Timeline.. Rise of the Kongo empire -Centered in northern Angola and extreme western Congo. Diogo Cao, a Portuguese navigator, becomes the first European.

Timeline.

Rise of the Kongo empire-Centered in northern Angola and extreme western Congo.

Diogo Cao, a Portuguese navigator, becomes the first European to visit the Congo.

British, Dutch, Portuguese and French merchants engage in slave trade through Kongo.

Belgian King Leopold II sets up a private venture to colonize Kongo

European powers recognize Leopold’s claim at the Conference of Berlin.

Leopold announces the establishment of the Congo Free State, headed by himself.

Belgians conquer Katanga.

Eastern Congo taken from the control of East African Arab and Swahili-speaking traders.

Belgian state annexes Congo during protests over killings and atrocities carried out by Leopold. Millions of Congolese are said to have been killed or worked to death.

Belgian Professor Antoin van Bilsen publishes a “30- Year Plan” for granting the Congo increased self-government.

Belgium begins to lose control over events in the Congo.

Serious nationalist riots in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa).

Congo becomes independent with Patrice Lumumba as prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu as president.

Congolese army mutinies

Katanga declared independent.

UN Security Council votes to send in troops to help establish order but are unsuccessful.

Kasavubu dismisses prime minister and Lumumba is arrested.

Patrice Lumumba (prime minister)

Lumumba is murdered, reportedly with US and Belgian complicity.

UN troops begin disarming Katangese soldiers

President Kasavubu appoints Moise Tshombe as prime minister. President Kasavubu

President Kasavubu and prime minister Tshombe are ousted in a coup led by Joseph Mobutu.

The country is renamed Zaire.

Mobutu nationalizes many foreign-owned firms and forces European investors out of the country then back in because of the increased deterioration of the economy.

Mobutu agrees to the ban of multiparty politics and appoints a transitional government but remains powerful.

Mobutu agrees to a coalition government with opposition leaders following riots by unpaid soldiers.

Appointment of Kengo Wa Dondo as prime minister.

Tutsi rebels capture much of eastern Zaire.

Kengo Wa Dondo

Tutsi and other anti-Mobutu rebels capture the capital, Kinasha

Zaire is renamed the Democratic Republic of congo

Laurent-Desire Kabila is installed as president

Rifts emerge between Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC), supported by Uganda, and Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD)-backed by Rwanda

President Laurent-Desire Kabila

The six African countries involved in the war sign a ceasefire.

The MLC and RCD also sign it.

Although the UN authorized a force to monitor the ceasefire, fighting continues between rebels and government forces and between Rwandan and Ugandan forces.

President Laurent Kabila is shot dead by a bodyguard.

Joseph Kabila succeeds his father.

Kabila meets with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Washington to agree to a UN pull-out plan.

Uganda and Rwanda begin pulling troops back from the frontline.

Joseph Kabila

Presidents of the DRC and Rwanda sign a peace deal to withdraw Rwandan troops if DRC will disarm and arrest Rwandan Hutu gunmen blamed for killingTutsi minority in Rwanda’s genocide

DRC and Uganda sign a peace accord to withdraw Ugandan troops from DRC.

UN-sponsored power-sharing talks begin in S. Africa

President Kabila signs a transitional constitution, under which and interim government will rule pending elections.

Leaders of main former rebel groups are sworn in as vice-presidents

International Court of Justice rules that Uganda must compensate DRC for rights abuses.

Presidential and parliamentary polls are held- the first free elections in four decades

Incumbent leader Joseph Kabila and opposition candidate Jean Pierre Bemba run against each other

Joseph Kabila is declared winner of the presidential elections.

Heavy clashes erupt in the east of the country between army troops and fighters loyal to rebel leader Laurent Nkunda.

Thousands of people, including Congolese troops, flee as clashes in eastern DRC intensify

Gen Laurent Nkunda is arrested.

"BBC NEWS | Africa | Country profiles | Timeline: Democratic Republic of Congo." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 02 Feb. 2009 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1072684.stm>.

"TIMELINE: Peace deal signed in DRC to end years of fighting | Reuters.com." Reuters.com - World News, Financial News, Breaking US & International News. 03 Feb. 2009 <http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSL2384461420080123>.

"WashingtonPost.com: Congo Time Line." Washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines. 02 Feb. 2009 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/congo/timeline.htm#colonial>.