Editing Mobutu Sese Seko (section)

==History==
Mobutu was born on October 14<sup>th</sup>, 1930; in a small village to a mother who had a profession as a hotel maid.

After the Congo gained independence from Belgium, Joseph Kasa-Vubu was installed as the Congo's first president, with Patrice Lumumba as their Prime Minister. Mobutu took a great interest in the military, and Joseph hired him to become the head of the Congolese National Army. Later, he was promoted to major-general and started planning a takeover of the country.

After [https://real-life-heroes.fandom.com/wiki/Patrice_Lumumba Patrice Lumumba] was brutally assassinated by Belgian and American forces when he refused to seek aid from the UN, Mobutu took his chance and overthrew Kasa-Vubu via a bloodless coup, he also had in his possession the remains unearthed and mutilated in his power immersed in sulfuric acid. Because of this, Mobutu gained complete control of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (which he later named Zaire.)

He began his dictatorship with a mass of public executions, targeting rival politicians. All rebels who proved a threat to Mobutu were brutally [[torture]]d and [[murder]]ed.<ref name = torture></ref> In one particular case, Pierre Mulele, a rebel during the Simba Revolution, had his eyes gouged out, his genitals ripped off, and his limbs amputated one by one alive.<ref>[https://www.executedtoday.com/2013/10/09/1968-pierre-mulele-congo-mobut/ 1968: Pierre Mulele, hoodwinked], ''Executed Today''</ref> Eventually, he moved out of torture and into buying his opponents off, however, his visit to the People's Republic of China in 1972 brought bitter memories for Mobutu due to the headaches of said pro-Lumumba militants.

He formed a one-man government, giving him total political power in Zaire. The National Treasury turned into his personal bank, amounting to a total of 5 billion US dollars.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-05-17-mn-59626-story.html Nation Suffered as Dictator Drained Riches], ''The Los Angeles Times''</ref> He also formed a [[cult of personality]], spreading [[propaganda]] throughout his country, telling lies about himself, and how he was the savior of the Congo. National TV, which was entirely controlled by Mobutu, portrayed him as a god descending from the clouds, saving the Congolese people. At one point, the propaganda got so bad that the media was forbidden to mention anyone by their names except for Mobutu.<ref name = Mobutu>[https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/world/africa/051797zaire-mobutu.html Anatomy of an Autocracy: Mobutu's 32-Year Reign], ''The New York Times''</ref>

Meanwhile, his citizens faced mass inflation and poverty, stemming from Mobutu's constant loaning from other countries, which lead to many riots and rebellions. Finally, he was forced to share his power with other politicians, but still retained most of the power.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1980/01/01/mobutu-mortgages-nations-future/8d1ee5ba-81c4-46b3-91df-f6f770e9d4fc/ Mobutu Mortgages Nation's Future], ''The Washington Post''</ref>

During the [[Cold War]], Mobutu received strong support (military, diplomatic and economic) from the United States, France and Belgium, who saw him as the strongest pillar of anti-communism in Francophone Africa; he also built close ties with the governments of [[Apartheid]] South Africa, Israel, and the Greek military junta. From 1972 onwards, he was also supported by [[Mao Zedong]] of China, mainly due to his anti-Soviet stance, but also as part of Mao's attempts to create a bloc of Afro-Asian nations led by him; the massive Chinese economic aid that flowed into Zaire allowed Mobutu more flexibility in his dealings with Western governments, gave him the chance to portray himself as an "anti-capitalist revolutionary", and enabled him to avoid going to the International Monetary Fund for assistance.

He was overthrown in the First Congolese War by [[Laurent-Désiré Kabila]], aided by forces from Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda, as well as other rebel groups. His defeat was mostly due to his decaying health. Mobutu spent most of his time in the war in Switzerland, receiving treatment. This made communication between him and his army difficult.

After his forced fall of power, he temporarily stayed in Togo until then-president [[Gnassingbé Eyadéma]] insisted that he leave.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/ddd412eba59c464d6af9bcc55bdfc698 Togo prods Mobutu to move on - but to where?], ''AP News''</ref> He arrived in Morocco on May 23<sup>rd</sup>, 1997. After his [[exile]], Switzerland froze his bank accounts that Mobutu had deposited several million.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9706/03/mobutu/ Swiss banks find only $3.4 million in Mobutu assets], ''CNN''</ref>

He died of prostate cancer three months later while living in Morocco on September 7<sup>th</sup>, 1997.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/congo/stories/mobutu090897.htm Congo Ex-Ruler Mobutu Dies in Exile], ''The Washington Post''</ref> Today, Mobutu is known for his corruption, his narcissism, and his one-man political party.