How did Mobutu's 1965 coup remove Joseph Kasavubu and Moise Tshombe?

In November 1965, Joseph-Désiré Mobutu (later Mobutu Sese Seko) led a military coup that effectively ended the political careers of both President Joseph Kasavubu and Premier Moise Tshombe.123

The coup occurred against the backdrop of an intense power struggle between Kasavubu and Tshombe. Earlier in 1964, Kasavubu had recalled Tshombe from exile to serve as premier in an effort to suppress a rebellion in the eastern Congo. However, by 1965, the relationship between the two had deteriorated, leading to Tshombe's dismissal by Kasavubu—ostensibly for his use of white mercenaries, though it was also widely believed that Tshombe was attempting to oust the president himself.1243

Taking advantage of this political instability, Mobutu, who served as the commander in chief of the armed forces, intervened to remove Kasavubu from power and assumed the presidency himself. Following the coup, Kasavubu retired to his farm, and Tshombe returned to exile.1234