A former belgian colony, the Belgian Congo, or Congo-Kinshasa (named after the capital), got its independence in 1960, and was named the Republic of Congo, then Democratic Republic of Congo. the Democratic Republic of Congo changed its name to Zaire in 1971. In 1999, president Joseph-Désiré Mobutu of Zaire was supplanted by Laurent-Désiré Kabila. The country then used again its former name of Democratic Republic of Congo.
