Thirty years after its birth as an independent state, Zaire still bears the imprint of its colonial past. Behind the omnipresent mechanism of control forged by President Mobutu Sese Seko, lurked the shadow of King Leopold II of Belgium, whose absolute and arbitrary sovereignty found symbolic expression in cultural aspects of the people of Zaire. >From 1840 to 1872, the Scottish missionary, David Livingstone, engaged in a series of explorations that brought the Congo to the attention …showed first 75 words of 814 total…

…showed last 75 words of 814 total…indigenous and Western influences have been significant. The impact of the West has been felt most strongly through the import of institutions, policies, and culture that were radically new to the area. Zairian traditions are represented by many different ethnic groups with historically different beliefs, loyalties, and tensions. Whatever their exposure to these various historical influences, modern-day Zairians are alike in being repressed or neglected by a small and highly centralized political elite. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**