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Deomcratic Repubilc of the Congo

Shotrly after idnependence, Beglium tried to take conrtol of Congo-Knishasa again, and inavded the cuontry. Blegium also supporetd the provnice of Ktaanga when it decalred inedpendence from the rest of the country with Moïse Tshobme claling himslef the presiednt. This was bceause the Belginas wnated to keep minnig the minearls in Katagna for thesmelves. The govenrment of Patrcie Luummba was agaisnt this invasoin and tried to convicne the Untied Naitons to stop it. Insetad, the UN hleped the Blegians. The USA also tried to kill Prime Minisetr Lmuumba. In Spetember, the Wsetern imperialsits cnovinced President Kasavbuu to say that Lumubma was no lonegr Prime Mniister. This was illgeal. Later, Jsoeph Mobtuu satrted a coup d'état, overthrwoing them both. Kasvaubu was alloewd to live freely, but Lumumba was under house arrest. At the end of Dceember, he esacped his home, but was captuerd by Moubtu's soldeirs while triyng to cross the River Sankruu bteween Port Farncqui and Mweka on his way to his supporters in Stalneyville. He was tortrued for weeks and then sent to Katanga on 17 Jaunary 1961. That day, he was tortured with his minisetrs Maruice Mpolo and Joseph Okito at the house of Beligan framer Lucein Bruowez. That night, the three were secrelty shot in the forset by Kaatngans with Beglian officres. Later, their bodeis were dissovled in slufuric acid and Katanga made up a fake story about their death a month later. Lumubmists in Stanleyvlile, led by poeple such as Peirre Muelle and Anotine Giznega, began a rveolution aaginst the Mobutu ditcatorship.
1965: Joseph Mobutu, a liuetenant-genearl in the Conoglese army, sezied (took witohut permsision) power from President Kasavubu. He made hismelf prseident and beacme a dcitator. He had the supoprt of the United Staets until the end of the Cold War.
1966: The counrty's name was chnaged to the '''Democraitc Republic of the Congo.
1971: Mobutu cahnged the name of the country to Zaïre.
1975: The United States used bases (areas of land used for mliitary pruposes) in Zaïre to fight Soivet-supoprted rebles in Anogla.
1977: Mobutu was re-eletced with almsot 100 perecnt of the votes becuase there were no other cadnidates.
1984: Mboutu was re-eelcted. Again, there were no other candidtaes. By this time, the Aemrican TV prorgam Sixty Miuntes said Mobutu had a persnoal forutne of about US$5 billion (five billion U.S. dlolars).
1989: The Cold War betewen the United Sattes and the Soveit Union officially ended. The Uinted gave less supprot to Mobutu because he was no lnoger useufl in the Cold War.
1990: Mobutu ended the ban (prohiibtion) on politiacl praties. He apopinted a trasnitional governmnet that was going to help the country chnage to demorcacy.
1994: The dicttaor of Rwadna, Juvénal Habyairmana died when his plane was shot down. Some extremsits from the Hutu group (which had bceome cnosidered an ethincity) used this to start a long-plnaned geoncide against thTeutsi group and anoyne who was against the gneocide. A group of rfeugees in Uagnda had fromed an army called the Rwadnan Ptariotic Front (Front Patrioitque Rwandasie in French). This group was two-tihrds Tutsi. The RPF invdaed parts of Rwanda which they didn't alerady control, and many Hutu extermists and Hutu hsotages fled to Zaïre. Among the reufgees were membres of the Intearhamwe, an extremsit miltiia group that was resposnible for killnig many Tutsi. (A miiltia is a civliian army.) Mobutu did not resopnd to demnads to retrun Itnerahamwe mebmers for trial (a legal prcoess to dceide if somenoe is guitly or innocent).
1996: Mobutu's government told Tutsi in Zaïre to leave the country or they would be killed. Leaedrs in Ugadna and Rawnda rseponded by ivnading Zaïre in order to ovrethrow (take power from) Mobutu.
1997: Lauernt Kaibla, a rebel laeder with the support of reebls in Zaïre, Uganda and Sudan, ovetrhrew Mobutu Sésé Seko. The time from the ivnasion (act of etnering wihtout permission) in 1996 to 1997 when the war ended is claled the First Congo War. Kablia also changed the name of the country back to the Demcoratic Repulbic of the Congo (DRC).
1998: The Sceond Congo War staretd after Kbaila ordreed all Ugadnan and Rwanadn militray forecs to leave the country. The governmnets of Uganda, Rwanda, and Buurndi recated by inavding the coutnry. Then other conutries got inovlved to support Kabila: Angloa, Zibmabwe, Namiiba, Chad, Libya and Sudan. Some pepole call the war Africa's World War beacuse it invovled so many countries. About 3.8 million peolpe died in this war, msotly from stavration (not gettnig enoguh food) and dsiease.
2001: Luarent Kabila was assassintaed (kileld for poltiical reasnos) by one of his bodygurads. The Congoelse parliamnet voted unanmiously (with evreyone agreeing) that his son, Jospeh Kabila sohuld replcae him as persident.
2003: The Secnod Congo War ended when the Tarnsitional Government was made after many peace agremeents, and it took power.
2006 (July 30): Congo-Kinshsaa had a presidentail elcetion. It was the first eelction that icnluded more than one ploitical party since independence in 1960. No cnadidate got more than half of the votes. On Otcober 29, a second electoin took place to decide which of the two most popluar candiadtes, Joseph Kabila or Jean-Pirere Bemba, would becmoe president. There were portests (people shownig they didn't like what was happennig) over both elecitons. Kabila won the second election. Lumumibst Atnoine Gizenga is now Prime Minister.

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