What was Mobutu Sese Seko's birth name?
Q: What was Mobutu Sese Seko's birth name?
A: Mobutu Sese Seko's birth name was Joseph-Desiré Mobutu.
Q: When did Mobutu become President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
A: Mobutu became President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1967 when he established a presidential form of government headed by himself.
Q: What did Mobutu do as part of his program of “national authenticity”?
A: As part of his program of “national authenticity,” Mobutu changed the Congo's name to Zaïre in 1971 and changed his own name to Mobutu Sese Seko in 1972.
Q: How did Mobutu amass a large personal fortune?
A: During his reign, Mobutu amassed a large personal fortune through economic exploitation and corruption.
Q: What caused unrest leading to him agreeing to share power with opposition leaders?
A: By 1991 economic deterioration and unrest led him to agree to share power with opposition leaders.
Q: Who removed him from power in 1997?
A: In May 1997 rebel forces, led by Laurent Kabila, removed him from the country.
Q: How is he described by many people?
A: Many have described him as the "archetypal African dictator".
