In June 1960, the people of the Congo voted for independence and Belgium accepted Congo’s independence. “Within two weeks of independence, however, Congo’s new government faced a national mutiny from the army and threats from a variety of secessionist movements.” (http://www.enoughproject.org/conflict_areas/easter_congo/roots-crisis ) One year later, the Congolese Prime Minister was assassinated and the Congo was in turmoil again.
In 1965, the United States supported the ousting of Congo President Kasavubu and the installation of the dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko. During his 32 year dictatorship, Mobutu stole 5 billion in natural resources from his country and put the money in international banks. When he became too big an embarrassment for the US government, they decided they didn’t like him anymore, and they put in another dictator, and then another, and another. (The Crisis in the Congo: Uncovering the Truth – the Documentary) The United States also gave billions of dollars in aid to the dictatorial regimes. Friendships with dictators are easier to manage than friendships with complex democratic governments. The series of dictators further broke down the Congolese people.
The aftermath of the Rwandan genocide of 1994 gave Mobutu another opportunity to make a bad decision for his country. He allowed 2 million Rwandan genocide refugees to come to his country. However, he also allowed the Rwandan genocide directors to hide in his country. This infuriated his Rwandan and Ugandan neighbors and caused them to invade Congo in 1996 in pursuit of retaliation against these Hutu military forces. Once inside eastern Congo, however, the Hutu forces also began to loot the rich resources and kill thousands of innocent people and children in their way. The Congo asked for help from Angola, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. While they supposedly came to support the Congolese against the Ugandans and Rwandans, they actually stayed and looted the Congo. Now Congo is faced with invaders from several countries and the Congolese people are taking the worst of it. Although UN peacekeeping troops are trying to stop the fighting, it’s still not enough.