Resident Laurent-Désiré Kabila successfully overthrew long-time dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

In 1997, a pivotal moment in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) occurred when President Laurent-Désiré Kabila successfully overthrew long-time dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. One of Kabila's first acts as president was to restore the country's name to the 'Democratic Republic of the Congo', a name that had been voted on during the Sovereign National Conference in 1992 but had not been implemented until Kabila's rise to power. This name change was not merely a cosmetic alteration; it was part of a broader initiative to forge a new national identity and to clearly differentiate the DRC from its neighbor, the Republic of the Congo. The restoration of the name symbolized a significant break from the past and a commitment to a new future for the nation. The DRC is often referred to as Congo (Kinshasa), Congo-Kinshasa, or Big Congo to avoid confusion with the Republic of the Congo. Additionally, it is abbreviated in various forms, including Congo DR, DR Congo, DRC, DROC, and RDC in French. This change marked a crucial step in the country's journey towards establishing its sovereignty and identity on the global stage.