Zaire & the Regime of Mobutu Zaire has the potential to be a very wealthy nat

Zaire has the potential to be a very wealthy nation, but today it is one of the poorest countries on the African continent. Mobutu Sese Seko has been the president of Zaire since the 1965 coup that first brought him into power. Mobutu's regime has been characterized as being corrupt and poorly managed. As a result of these problems, Zaire currently exists in a severe state of underdevelopment. This is ironic, because Zaire possesses some of the richest mineral deposits in Africa. Because of Mobutu's mismanagement of his country, there is every reason for his regime to collapse. The fact that it has not collapsed can be attributed to the external support that Mobutu has received throughout his reign. In particular, Mobutu has been able to remain in power because of the military and economic support that he has received from France and the United States.

Mobutu's corruption can be seen in the fact that he has amassed a huge personal fortune at his country's expense. Although Zaire has a foreign debt of more than $5 billion, "estimates of Mobutu's fortune run upwards of $2 billion to more than twice that." Other sources suggest that Mobutu's personal worth is well over $5 billion. Most of this money was gained through corrupt means. For example, foreign assistance intended for developmental aid has often found its way into Mobutu's personal accounts instead. Even Mobutu's pretense at popular elections in his country is filled with signs of corruption. For examp

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experienced during the first few years of Mobutu's reign. However, the economic situation, as well as political and social conditions, began to decline in the early 1970's when Mobutu decided to "centralize and personalize his power." In 1971, Mobutu changed the name of his country from the Republic of the Congo to the Republic of Zaire. The idea behind this change was to remove the foreign influence which was implied by the name "Congo." This was followed by an "authenticity campaign" which has also been referred to as "Zairianization." Mobutu changed the name of the official state currency to the zaire. In addition, he ordered all citizens to change their names from Christian names to African names. It was at that time that Joseph Mobutu changed his own name to Mobutu Sese Seko. The full African title adopted by Mobutu shows a certain amount of egotism. Thus, the full name Mobutu Sese Seko Koko Ngbendu wa za Banga translates as: "The all powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and inflexible will to win, will go from conquest to conquest leaving fire in his wake." Mobutu further asserted his egotism by turning Zaire into an authoritarian state. Thus, he established a one-party system in Zaire based upon his ow

Category: Foreign - Z