List of presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo facts for kids

This article lists the presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This big country in Africa used to be called the Republic of the Congo and later Zaire. The list starts from 1960, when the country became independent.

The person who is currently the president is Félix Tshisekedi. He has been president since January 24, 2019.

Meet the Presidents of Congo

Here's a look at the leaders who have served as president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since it became independent.

Number	Portrait	Name (Born–Died)	When they started	When they left	Political Party
Republic of the Congo (1960–1971)
1		Joseph Kasa-Vubu (1910–1969)	1 July 1960	24 November 1965 (removed from power)	ABAKO
2		Joseph-Désiré Mobutu (1930–1997)	24 November 1965	27 October 1971	Military / Popular Movement of the Revolution
Republic of Zaire (1971–1997)
(2)		Mobutu Sese Seko (1930–1997)	27 October 1971	16 May 1997 (removed from power)	Popular Movement of the Revolution
Democratic Republic of the Congo (1997–present)
3		Laurent-Désiré Kabila (1939–2001)	17 May 1997	16 January 2001 (died in office)	Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo / Independent
—		Joseph Kabila (born 1971)	17 January 2001	26 January 2001	Independent / People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy
4			26 January 2001	24 January 2019
5		Félix Tshisekedi (born 1963)	24 January 2019	Incumbent	Union for Democracy and Social Progress

How Long Each President Served

This table shows how long each president stayed in office, from the longest time to the shortest.

See Also

• Politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • List of prime ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo