In September and October 1991, Zaire experienced substantial violent unrest, as several Zairian Armed Forces units mutinied and rioted, soon joined by civilian protesters and looters. While the revolting soldiers primarily demanded more reliable and higher wages and it remained unclear whether they had any political motives, many civilians demanded the end of President Mobutu Sese Seko's repressive and corrupt dictatorship. The unrest started in Zaire's capital Kinshasa, and quickly spread to other cities. Large-scale looting caused massive property and economic damage, but the unrest resulted in no clear political changes. Zaire remained locked in a political crisis until 1996–1997, when Mobutu was overthrown during the First Congo War.
Mobutu Sese Seko, pictured with U.S. American President George H. W. Bush on a visit to the United States in 1989
A newly founded opposition alliance meets in 1991. Étienne Tshisekedi speaks from a microphone at the right.
Kinshasa in the 1980s or early 1990s
The ruins of Mobutu's palace in Gbadolite in 2011
Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 1997. Zaire was located in Central Africa and was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-largest country in the world from 1965 to 1997. With a population of over 23 million, Zaire was the most populous Francophone country in Africa. Zaire played a central role during the Cold War.
Mobutu Sese Seko, the president of Zaire from 1965 to 1997
Idi Amin, president of Uganda, visiting Mobutu in Zaire during The Shaba I Conflict in 1977
This is a 5 makuta (cinq makuta) coin from Zaire, 1977, which portrays Mobutu Sese Seko, who was the president during this time
