Mobutu Sese Seko

Mobutu Sese Seko was a Congolese politician who served as the second President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1997. Born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu on October 14, 1930, in Bakongo, Belgian Congo, he rose to power during the Congo Crisis, a period of political instability and violence that followed the country's independence from Belgium in 1960. Mobutu seized power in a military coup in 1965, and he would go on to rule the country for over three decades, earning the nickname "Le Vieux" or "The Old Man." During his presidency, Mobutu implemented a series of authoritarian and corrupt policies, which led to widespread human rights abuses, economic decline, and the destruction of the country's infrastructure. He also changed his name to Mobutu Sese Seko, adopting a more African-sounding name and promoting a personality cult around himself. Despite his authoritarian rule, Mobutu maintained close relationships with Western powers, particularly the United States, which provided him with significant financial and military support. Mobutu's regime was marked by violence, repression, and corruption, and his legacy remains controversial to this day.