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| Anthem | "La Zaïroise" | ||||||
| Capital (and largest city) |
Kinshasha | ||||||
| Language | French | ||||||
| Religion | Christianity | ||||||
| Government | Dictatorship | ||||||
| President | Nzanga Mobutu | ||||||
| Independence | from Belgium | ||||||
| declared | June 30, 1960 | ||||||
| Currency | Zaire | ||||||
The Republic of Zaire is a nation in Central Africa. After receiving independence from Belgium in 1960, the young nation was plagued by rebellions and infighting. Eventually, Mobutu Sese Seko took control, establishing a right wing single party dictatorship. Seko was funded by the United States in order to prevent Unitarians from taking control in the area. Despite peace and stability, corruption became widespread and a cult of personality was established around Seko. As Seko's health began to fail in the 1990s, Zaire began to break down, with rebels from other nations using Zaire as a base. In 1998, Tanganyika invaded Zaire to wipe out the rebels and take control over Zaire's mineral mines following Seko's death. New President Nzanga Mobutu rallied the nation and fought back, but the conflict eventually spread to neighboring Central Africa. With the end of the Cold War in 2003, the UN managed to host peace talks and bring an end to the destructive war. Today, with the United States withdrawing funding, the government is in a difficult spot, facing several rebellions.