Zaire wider campaign of , ridding the country of the influences from the colonial era of the Belgian Congo, was also launched under Mobutu's direction. Weakened by the end of American support after the end of the Cold War, Mobutu was forced to declare a new republic in 1990 to cope with demands for change. By the time of its downfall, Mobutu's rule was characterised by widespread cronyism, corruption and economic mismanagement. Zaire collapsed in the 1990s, amid the destabilization of the eastern parts of the state in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and growing ethnic violence. In 1996, ,
Malik Zaire the season, against Virginia, Zaire fractured his ankle after a run. It was announced after the game that he would miss the rest of the season. Zaire battled DeShone Kizer before the season for the starting quarterback position. Both shared snaps in the team's first game, a loss to Texas. Statistically Kizer had a far better game than Zaire, earning Kizer the starting quarterback position. Zaire played little during the remainder of the season. After graduating from Notre Dame in May 2017, Zaire announced that he had transferred to the University of Florida to play a fifth year in the