Final answer:
After the DRC's independence, power was seized by Joseph Mobutu in a coup, later followed by Laurent Kabila after a civil war, and then his son Joseph Kabila after Laurent's assassination.
Step-by-step explanation:
After independence, control of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) did not go to an elected democratic government, military coup leaders, foreign colonial powers, or United Nations peacekeeping forces in the sense typically associated with governance. Instead, the nation experienced a tumultuous period marked by civil war and political instability. Patrice Lumumba became the first Prime Minister after independence in 1960 but was soon overthrown in a coup by Joseph Mobutu, with backing from Western nations. Mobutu established a dictatorial regime and renamed the country Zaire.
In 1997, Laurent Kabila overthrew Mobutu and reinstated the name Democratic Republic of the Congo. After Laurent Kabila's assassination, his adopted son Joseph Kabila took power. The situation has involved civil wars, assassinations, and various conflicts, showing the complex and violent history of leadership changes in the DRC after independence.