| Sumario: | The writer considers President Laurent Kabila's takeover of power in Congo-Zaire. He notes that the powershift in Congo-Zaire has been interpreted by some political analysts as being arranged by African countries fighting rebel groups utilizing the Zairian territory as a basis for action; whereas others regard it as a victory of the U.S. over France for control of the central African area. He aims to reconcile these two views by demonstrating that Kabila's victory in 1997 was not purely an African enterprise nor solely the outcome of an American-orchestrated policy, but a combination of both. He argues that the powershift was a result of African countries' intervention on the ground and the action of U.S. diplomacy in the international scene combined. He notes that the African involvement is even greater in the second Congolese civil war, although this has not removed the U.S. influence. He claims that this influence can still be felt behind the scenes through its strategic allies and has grown since the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
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