During this reading I focused more on the Congo-Zaire portion mainly because that is what we are focusing on in class at this moment. It was interesting learning about the change in power. Patrice Lumumba at least tried to offer a national vision and critique of Belgian colonialism. Lumumba was elected as the first prime minister, and Joseph Kasavubu was elected as the President. They were both kind of lunged into leadership without any previous experience. Lumumba didn’t appreciate the restrictions that he felt were placed on him by the continued presence of the Belgian officials. The fact that Lumumba and Kasavubu represented two different Congo groups didn’t help the Prime Minister out because he would eventually be fired. The major western powers supported the President and not the Prime Minster. Joseph Mobutu was slowly becoming a major force in the Congo as he helped with the capturing and the arresting. Belgian, American, French, and UN military helped out the large area of the Congo from the likes of Egypt, Algeria, and Cuba because they were helping Lumumbist rebels. Mobutu rose to prominence and became the Dictator for the next 32 years. He eventually changed the name from Congo to Zaire.

Over time this state became less of a state and more of a mafia. Times began getting in rough in the 1990’s and Mobutu could no longer pay his army. They just used their “state” authority to get whatever they wanted. Mobutu’s downfall may not have happened if Mobutu had not lost his ability to insert himself into social relations by which people survived. Although this may not have happened if he had not stopped paying his army, which stopped fighting before it’s stopped using their power for personal reasons. Kabila was a Lumumbist and a regional warlord, he was isolated enough to where Mobutu couldn’t reach him, but was still connected enough to run smuggling operations to survive for decades. When he rose to power he was nicknamed “Mobutu II” and changed the name back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.