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Jan 1, 1200
Rise of the Kongo Republic
Found in the middle of north Angola and including far west Congo and areas around lakes Kisale and Upemba in central Katanga (currently Shaba). -
Jan 1, 1482
First European Ties to the Kongo
Diogo Cao is the first Portugese explorer to visit the Kongo and forges an allience between Portugal and the Kongo's king -
May 23, 1484
Portuguese located the Congo River
The Congo River was located and was used to do slave trade -
Slave Trading Begins
British, Dutch, Portuguese and French merchants engage in slave trade through Kongo intermediaries.
(16th-17th Century) -
Slave Trade Ends
After around 100 years the slave trade ends -
Belgian King Leopold II travels to the Congo to colonize it
He renames it the Congo Free Republic -
Period: to
Congo Gets Explored
Henry Stanlye explores the Congo River -
French Get Control
The French sign a treaty in order to get Congo. They called congo, French Congo. -
Leopold announces the establishment of Congo
the current situation has much to do with the legacy of colonialism. Since Belgian imposition of colonial rule by King Leopold II (called it the Congo Free State), millions have been killed. The murders have been grotesque, with chopped limbs and more, similar to what has been seen in Sierra Leone recently. -
Period: to
Eastern Congo
Eastern Congo is mostly in control by traders -
King's rule established
Leopold commissions Henry Stanley (famous explorer) to establish the king's rule in the Congo basin. -
Millions Die
Belgian comes into Congo to help with the millions of the Congo people who are dieing from either being worked to death or from other conflict. This is still during Leapold's control over the Congo -
Self Goverment Granted
Antoine Van Bilsen a Belgain Professer makes a 30 year plan that grants Congo to have a self goverment -
Belgium starts to lose control over Congo
Many riots start in Congo after many nationalist riots in Kinshasa. -
Struggle For Political Power
The u.s. helped Motubu overthrow Prime Minister Lumumba. -
Orginized "Revolution"
Kabila, long time supporter of Lumamba, was sent to eastern congo to begin a revolution. He founded the peoples revolutionary party (PRP) who are notorious for robbery. Local Military have been accused of trading military supplies for stolen goods. -
Belgians Leave The Congo
After 75 years of colonial rule, the Belgians left very abruptly, relinquishing the political rights to the people of Congo in 1960. However, economic rights were not there for the country to flourish. -
Fighting Starts
Fighting starts. The Untid Nations send in troops but they can not deal with internal fighting. The Belgians are sent in to protect Belgian citizens and the mining. -
A new Prime Minister
The president Kasaubu brings Tshomobe as a prime minister -
New Leadership
Fighting haults and Mobutu siezes power. He was a very corrupt leader and renamed the country the Republic of Zaire. -
A transitional government
Mobutu, the Prime Minister who became one after Prime Minister, Lumumba was murderd supports a transitional government. -
Anti Groups
Many anti groups of the present Prime Minister Mobutu are created. -
Rwanda Genocide
More then 500,000 Tuties died making a huge wave of Hutus and Tuties find refuge in the Congo Area -
Tutsis rule Rwanda
The Tutsis took power of Rwanda. This resulted in aound a million Hutus going to Zaire which is now Congo -
Kabila Returns
Aided by Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda, Kabila leads ethnic groups of tutsis against Hutu forces marking the begining of the First Congo War. This pushed civillians into a rebellion against Mobutu and eventually drove him out of the country. -
2nd Congo War
Kabila's former allies, Rwanda and Uganda, turned against him and aided the RCD (Rally for Congolese Democracy). But Kabila found new allies with Zimbabwe, Nambia, and Angola. -
Negotiations
Peace talks cause foreign countries to pull out. -
The UN
The President of the UN Security Council requested to establish a Panel of Experts on the illegal exploitation of the natural resources and other forms of wealth of the DRC, including researching the violation of the sovereignty of that country and analyze the links between the exploitation and the continuation of the conflict. -
Assassination
Laurent Kabila, president of the congo republic for 4 years after overthrowing mobutu, is assassinated by his body guards. -
Period: to
Sources of Fighting
Massacres continued in eastern Congo during 2003-2004. Rwandan Hutu militiamen feared returning to Rwanda, believing they would be targeted by revenge-seeking Tutsis. Hutus remained in the forests of east Congo, preying on villages for food and money. Rwandan incursions into the DRC disrupted the fragile government and created instability. In December 2004, rival units within the DRC's national army clashed in the eastern part of the country. -
Citation
"UN official calls DR Congo 'rape capital of the world' ." BBC NEWS, 28 Apr. 2010. Web. 19 May 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8650112.stm. "In pictures: DR Congo crisis ." BBC NEWS, 1 Nov. 2008. Web. 19 May 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7704187.stm. Pike, John. "Background." Congo Civil War. 14 Dec. 2009. Web. 19 May 2010. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/congo.htm. Shah, Anup. "The Democratic Republic of Congo." Global Issues. 27 Mar. 1999. Web. 19 Ju
