Table of Contents
Introduction
First of all, it must be recognized that in the Congo everyone knows the name Lumumba.
This valiant national hero who defended the interests of the Congo at the risk of his life, however, few people know his story, the reasons for his assassination and especially those bothers who were manipulated to kill their brother.
Let bear in mind that “No slaughter or looting on Congolese or African land takes place without a Congolese or African brother taking part in it”.
By investigating more closely, there is always a brother who accepts to betray his nation.
In our article “These Congolese ethnic and tribal wars that bring happiness to others (the case of the Hema and the Lendu)” we saw that for a very long time division for better reigning was the strategy used by the colonist to orchestrate the plundering of resources.
As a duty to remember, in this story we will tell the story of Lumumba and the circumstances surrounding his assassination and especially the role of the Congolese brother in this story in the simplest way possible.
Historical reminder :
More than 400 years after Diego Cao brought chaos to the gates of the Kongo kingdom, reading “Diego Cao or Diego Chaos? that Portuguese who brought the black slave trade to the gates of the Kongo kingdom”, and that millions of our ancestors were sold to become slaves.
In June 1956, the descendants of the Kongo kingdom, led by Joseph Ileo and Joseph Kasa-vubu in a collective consciousness movement, produced the “Manifesto of African Consciousness”.
This Manifesto enabled ABAKO (Association of Bakongo) to shine in the Congolese political sphere.
At the same time on the other side of the country, the Congolese National Movement led by Patrice Lumumba, a young Kasaian from the Tetela ethnic group, is leading the same battle for independence.
In 1957, Lumumba joined the capital, he was 32 years old. It was that year that he met Joseph Désiré Mobutu who became his aide-de-camp.
At the same time, the 37 year old businessman Moise Tshombe created the Confederation of Tribal Associations of Katanga (CONAKAT) which was favoured by the Belgians.
While the independence movement was gaining momentum, the price of copper continued to plummet, increasing the unemployment rate.
Between 1957 and 1960 riots killed several Congolese.
In May 1960 the lumumba party won the largest number of seats in the National Assembly, followed by Antoine Gizenga’s African Solidarity Party and then Kasa-vubu’s ABAKO.
Lumumba became Prime Minister and Kasa-vubu President.
What was supposed to be a triumph of the independence movement became the beginning of chaos and internal conflicts fueled by numerous foreign interference.
Act 1 : Lumumba’s speech
Lumumba was not even planned in the list of speakers, after listening to the speech of the Belgian king followed by Kasa-vubu.
Lumumba improvised himself to take the floor and give a memorable speech that did not please the Belgians.
Act 2 : General Janssens and the promotion of mobutu
In July 1960, Belgian General Emile Janssens had the courage to write on a blackboard that “before independence equals after independence”.
This declaration provoked riots in the capital and led to the replacement of General Janssens by Victor Lundula and the appointment of Mobutu as chief of staff of the Congolese national army.
Act 3: The Katangese Secession
With the support of the mining union and the Belgian authorities, moise tshombe declared Katanga’s independence. Tshombe had a full support of the Belgian military.
Act 4: The arrival of the United Nations in Congo
Lumumba flies to new york to seek for help .
Washington and Ottawa declare that the help he needs will go through the UN.
The first UN mission named ONUC landed in Leopoldville on July 23rd 1960.
Untill today 2020, they still present in DRC.
Act 5 : Lumumba goes to the Soviet Union for help.
Lumumba then turned to the Soviet Union where he received military equipment and support.
This operation was not well regarded by Europeans and Americans.
However, Lumumba had the firepower necessary to retake Bakwanga in Kasai, which had also declared its independence on the night of 26-27 August. That night saw the death of many of the luba.
Act 6 : Lumumba sentenced to death by the CIA
Lumumba was a free electron that no one could master, he was perceived either as being too communist or as a pawn that could favor the deployment of the Soviet Union in the Congo.
In short lumumba was considered as a threat that had to be eliminated as soon as possible.
The Americans made it clear to Mobutu that they would be ready to support him.
Act 7 : Neutralization of Kasa-vubu and Lumumba, Mobutu’s ascension
On September 5, 1960, Kasa-vubu revokes lumumba, lumumba in turn revokes kasavubu.
On 14 September, Mobutu took the lead and neutralized both of them. Lumumba was placed under house arrest below UN protection.
Act 8 : The Escape, Capture and Execution of Lumumba
Lumumba managed to escape during the night of November 27th, he was caught after 3 days of escape.
The UN soldiers who were at the border post of Mweka voluntarily refused to intervene to protect him.
Imprisoned in Leopoldville for more than 45 days, foreign forces worked hard to convince Kasa-vubu to transfer Lumumba to Moise Tshombe’s Katanga.
They knew very well that this would lead him to the Belgian slaughterhouse.
In the afternoon of 17 January 1961, Lumumba’s plane lands in Katanga. And at night, in the despicable conditions, he was murdered at the age of 36.
Only 6 months after his fire-boom speech against the Belgians.
Foreign forces managed to get Lumumba’s head thanks to the help of his Congolese fellow citizen.
Mobutu was 31 years old, Kasavubu 44 years old and tshombe 42 years old, all of them contributed in one way or another to lead Lumumba into the lion’s den of foreigners.
Sixty years after independence, it is clear that the mines of Katanga still belong to foreigners. They still control all resources in DRC and almost everywhere in Africa.
Lumumba’s death, the foreign manipulations and the circumstances surrounding his death should challenge us and awaken our conscience as Africans about who really our allies and who are not.
When we face the threat from outside we should normally at all costs speak the same language to drive the enemy out.
And above all we should avoid being the pawn that outsiders manipulate to harm our brothers.
Sources: “The Democratic Republic of Congo Between Hope and Despair” by Michael Beibert