President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the context of "Joseph Kabila"

Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa za Banga (/məˈbuːtuː ˈsɛseɪ ˈsɛkoʊ/ mə-BOO-too SESS-ay SEK-oh; born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu; 14 October 1930 – 7 September 1997), often shortened to Mobutu Sese Seko or Mobutu and also known by his initials MSS, was a Congolese politician and military officer who was the first and only president of Zaire from 1971 to 1997. Previously, Mobutu served as the second president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 1965 to 1971. He also served as the fifth chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity from 1967 to 1968. During the Congo Crisis in 1960, Mobutu, then serving as Chief of Staff of the Congolese Army, deposed the nation's democratically elected government of Patrice Lumumba with the support of the U.S. and Belgium. Mobutu installed a government that arranged for Lumumba's execution in 1961, and continued to lead the country's armed forces until he took power directly in a second coup in 1965.

To consolidate his power, he established the Popular Movement of the Revolution as the sole legal political party in 1967, changed the Congo's name to Zaire in 1971, and his own name to Mobutu Sese Seko in 1972. Mobutu protected his rule through an intensely autocratic regime and came to preside over a period of widespread human rights violations. He attempted to purge the country of all colonial cultural influence through his program of "national authenticity". Mobutu was the object of a pervasive cult of personality.

The second Mobutu coup d'état, launched on November 25, 1965, was a successful coup attempt in the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) by General Joseph Mobutu which overthrew President Joseph Kasa-Vubu and Prime Minister Evariste Kimba. The coup was caused by the political impasse between President Kasa-Vubu and Moïse Tshombe, which threatened to develop into a violent confrontation and destabilize the country even further. The coup was initially met with cautious approval domestically and abroad. It marked the end of the years-long Congo Crisis.

During his first coup in 1960 however, Mobutu temporarily removed Kasa-Vubu from power to "restore order" before stepping down and reinstating him. This time, Mobutu seized full power and became president himself. He then declared a state of emergency and assumed near-dictatorial powers. Though he promised to restore democracy in five years, he instead consolidated power and established an authoritarian regime that would dominate the Congo (later Zaire) for over three decades.

The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as the Cabinet, is the junior institution in the executive branch of the central authority governing the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the senior institution being the President of the Republic. The President is the head of state whereas the Prime Minister is the head of government.

Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa za Banga (/məˈbuːtuː ˈsɛseɪ ˈsɛkoʊ/ mə-BOO-too SESS-ay SEK-oh; born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu; 14 October 1930 – 7 September 1997), often shortened to Mobutu Sese Seko or Mobutu and also known by his initials MSS, was a Congolese politician and military officer who was the first and only president of Zaire from 1971 to 1997. Previously, Mobutu served as the second president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 1965 to 1971. He also served as the fifth chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity from 1967 to 1968. During the Congo Crisis in 1960, Mobutu, then serving as Chief of Staff of the Congolese Army, deposed the nation's democratically elected government of Patrice Lumumba with the support of the U.S. and Belgium. Mobutu installed a government that arranged for Lumumba's execution in 1961, and continued to lead the country's armed forces until he took power directly in a second coup in 1965.

To consolidate his power, he established the Popular Movement of the Revolution as the sole legal political party in 1967, changed the Congo's name to Zaire in 1971, and his own name to Mobutu Sese Seko in 1972. Mobutu protected his rule through an intensely totalitarian regime and came to preside over a period of widespread human rights violations. He attempted to purge the country of all colonial cultural influence through his program of "national authenticity". Mobutu was the object of a pervasive cult of personality.

This is a list of presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly the Republic of the Congo and Zaire) since the country's independence in 1960.

The current president is Félix Tshisekedi, since 24 January 2019.

The Palace of the Nation (French: Palais de la Nation) is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is situated in Gombe, in the northern part of Kinshasa, next to the Congo River. It has held this role since 2001, following the assassination of Laurent-Désiré Kabila.

Constructed in 1956 based on Marcel Lambrichs [fr; nl]' design, the palais was initially conceived as the residence for the colonial Governor-General. After independence from Belgium, in 1960, the Palais metamorphosed into a symbol of the new state. The official proceedings commemorating the nation's newfound autonomy, including King Baudouin's Proclamation, declaring the Congo's independence and Patrice Lumumba's speech denouncing colonialism, took place in the palais on June 30. After the nation's independence, the residence briefly served as the seat of the Congolese parliamentary body, which now convenes in the People's Palace.

The African Union City (French: Cité de l'OUA) is a governmental complex situated in the Ngaliema commune of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located near Mont Ngaliema and serves as a venue for diplomatic and governmental functions.

The complex was commissioned by President Mobutu Sese Seko in 1967 when Kinshasa hosted the heads of state summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Since then, it has served as the sanctum sanctorum for guests of the Congolese Head of State, as well as for the government's meetings and international summits held in Kinshasa.

Laurent-Désiré Kabila (French pronunciation: [lo.ʁɑ̃ de.zi.ʁe ka.bi.la]; 27 November 1939 – 16 January 2001) usually known as Laurent Kabila or Kabila the Father (US: pronunciation), was a Congolese rebel and politician who served as the third president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1997 until his assassination in 2001.

Kabila initially gained prominence as an opponent of Mobutu Sese Seko during the Congo Crisis (1960–1965). He took part in the Simba rebellion and led the Communist-aligned Fizi rebel breakaway state in eastern Congo from 1967 to 1988 before disappearing from public. In the 1990s, Kabila re-emerged as leader of the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (ADFL), a Rwandan and Ugandan-sponsored rebel group that invaded Zaire and overthrew Mobutu during the First Congo War from 1996 to 1997. Following the war, Kabila became the new president of the country, whose name was changed back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.