Why was the Congo River once called the Zaire River?

The Congo River was renamed the Zaire River by the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the period between 1971 and 1997.1

This change occurred under the leadership of Mobutu Sese Seko, who initiated an "authenticity" campaign to emphasize the country's cultural identity by replacing names associated with the colonial era. During this time, the country itself was also renamed the Republic of Zaire.234

The term "Zaire" is a variation of a word from local African languages that means "river" or "great river". Historically, when Europeans first encountered the river in the late 15th century, they also referred to it as the Zaire, before it was later named the "Rio Congo" after the Kongo kingdom. Despite the government's official renaming of the river to Zaire during Mobutu's rule, it continued to be known as the Congo throughout the rest of the world.13