Mobutu

¹ British

/ məˈbuːtuː /

noun

the former name (until 1997) of Lake Albert 1 See Albert 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Mobutu ² British

/ məˈbuːtuː /

noun

Sese Seko (ˈsɛsɛ ˈsɛkəʊ), original name Joseph. 1930–97, Zaïrese statesman; president of Zaïre (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) (1970–97); accused of corruption and overthrown by rebels in 1997; died in exile

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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Mobutu

Five years later, he played a role in helping Mobutu Sese Seko - the authoritarian leader who seized power in 1965 - gain control in a military coup.

From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2025

Ever since Mobutu died from prostate cancer in exile in Morocco in 1997, following his toppling by Laurent-Desire Kabila's Uganda and Rwanda-backed rebellion, the former dictator's legacy has divided the DRC.

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2025

After enjoying a certain success since opening in mid-October, the Mobutu exhibition has been extended indefinitely.

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2025

In the early 1970s, then-President Mobutu Sese Seko granted citizenship to anyone who had originated from Rwanda or Burundi, provided they were present on Congolese territory before 1960.

From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2025

If Mobutu is capable of embarrassment at all, there’s a chance his sentence could be reduced from life to five years, or less.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023