A Brief Historical Timeline of the DRC
1884 - 1908 – King Leopold Leopold II of Belgium began ruling the "Congo Free State" as his personal colony, exploiting vast natural resources through indigenous forced labor and condoning mass human rights violations of the indigenous population.
1908 – Leopold transferred control of his property to the Belgian government, which renamed the country the Belgian Congo.
1960 – The Congo gained independence from Belguim with Patrice Lumumba as prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu as president. Joseph Mobutu seizes power after the country collapses due to army mutiny.
1961 – Mobutu restores power to Kasavubu (February), Lumumba having been murdered the previous month, but reclaims power again in 1965.
1965-1997 – Mobutu Sese Seko’s 32-year dictatorial rule
1994 – The Rwandan Genocide caused an influx of 2 million refugees into the DRC and neighboring countries.
1996-1997 – The First Congo War: a result of the influx of the Rwandan refugees, resulted in the overthrow of Mobutu. Laurent Kabila established himself as president and renamed the country the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
1997-2001 – Laurent Kabila’s rule.
1998-2003 – The Second Congo War, aka Africa’s First World War: over seven nations become embroiled in the DRC’s conflict
2003 – A peace agreement signed to signify the official end of the war
2006 – First multiparty elections held in almost half century
1908 – Leopold transferred control of his property to the Belgian government, which renamed the country the Belgian Congo.
1960 – The Congo gained independence from Belguim with Patrice Lumumba as prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu as president. Joseph Mobutu seizes power after the country collapses due to army mutiny.
1961 – Mobutu restores power to Kasavubu (February), Lumumba having been murdered the previous month, but reclaims power again in 1965.
1965-1997 – Mobutu Sese Seko’s 32-year dictatorial rule
1994 – The Rwandan Genocide caused an influx of 2 million refugees into the DRC and neighboring countries.
1996-1997 – The First Congo War: a result of the influx of the Rwandan refugees, resulted in the overthrow of Mobutu. Laurent Kabila established himself as president and renamed the country the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
1997-2001 – Laurent Kabila’s rule.
1998-2003 – The Second Congo War, aka Africa’s First World War: over seven nations become embroiled in the DRC’s conflict
2003 – A peace agreement signed to signify the official end of the war
2006 – First multiparty elections held in almost half century