Which leader's rise in the Congo was followed by a coup led by Mobutu Sese Seko, overthrowing Lumumba's government?

• A. Patrice Lumumba
• B. Moïse Tshombe
• C. Léopoldville Government
• D. Joseph Mobutu

Answer: (D)

Power struggles in the Congo after independence set the stage for who would hold real authority. Joseph Mobutu emerged as a key military figure and tacticously used his position to shift power. He led a coup in September 1960 that removed Patrice Lumumba from the government, altering the leadership trajectory and inaugurating a new regime that would eventually pave the way for Mobutu’s long rule. The question highlights that the rise being referenced is the one Mobutu later acted upon to overthrow Lumumba’s government, making Joseph Mobutu the correct answer. Lumumba himself was the leader who was toppled, not the one who led the coup; Moïse Tshombe was a rival leader linked to Katanga’s secession, and Léopoldville Government isn’t a person.