Congolese History

While the Belgians were dominating the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo was a French colony. It received independence in 1960 and as a result the former French region became the Democratic Republic of the Congo separate from the Republic of Congo. After a quarter century of Marxism, in 1990 a democratic government was in placed in 1992. A civil war began in 1997 that restored the former President, Denis Sassou Nguesso. Formerly the Belgian colony of the Belgian Congo, the country's post-independence name was the Republic of the Congo until August 1, 1964, when its name was changed to Democratic Republic of the Congo (to alleviate confusion from the other Republic of Congo). On October 27, 1971, President Mobutu Sese Seko renamed the country Zaire. Mobutu's was overthrown in 1997 and after the country was renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In 1955 the Belgian professor Antoin van Bilsen published a proposal for a thirty-year plan for Congolese independence. The Congolese responded with needs of political, economic, and social liberation, provoking protests & riots in the Congo. In 1960 Belgium finally granted Congo its independence and Patrice Lumumba was made prime minister, with Joseph Kasavubu as president. That same year under the direction of Moise Tshombe, Katanga attempted to become independent. Belgium supported Tshombe’s action. In 1965 Joseph Mobutu put on an overthrow. A bodyguard assassinated Kabila and his son, Joseph, replaced him. Rwanda & Uganda agreed to pull their troops back. But, later the UN stated that the rebel forces were prolonging a withdrawal in order to continue conflict & exploitation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s natural resources.
In 2002 Kabila and his government agreed to share power with Ugandan rebels however the Rwandan rebels reject the idea. But, the DRC got Rwanda and Uganda to both agree on withdrawing troops. Then in 2003 Kabila signed a constitution to put a temporary government into role with leaders of main former rebel groups as vice-presidents. In 2005 the parliament took in a new constitution. In a vote with a voter turnout of 60%, the Congolese people approved the new constitution. Latest in 2006 the constitution was signed by President Kabila, opening up for the elections that occurred in the middle of 2006.