In an amazing deal, reminiscent of King Leopold's assumption of the Congo as his personal fief, the West German rocket company OTRAG leased the entire southeast corner of Zaire, an area as big as its homeland. The use to which this vast territory is to be put seems to go far beyond the purposes of commercial launching of communication satellites. What drove Mobutu to make this outrageous deal? What are the terms of this contract and what do they imply for the people of the area and their resources? What is the legality of the contract?