I. Ancient history of Congo (13rd century ~19th century)
Congo river basin is one of the relatively developed areas of ancient civilization in Africa. 13 ~14th century, the Congolese established the kingdom of Congo in the lower reaches of Congo River. Since the end of 15, the kingdom has gradually developed into a powerful country, covering a large area of southwest Congo (DRC), northwest Angola and south Congo. At the same time, the Kingdom of Congo became stronger and stronger, and Balu Kingdom, Ronda Kingdom and Msiri Kingdom were successively established in the upper reaches of Congo River, all of which were influential ancient countries in African history. However, with the invasion of European colonists, the normal development of the kingdoms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been interrupted. Since the15th century, colonial forces from Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain, France, Belgium and Germany have successively invaded the present Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Second, during the private fief period of the Belgian king-Congo Free State (1878 ~ 1908) Ruler: Leopold.
/kloc-In the second half of the 9th century, in the frenzy of the imperialist powers to carve up Africa, Belgian King Leopold II was involved in the struggle for the Congo River basin. 1878, Leopold raised funds to set up the "Upper Congo Research Committee" (1882 was reorganized into the "International Congo Association"), and hired Stanley, a colonial eagle dog, as his agent, to start his aggressive activities of establishing a colonial empire in Central and West Africa. 1884165438+1October 15 to 65438+ 1985 On February 26th, the imperialist powers held the Berlin Conference to carve up Africa. Leopold took advantage of the contradiction between big powers to conduct off-site transactions, and obtained the consent of Britain, France, Germany and other countries 15, and took the present Congo (DRC) into personal possession, so-called "Congo Free Country". Leopold's bloody rule aroused public outrage. 1908, the Belgian government took over the "Congo Free State" and renamed it "Belgium Congo".
Three. Belgian colonial period-Belgian Congo (1908 ~ 1960) Ruler: Belgian government.
In order to resist the colonial rule of Belgium, the people of "Belgian Congo" have long been brave and unyielding. Especially after the Second World War, the local people's awareness of national independence has been increasingly awakened, and various organized resistance activities have been increasing. Since 1950, some political parties committed to national independence have appeared in "Belgian Congo" one after another, such as Joseph? Kasavubu's "Abaco Party", patrice? Emozzi？ "Congolese National Movement Party" led by Patrice Emergy Lumumba, Moise? The "Konakat Party" led by Maeuser Tshombo, and so on. Most of these political parties have a strong tribal and regional color. Only the Congolese National Movement Party transcends tribal interests, advocates the establishment of a unified nation-state and puts forward the slogan of immediate independence. 1959 65438+1On October 4th, a large-scale mass movement against colonial rule and demanding independence broke out in Leopoldville, the capital of "Belgian Congo", and the struggle quickly spread to all parts of the country. Due to the situation, the Belgian authorities had to agree to the independence of "Belgium Congo". 1960 from may to June, "Belgian Congo" held a general election before independence. As a result, Kasavubu was elected President and Lumumba was appointed Prime Minister. On June 30th, "Belgian Congo" officially declared its independence, and it was named the Republic of Congo. Because the capital is Leopoldville, it is called "Congo (Liberia)" for short, and it is also the first republic in the history of Congo (DRC).
Third, the first Republic-Congo (Liberia) period (1960 ~ 1965) Ruler: Lumumba.
Although Congo (Liberia) has achieved political independence, it is still controlled by Belgium economically and militarily, so there is still an inverse struggle all over the country. 1On July 8, 960, the Belgian authorities invaded Congo (Liberia) on the pretext of protecting the safety of overseas Chinese, suppressed the disproportionate activities of local military and civilians, and engaged in activities to split Congo (Liberia). On July 1 1, with the encouragement and support of the Belgian army, Zombo, chairman of the Konakat Party, declared the independence of Katanga Province. In protest against the invasion of Belgian troops and their separatist activities, the Lumumba government announced that it had broken diplomatic relations with Belgium and called on the United Nations to provide emergency assistance. 1960 In July 14, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding Belgium to withdraw its troops and decided to send troops to Congo (Liberia) for mediation. On July 15, United Nations troops under American control marched into Congo (Liberia). However, after the United Nations troops entered, they did not actively urge the Belgian troops to withdraw immediately. Instead, they disarmed the Congolese soldiers who resisted the Belgian troops under the pretext of "maintaining order". On the other hand, the Belgian aggressor troops continued to expand their aggression and separatist activities in Congo (Liberia) and supported the establishment of the "Kasai Mining Republic" in Kasai province on August 9. Faced with this complicated situation, Lumumba sent a request for military assistance to the Soviet Union on August 1960, and soon announced the implementation of military control for six months throughout the country. On August 26, Lumumba sent troops to attack the "Kasai Mining Republic" and quickly captured its "capital" Bakwanga; Then he sent troops to attack the Tshombo Group in Katanga province. However, at this time, within the Congolese government, Prime Minister Lumumba and President Kasavubu split, and the two armies supporting Lumumba and Kasavubu clashed constantly. 1960 September 14, Mobutu, Chief of General Staff of the Congolese National Army, staged a military coup and announced that he would temporarily take over government power. Subsequently, the United Nations forces put Lumumba under house arrest in the name of protection (196 1 killed). 1961August, Congo (Liberia) established a new government with Adoula as Prime Minister through the mediation of the United Nations. The new government was supported by the United States, and the Congolese National Army gradually recovered Katanga and Kasai provinces with the cooperation of United Nations troops. However, the government of Adoula has not won unanimous support from all parts of the country. From south to north, from east to west, the patriotic armed struggle against foreign interference and the current government continues to occur. 1In July, 964, Chong Bo succeeded Adoula as the Prime Minister of the government and changed its name to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After Chong Bo came to power, he suppressed the patriotic armed struggle all over the country, but his government did not last long.
Fourth, the second Republic-Congo (DRC) and Zaire (1965 ~ 1997) Ruler: Mobutu.
1965165438+1On October 24th, Congo (DRC) and Mobutu, commander-in-chief of the National Army, staged another military coup, removed Kasabubra from the presidency, announced the establishment of the second DRC and became their own president. 1966 In May, Mobutu renamed Leopoldville, the capital, as Kinshasa, with the country name "Democratic Republic of Congo" for short.
1967 In May, Mobutu established the People's Revolutionary Movement, a national party that controlled the whole country on its own organizational basis, and banned all other party activities. 19711kloc-0/On October 27th, Mobutu changed the country name to Zaire * * * Republic for short. (See the sign on the right)
During Mobutu's reign, with the support of the United States, France, Belgium and other western countries, relying on the strength of the army, using tribal contradictions and the struggle between political forces of various factions, Mobutura opposed the other faction, repelled dissidents, suppressed the opposition and maintained a long-term dictatorship. Although there have been many military coups and rebellions in China, they failed to overthrow Mobutu's regime. In the early 1990s, the wave of political democratization that swept across the African continent spread to Zaire, and Mobutu was forced to change to a multiparty system. By the end of 1995, there were more than 400 political parties in Zaire, which basically belonged to two camps: the presidential camp and the opposition led by Tshisekedi. Zaire for several years.
In the political arena, the two factions are mainly fighting. Once, there were even two parliaments and two governments. In the struggle with the opposition alliance, Mobutu solved the ruling crisis again and again by playing politics, but his ruling ability was also weakened, and the regime could not actually function normally. Political turmoil and people's suffering have become a true portrayal of Zaire. 1996 10 Banyamulenge, a Tutsi immigrant from eastern Zaire, took advantage of Mobutu's opportunity to go abroad for medical treatment and launched an armed struggle to overthrow Mobutu's regime in order to resist the government's discrimination and persecution against them. They formed Eloran? The rebels of the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (Zaire) led by Kabila launched an all-out attack on the government forces. The government's military discipline is lax and unpopular, and it is losing ground.
Verb (abbreviation of verb) The third republic-the ruler of the Democratic Republic of Congo (1997 ~ present): Kabila and his son.
1May, 1997 17, anti-government forces captured the capital Kinshasa, announced that they would take over the political power, and renamed the country the Democratic Republic of Congo, with Kabila as president. On May 29th, Kabila held a grand ceremony in the capital Kinshasa and was formally sworn in. After Kabila seized power, he abolished the old constitution and legislature, rebuilt the state apparatus and announced a two-year transition period. 1On August 2, 1998, Banyamulenge (Tutsi from Rwanda, hereinafter referred to as "Banyamulenge") soldiers launched a rebellion with the support of Ugandan and Rwandan troops, and soon occupied a large territory in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the same time, they attacked from the west and once pushed to a place 30 kilometers away from the capital. In June of 5438+09, Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia decided to send troops to support Kabila's regime, and by the 26th, they recovered all the lost land in the west. Chad also sent 2,000 soldiers to help the Congolese government forces. 10 10 12, after the rebels captured Kindu, the capital of Maniema province, where the headquarters of the government army was located, the joint forces of Tianjin, Angola and Namibia decided to fight on the eastern front and confront the rebels and the Ukrainian and Rwandan troops. Since then, the war has been deadlocked for a long time. The Kabila regime actively sought the sympathy and support of the international community, announced that it would abide by the original transitional timetable, open the party ban, adopt a new constitution, and hold general elections in 1999.
1On August 2, 1998, Rwanda and Uganda supported the rebels to launch a rebellion and directly sent troops to participate, and armed conflict broke out. Subsequently, Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia sent troops to participate in the war at the request of Kabila's government. 200 1 1 16, President Kabila was assassinated and his son Joseph? Kabila took over the political power. In June 5438+February 2002, all factions just reached a comprehensive and inclusive agreement on transitional decentralization in Pretoria. In June 2003, the new transitional government was formally established. On July 30th, 2006, the first general election in more than 40 years of independence was held. Kabila was elected president. Antoine? Gizanga is the prime minister. In June 5438 +2006 10, the opposition filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, demanding that the election be declared invalid, but it was rejected by the Supreme Court. The armed conflict launched by the opposition party in the capital Kinshasa in February 2006 was officially quelled. Since then, Congo (DRC) has entered a new era of ending the civil war, stabilizing the political situation and fully developing economic development and construction.
On February 18, 2006, according to the provisions of the new Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo began to use the new national flag. The new national flag is 2 meters long, 1, and 5 meters wide. The background color is sky blue, representing peace. There is a red belt on the diagonal, representing the blood of martyrs; There are two yellow borders next to the red belt, representing the wealth of Congo (DRC); In the upper left corner is a yellow five-pointed star, which represents the national unity and bright future of Congo. The background color of the national flag used before was blue, with a small yellow pentagram on the left and a big yellow pentagram on the right. It has been used since old Kabila came to power 1997.