Essay, Research Paper: Zaire
Geography
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The situation in Zaire (today The Democratic Republic of Congo) under the reign
of Mobutu Sese Seko is a good illustration of an African tragedy. A nation so
rich in national resources – having some of the largest diamond mines in the
world – destined for success and growth, becomes victim to one of the worst
administrators (if you can even call him that) of the 20th century and one of
the best “corruption artist” of all time. Corruption engulfed the young
nation shortly after independence and it hasn’t seen daylight ever since. In a
time when Asian countries, Central American countries, and South American
countries are making magnificent headway towards development, a tyrant thief who
embodies everything evil, sets one of Africa’s main prospects in reverse. This
was the situation in Zaire that we shall look at today and examine. We shall
focus on the country of Zaire (1965 – 1997), which was Mobutu’s. Mobutu has
been toppled as of May 16, 1997 and the country renamed The Democratic republic
of Congo. The Oxford American Dictionary defines a “State” as, “an
organized community under one government.” Zaire was anything but organized,
anything but a community, and had anything but a government. To justify the
claim that Zaire is a good illustration of a “failed state,” we shall show
several examples that support this statement. Examples and illustration include
Mobutu’s acceptance of bribes from foreign governments, misuse of government
budget, embezzlement of export earnings, diversion of foreign aid and loans, a
failed Treasury, a failed Central Bank, a highly centralized government, chronic
wide-spread rent-seeking, a lack of long-term planning, no political development
and stability, near agricultural failure, nepotism, bad investments, inability
to repay national debt, human services failure, and overall government failure.
All of these contributors to this “failed state” are a direct result of
corruption. “Corruption has detrimental effects on economic development. It
decreases the efficiency of the civil service and its ability to formulate and
implement government development policies, and it robs the country of vast sums
of foreign exchange needed for investment” (George Ayittey 262). In other
words, corruption puts a “stranglehold on the economic and political levers of
powers” (Kempe Ronald Hope Sr. 90-91), thus making it virtually impossible for
a government to operate.
of Mobutu Sese Seko is a good illustration of an African tragedy. A nation so
rich in national resources – having some of the largest diamond mines in the
world – destined for success and growth, becomes victim to one of the worst
administrators (if you can even call him that) of the 20th century and one of
the best “corruption artist” of all time. Corruption engulfed the young
nation shortly after independence and it hasn’t seen daylight ever since. In a
time when Asian countries, Central American countries, and South American
countries are making magnificent headway towards development, a tyrant thief who
embodies everything evil, sets one of Africa’s main prospects in reverse. This
was the situation in Zaire that we shall look at today and examine. We shall
focus on the country of Zaire (1965 – 1997), which was Mobutu’s. Mobutu has
been toppled as of May 16, 1997 and the country renamed The Democratic republic
of Congo. The Oxford American Dictionary defines a “State” as, “an
organized community under one government.” Zaire was anything but organized,
anything but a community, and had anything but a government. To justify the
claim that Zaire is a good illustration of a “failed state,” we shall show
several examples that support this statement. Examples and illustration include
Mobutu’s acceptance of bribes from foreign governments, misuse of government
budget, embezzlement of export earnings, diversion of foreign aid and loans, a
failed Treasury, a failed Central Bank, a highly centralized government, chronic
wide-spread rent-seeking, a lack of long-term planning, no political development
and stability, near agricultural failure, nepotism, bad investments, inability
to repay national debt, human services failure, and overall government failure.
All of these contributors to this “failed state” are a direct result of
corruption. “Corruption has detrimental effects on economic development. It
decreases the efficiency of the civil service and its ability to formulate and
implement government development policies, and it robs the country of vast sums
of foreign exchange needed for investment” (George Ayittey 262). In other
words, corruption puts a “stranglehold on the economic and political levers of
powers” (Kempe Ronald Hope Sr. 90-91), thus making it virtually impossible for
a government to operate.
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