As leader of the ABAKO (Association des Bakongo) movement of his own lower Congo river Bakongo people, Kasa Vubu was elected president by the Congo's new national assembly, taking office upon the country's independence from Belgium (June 30, 1960).
The new republic was immediately disrupted by political and military strife and regional secessionist movements, while the central government was paralyzed by conflict between the conservative Kasa Vubu and his radical prime minister Patrice Lumumba.
On September 5 Kasa Vubu and Lumumba each announced the other's dismissal, creating a stalemate that was only ended on September 14 with army commander Joseph Mobutu's seizure of power in support of Kasa Vubu. Lumumba was later handed to secessionist forces in the southern province of Katanga and killed.
Over the next five years, Kasa Vubu presided over a succession of weak governments, in July 1964 appointing former Katangan secessionist leader Moise Tshombe prime minister to use European mercenaries against leftist rebels. Mobutu seized power a second time on November 25, 1965, this time deposing Kasa Vubu and subsequently declaring himself head of state.
Joseph Mobutu (October 14, 1930 - September 7, 1997) was the ruler of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) from 1965 to 1997.
The new government was a coalition between prime minister Patrice Lumumba and the president JosephKasavubu, they soon started to struggle for overall power - both attempting to dismiss the other from government.
On September 14, 1960 a coup d'etat overthrew Lumumba in support of Kasavubu, Colonel Mobutu was a key figure in the coup and was rewarded with rapid promotion.
JosephKasavubu was born in the village of Kuma-Dizi in the Mayombe district of Lower Congo.
Kasavubu's entry into public life in 1946 was sponsored by Jean Bolikango (later his rival for the presidency), who engineered his election as secretary of an alumni association, which position made him an ex officio member of UNISCO (Union des Intérêts Sociaux Congolais), a debating society tied to the Catholic missions.
Joseph Kasa Vubu (1917–March 24, 1969) was the first President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a period of 5 years, (1960–1965).
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