This is part 3 of a 6 part series on the History of Congo: from 1965 when Colonel Mobutu seizes control of the country and takes over to 1991 when the expatriots evacuate due to civil unrest. During this period, President Mobutu changes the name of the country to Zaire, nationalizes everything, (destroying the economy in the process), deals with Cuban soldiers trying to take over the Shaba province in 1978 ,and tries to deal with hyper inflation due to his kleptocracy and mismanagement of the country’s industries and businesses.
Roger Eales shares real life stories about the country name change, the culture clash of the Belgian influence on the country and the people’s desire to be part of the international scene, against Mobutu’s “authenticity” push involving the shedding all things western. Dr. Tom Cairns shares about transferring assets to the local church and the challenges therein, and Paul Noren discusses the political undercurrents leading to the civil unrest and his evacuation from the country in 1991.
Copyright © 2021 by Jeffrey W. Eales. All rights reserved. No portions may be reproduced or transmitted in any format without the prior written permission of the author.
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