The Congo We Inherited, The Congo We Must Rebuild Understand the patterns of leadership, the responsibility of citizens and the possibility of a different future. Image credit: Copyright @ africanews ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP Mobutu Sese Seko , the former president and dictator of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Led the country from November 24, 1965, to May 17, 1997. His rise to power followed years of political instability after the country’s independence from Belgium in 1960. Mobutu was in power for 32 years, the DRC formerly known as Zaire is a country engulfed with natural resources and held enormous economic potential. He presented himself as a leader who would restore stability, promote African identity, and unite a nation that had experienced considerable political turmoil. However, the legacy and systems he left behind tells a different story. The governance that Mobutu created was characterised by political repression, corruption, economic mis...