Answer:
The Soviet Union and the United States were involved in the Congo during the Cold War period, as they both sought to gain influence and spread their respective ideologies in the newly independent African nation. The Congo, which had recently gained independence from Belgium, was seen as a key country in the struggle for political and economic control in Africa. The Soviet Union and the United States both supported different factions within the Congo, with the Soviet Union supporting the leftist and socialist government led by Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, and the United States supporting the more conservative and capitalist government led by President Joseph Kasavubu. Both the Soviet Union and the United States also provided military and economic aid to the Congo, in an effort to gain influence and control over the country's resources and political direction.