR Congo

7. How The International community has responded Cont. DR Congo's troubles continued Rift between Mr. Kabila and former allies sparked a new rebellion, backed by Rwanda and Uganda Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe took Kabila's side, turning the country into a huge battleground Gen Nkunda's forces advanced on government bases, the provincial capital Goma in the autumn, causing civilians and troops to flee UN peacekeepers tried to hold the line alongside the remaining government forces

8. How The International community has responded Cont. Attempt to bring the situation under control, government in January 2009 invited in troops from Rwanda to help mount a operation against the Rwandan rebel Hutu militias active in eastern DR Congo 2013, UN secured a regional agreement to end the M23 rebellion in eastern areas Group's alleged founder Bosco Ntaganda surrendered to the International Criminal Court to face war-crimes charge China is a major source of financing for Congo's infrastructure Congolese authorities implemented an investment programme in the areas of transport and energy

9. Economic Growth Graph