Political & Social Factors Affecting Development
Geography: KS3, topic 4.3.2
How Have Political and Social Factors Hurt the DRC's Development?
The DRC's troubled history and politics have harmed its development?
Belgian colony and civil war
- The DRC was granted independence after 75 years as a Belgian colony.
- The population were not well educated and the healthcare system was bad.
- Between 1960 and 1965, 2 groups fought for control of the Congo. 100,000 people were killed in this civil war.
- Joseph-Desire Mobutu won the civil war and became the leader in 1965.
Mobutu's government
- Mobutu ran the DRC (then known as Zaire) between 1965 and 1997.
- Zaire was a corrupt country.
- Mining was 17% of GDP in 1990 and permits to mine were sold in corrupt bidding processes to large companies.
- Bribery was common.
The 2nd Congolese civil war
- In 1997, there was another civil war.
- This war damaged a lot of the DRC's infrastructure.
- Joseph Kabila became the president after the civil war.
Test yourself on Political & Social Factors Affecting Development
Who colonised the DRC from 1885 to 1960?
Who became president of the DRC in 2001 after the civil war?