The FLNC was formed in Angola under the leadership of Nathaniel Mbumba, with the goal of expelling Mobutu Sese Seko, the leader of Zaire. The FLNC is best known for its two attempted invasions of Katanga Province (renamed Shaba) in Zaire in 1977 and 1978. These incursions, which threatened Mobutu's regime, sparked two international wars, Shaba I and Shaba II, further complicating the Angolan Civil War. The FLNC became a member of the political life of Zaire after the year 1991, and then later a member of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.