Mobutu Sese Seko

Mobutu, as army chief of staff, led a bloodless coup against President Joseph Kasa-Vubu on November 24, 1965. He suspended the constitution, assumed full executive powers, and began a 32-year dictatorship, initially as president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mobutu renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Zaire and launched the Authenticity campaign. He forced citizens to adopt African names, banned Western clothing, and promoted traditional culture. The country's name, flag, and currency were changed to reflect African identity.

Mobutu's Zairianization policy seized foreign-owned plantations, mines, and businesses, transferring them to political allies and family members. The policy led to economic collapse, corruption, and a sharp decline in production, forcing partial reversal by 1977.

A coalition of Rwandan, Ugandan, and Congolese rebel forces led by Laurent Kabila advanced across Zaire. Mobutu, suffering from cancer, fled the capital Kinshasa on May 16, 1997. He died in exile in Morocco four months later, ending his 32-year rule.