In the heart of Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s bustling capital, a striking new exhibit has opened its doors, drawing crowds of young and old alike. The subject? Mobutu Sese Seko, the charismatic and deeply controversial strongman who ruled the nation—then known as Zaire—with an iron fist for over three decades. The exhibition, titled “Mobutu: A Life, A Destiny,” was inaugurated on November 23, 2025, at the National Museum, and it’s quickly become a focal point for conversation, nostalgia, and debate about Congo’s turbulent past and uncertain present.
Mobutu’s shadow looms large over the Congo. Having seized power in a 1965 coup, he transformed the country into a one-party state, cultivating a personality cult so pervasive that state television broadcasts began with his image floating among the clouds. He was the self-styled “Leopard of Zaire,” instantly recognizable in his thick black glasses, signature leopard-skin hat, and ebony cane. According to NPR, Mobutu’s reign was marked by both his flamboyant style and his “outrageously corrupt” governance. He built an ornate palace deep in the northern jungle, imported luxury goods on Concorde jets, and was courted by royalty and presidents alike.
But Mobutu’s legacy is far from simple. For many Congolese, especially those who did not live through his rule, he represents a time of relative stability and national pride—qualities that seem painfully absent in today’s Congo, where political instability and armed conflict have become the norm. “To be sure, his reign wasn’t appreciated by everyone,” said Marie-Ange Makeya, an 18-year-old student of architecture and urbanism, as she gazed up at Mobutu’s portrait in the museum. “But at least the country was respected, and there was no war.”
This sense of nostalgia has surprised some observers, given Mobutu’s reputation as an archetypal Cold War dictator. Backed by the West for his staunch anti-communism, Mobutu tried to forge a new national identity in the wake of Congo’s independence from Belgium in 1960. He even went so far as to ban Western-style suits and names, pushing for a return to African authenticity. Yet, while Mobutu lived in luxury, most Congolese struggled to survive. As NPR reports, over 70 percent of the country’s current population of about 120 million live on less than $2.15 a day, according to the World Bank—a legacy of economic mismanagement that began during Mobutu’s era.
The exhibit itself is a carefully curated journey through Mobutu’s life and times. Visitors are greeted by large photographs of the former president standing alongside world leaders such as John F. Kennedy, Pope John Paul II, and Queen Elizabeth II. There are also images of Mobutu with Muhammad Ali, celebrating the legendary 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing match between Ali and George Foreman—a cultural milestone that put Zaire on the global map. In October 2025, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson visited Kinshasa to commemorate the anniversary of that iconic event, stopping by the exhibit to pay his respects.
Nzanga Mobutu, Mobutu Sese Seko’s son and the head of a small political party, was the driving force behind the exhibit. He told NPR that his goal was to raise awareness among young Congolese about his father’s era. “Whether he was a dictator or not a dictator, I mean: What do you want? Should we let our country be attacked and our women raped?” Nzanga Mobutu said. “We had discipline, when countries tried to attack we had a response.” His words echo a widespread longing for order and respect, even if it came at the price of freedom and transparency.
Juvenal Munubo, a politician from eastern Congo who attended the opening, acknowledged the complexity of Mobutu’s legacy. “It’s true that he is still a very controversial figure,” Munubo said. “But he fostered a real sense of national unity, which people remember fondly. We recognize that the DRC was much more stable than it is now.”
That stability, however, was built on repression. Mobutu’s regime was notorious for its brutality, corruption, and the stifling of dissent. But the chaos that followed his ouster in 1997 dwarfed even the darkest days of his rule. After Mobutu fled into exile in Morocco—where he died a few months later—Congo became the epicenter of back-to-back regional wars that killed between three and five million people, according to some estimates. The violence never truly ended. In early 2025, the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group captured two major cities in eastern Congo and now governs swaths of the mineral-rich region as a proto mini-state.
Despite these grim realities, the Mobutu exhibit has become something of a pilgrimage site. Congolese pop stars, politicians of all stripes, and even President Felix Tshisekedi have made appearances. Tshisekedi’s visit was especially symbolic: his father, Etienne Tshisekedi, was Mobutu’s most ardent political rival, and the current president himself spent part of his youth in exile because of Mobutu’s regime. Yet, as NPR notes, in September 2025, Congolese politicians swore oaths of fealty to President Tshisekedi—a ritual straight out of Mobutu’s playbook, raising questions about the persistence of “Mobutuism” in contemporary Congolese politics.
“Who else can look after the country? If not Mobutu, who else?” sang Congolese music legend Franco Luambo in one of his most famous songs—a tune that still resonates with many today. The exhibit’s walls, adorned with images of Mobutu in his full regalia, seem to ask the same question. For some, the answer is a yearning for the past; for others, it’s a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked power and nostalgia.
Mobutu’s story is a reminder of Congo’s complicated journey—a nation striving for unity and stability, yet haunted by the ghosts of its past. Whether the renewed interest in Mobutu signals a deeper shift in national identity or simply reflects a longing for lost order is a question that continues to divide Congolese society. For now, the Leopard of Zaire’s spirit prowls not just the corridors of power, but the collective memory of a country still searching for its future.