Congo from Leopold II to Félix Tshisekedi

Abstract

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country that has a significant number of natural resources that have not brought its inhabitants prosperity, but have become a cause of their exploitation and poverty instead. Congolese people have experienced many injustices for over a century mainly because of the political governance in the country. They suffer from hunger, numerous diseases and poverty; they also experience numerous violations of the human rights, including mass murders, rapes and mutilations, as well as the recruitments of child soldiers by the Congolese army and various armed groups from the Congo and neighbouring countries. The modern Democratic Republic of the Congo is an unstable state, particularly vulnerable to the actions of numerous rebel organizations. The causes of the contemporary socio-political situation in this country can be found primarly in its history, starting from the cruel times of Leopold II during the Belgian colonization, then through the Mobutu dictatorship and all subsequent presidents. The aim of the article is to present the undemocratic governments in the Congo, which led to the exploitation of its inhabitants and contributed to the current unstable situation of the country.