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“The Last American”: A Diplomat in Zaire

© Jessica Powers

Bob Proctor spent 25 years as a Foreign Service Officer for the United States. In the late 1970s, Proctor worked as a diplomat in Zaire, then ruled by Mobutu Sese Seko. The 1970s proved to be an interesting era of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Africa-this was the height of the Cold War on African soil, and the U.S. spent much money backing politicians who were friendly to the West. President for Life Mobutu was one such politician.

Because he was there at such a politically sensitive time, I thought it would be interesting to hear Proctor's memories of his time in Zaire. The following interview was conducted via e-mail.

1. Can you set the scene for us, historically and politically and culturally?

I should say that I feel most comfortable discussing my experiences in Zaire from the modest point of view of a relatively inconsequential American diplomat and his wife, assigned to a post in Zaire that was, as it turned out, on its last legs because one of my jobs before departure was to lay the groundwork for its closure.

Officially, I was a United States Information Office, with the title "Directeur, Le Centre Culturel Americain." Unofficially-and in the eyes of everyone in Kisangani and beyond-I was "Le Consul Americain," the last "real" consul having departed several months before my arrival. This had its advantages and disadvantages, but more on that later.

Not that Kisangani (and the entire eastern province of Haut Zaire) had ever lost its significance in the greater picture of things. The flow of subsequent events in Zaire, recent history in particular, all too painfully confirms that. It's just that in the mid to late '70's the official United States presence in some parts of Zaire distant from the capital, Kinshasa, was no longer deemed important, and as a result as suggested above, I turned out to be the "Last American" (could this not be the title of a movie?) permanently assigned to represent the U.S. Government in that vast swath of rain forest Congo immortalized by early explorers ("Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"), the writings of Conrad, and the massacres of the '60's.

By the mid to late '70's, President for Life Mobutu Sese Seko had successfully consolidated his power over Haut Zaire, and over enormously profitable sources of income from Belgian-developed plantation agriculture-coffee, rubber, palm oil, etc.-and had supporters personally loyal to him in all posts of significance in the civil administration, police and most importantly, the army. However, rebelliousness, dating back to Patrice Lumumba's days, was still an issue.

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