Second Mobutu coup d'état
| Second Mobutu coup d'état | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Congo Crisis | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Joseph Kasa-Vubu Evariste Kimba | Joseph Mobutu | ||||||
The second Mobutu coup d'état, launched on November 25, 1965, was a successful coup attempt in the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) by General Joseph Mobutu which overthrew President Joseph Kasa-Vubu and Prime Minister Evariste Kimba. The coup was caused by the political impasse between President Kasa-Vubu and Moïse Tshombe, which threatened to develop into a violent confrontation and destabilize the country even further. The coup was initially met with cautious approval domestically and abroad. It marked the end of the years-long Congo Crisis.
During his first coup in 1960 however, Mobutu temporarily removed Kasa-Vubu from power to "restore order" before stepping down and reinstating him. This time, Mobutu seized full power and became president himself. He then declared a state of emergency and assumed near-dictatorial powers. Though he promised to restore democracy in five years, he instead consolidated power and established an authoritarian regime that would dominate the Congo (later Zaire) for over three decades.