Kammala jumlar da ke gaba: Jamhuriyar Demokradiyyar Kongo (DRC) ita ce mulkin mallaka na Belgium tsakanin 1885 da 1960. Ba da daɗewa ba
bayan samun 'yancin kai daga Belgium, Mobutu Sese Seko ya kwace mulki a juyin mulkin soja kuma ya kafa kansa a matsayin shugaban kasa. A lokacin mulkin kama karya na Mobutu, ana kiran ƙasar Zaire. A shekara ta 1996, rikici daga kisan kare dangi na Ruwanda ya bazu zuwa Zaire kuma mayakan Hutu, ciki har da Interahamwe, suna amfani da sansanonin 'yan gudun hijirar a yankin Kivu don kai hari kan Ruwanda. Sojojin Ruwanda da Uganda sun mamaye Zaire don yakar mayakan Hutu, kuma a karshe sun hambarar da Mobutu, a cikin abin da zai zama Yaƙin Kongo na Farko. Sojojin Ruwanda da Uganda sun haɗu da 'yan siyasar Kongo da shugabannin' yan bindiga da ke adawa da mulkin Mobutu kuma waɗannan ƙungiyoyin sun haɗu don zama Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL), wanda Laurent-Désiré Kabila ya jagoranta. A shekarar 1997, Mobutu ya tsere daga Zaire kuma Kabila ya nada kansa shugaban kasa kuma ya canza sunan kasar zuwa Jamhuriyar Demokradiyyar Kongo.