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On this day, in 1961, at the age of 35, Congo's first Prime Minister was assassinated. He became Prime Minister at the age of 34.
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Belgian author Ludo de Witte in his book The Assassination of Lumumba said, this crime, qualifies as "the most important assassination of the 20th century". Not only did the assassination of Lumumba lead to 59 years of Congo never experiencing democratic rule, it changed Congo.
While the Congolese had suffered innumerable oppression from the Belgians, independence came finally.The Belgian King Baudouin painted a glowing picture on the benefits of colonialism and how Congo had gained so much. He said, "the independence of the Congo is the result of the
undertaking conceived by the genius of King Leopold II." He urged the Congolese not to do away with Belgian structures, "don't compromise the future with hasty reforms,& don't replace the structures that Belgium hands over to you until you are sure you can do better. . ."
That day, two Congolese gave a speech, the President, Joseph Kasa Vubu and the Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba. One speech was remembered for its stinging truth, the other fell into the dustbin of history. One speech led to death, the preparation of the gallows, it was Lumumba's.
On that day, Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba was not meant to give a speech. After Kasa Vubu's speech however, Joseph Kasongo who was the president of the House of Representatives invited Lumumba to give his speech. King Bauduin and the Belgian Prime Minister Gaston Eyskens are. .
shocked. Nobody had Lumumba's speech. Nobody knew what Lumumba was going to say. The Congo was known as "the empire of silence," a name coined by O.P Gilbert, a journalist due to the silence of the colonial misdeeds done in Congo. Including the killing of 8-10 million Congolese.
It is noteworthy to state here that Lumumba's speech had been circulated to the assembled press but not to the dignitaries. Baudouin is described to have gone "deathly pale" when Lumumba began his speech in which Lumumba didn't address King Baudouin or any of the former Belgian
masters. Lumumba however spoke above the dignitaries and addressed the "Congolese men and women, fighters for independence, who are today victorious." At that point Lumumba made the people of Congo his focal point and relegated the dignitaries.
"I ask all of you, my friends, who tirelessly fought in our ranks, to mark this June 30, 1960, as an illustrious date that will be ever engraved in your hearts, a date whose meaning you will proudly explain to your children, so that they in turn might relate to their
grandchildren and great-grandchildren the glorious history of our struggle for freedom. Although this independence of the Congo is being proclaimed today by agreement with Belgium, an amicable country, with which we are on equal terms, no Congolese will ever forget that
independence was won in struggle, a persevering & inspired struggle carried on from day to day, a struggle, in which we were undaunted by privation or suffering and stinted neither strength nor blood. It was filled with tears, fire and blood. We are deeply proud of our struggle
, because it was just and noble and indispensable in putting an end to the humiliating bondage forced upon us.That was our lot for the eighty years of colonial rule and our wounds are too fresh and much too painful to be forgotten. We have experienced forced labour in exchange
for pay that did not allow us to satisfy our hunger, to clothe ourselves, to have decent lodgings or to bring up our children as dearly loved ones. Morning, noon and night we were subjected to jeers, insults and blows because we were "Negroes". Who will ever forget that the black
was addressed as "tu",not because he was a friend, but because the polite "vous" was reserved for the white man? We have seen our lands seized in the name of ostensibly just laws, which gave recognition only to the right of might. We have not forgotten that the law was never the
same for the white and the black, that it was lenient to the ones, & cruel & inhuman to the others. We have experienced the atrocious sufferings, being persecuted for political convictions & religious beliefs, and exiled from our native land: our lot was worse than death itself."
Lumumba's bold speech shook the colonialists to the core. In the 1960 elections, the Belgians hadn't expected the radical likes of Patrice Lumumba, Christophe Gbenye, Antoine Gizenga, Anicet Kashamura and Pierre Mulele to be voted into power. These set of radical nationalists
sought to take full control of what rightfully belonged to them. One of the first steps Lumumba took following a strike by Congolese soldiers was to Africanise the army. Despite the joys of independence, the Katanga Province of Congo was still under Belgian influence.
When the army went on strike, Lumumba replaced the Belgian commander with a Congolese, Victor Lundula. Lumumba also increased the wages of the army by 30%. This move made the Belgians uncomfortable. They wouldn't be able to implement neo-colonialism.
Lumumba's speech wasn't just talk, it followed with action. The Congolese wanted equal treatment as the Belgians. Lumumba had instilled in them a source of pride. On July 12, 1960, the first ripples of trouble hit Congo. Lumumba & Kasa Vubu were denied access to Katanga Province.
This marked the secession of Katanga. According to De Witte, "The secession of Katanga was the West's prime weapon in its fight against Lumumba's government." The Belgians were firmly behind Tshombe who was in charge of Katanga. The Belgian were training soldiers in Katanga
#GoodMorningAfrica
Thank you for your overwhelming response to this thread. We'll be giving the last tweets and conclude. We hope that the death of Patrice Lumumba will make us more reflective on the kind of leadership we want on our continent.
Thank you for your overwhelming response to this thread. We'll be giving the last tweets and conclude. We hope that the death of Patrice Lumumba will make us more reflective on the kind of leadership we want on our continent.
Yesterday we looked at bits of Lumumba's speech. Lumumba's speech was interrupted eight times by sustained applause from the Congolese present, with a standing ovation at the end. "Lumumba had spoken in a language the Congolese thought impossible in the presence of a European"
Lumumba was never a communist. The Western press however used this label on him and it was one of the excuses America, Britain and Belgium gave for intervening in Congo. More complicit in Lumumba's death was the United Nations, under Dag Hammarskjöld.
Unfortunately at a time when the narrative of events was largely controlled by the Western media, "the assassination of Lumumba is portrayed as a Congolese affair, a settling of scores 'among Bantus' which had nothing to do with the West." The Belgian press La Libre Belgique said
of Lumumba's death, "What it demonstrates, alas, is that in Africa and in certain countries with the same level of development, access to democracy is still a murderous affair." However, the international players in the death of Lumumba included US President Dwight Eisenhower,
the Belgian Prime Minister Gaston Eyskens, the United Nations under Dag Hammarskjöld, and the involvement of Britain. All these active players behind the scene and in the scene had serious vested interest in Congo.
In the protests that rocked Congo, at this time a sovereign state, Belgium sent its troops in the guise of rescuing Belgians. 800 Belgian paratroopers landed in Congo and attacked Congolese soldiers who had protested against their Belgium officers. With the secession of Katanga
the young country needed help. It turned to the UN. On July 14, the Security Council resolution decided to provide the Congolese with military aid. This in effect meant that Belgium was to withdraw its troops. The UN didn't condemn Belgium for attacking Congo's sovereignty, and
no date was set for the Belgian troops to leave Congo. The Belgian troops eventually left Léopoldville (Kinshasa) but kept operations in Tshombe's Katanga Province which they had strengthened. With Operation United Nations Organisation in Congo (UNOC) operational Hammarskjöld
rejected all bilateral aid from Moscow, Ghana Guinea and other countries to Congo. All aid to the Congo had to go through the United Nations. Congo's Deputy Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga on hearing of this development said, "The people of the Congo do not understand why we, the
victims of aggression, we who are in our own land . . . are systematically and methodically disarmed while the aggressors, the Belgians, who are in our conquered country, still have their arms and all their firepower. . . The UN forces allow Katanga to consolidate secession and
let the Belgians behave as if they were in an occupied country under the smokescreen of a phoney Katanga provincial government that we, the legitimate government of the Congo, have declared illegal."
Hammarskjöld in a report of 6 August stated that according to him Lumumba, who was the legitimate Prime Minister, and Tshombe, who was the leader of a coup supported by the Belgians, both had the same constitutional rights. The UN basically wasn't going to do anything about the
secession. The Western press didn't help matters either by openly siding with Tshombe. This led to Lumumba taking actions against them. In turn, headlines like 'Lumumba Restricts Press Freedom' were published by Belgian newspapers. This tactic is still used today.
In Katanga, Belgian advisers and administrators were building Tshombe's state, including a Katangan Army, something the UN condoned. In fact, the UN entered into an agreement with Katanga. Pierre Davister, a journalist, wrote, "Have we not actually seen the UN secretary-general
agree to enter into official negotiations with an unrecognised state? . . . Lumumba has clearly lost the match."
Tshombe was a puppet for the Belgians and took his orders from them. He was the card they used to get to Lumumba, and the UN was aware of this.
Tshombe was a puppet for the Belgians and took his orders from them. He was the card they used to get to Lumumba, and the UN was aware of this.
South Kasai had equally seceded from Congo. And Hammarskjöld had come to the conclusion that "the UN effort could not continue with Lumumba in office. One or the other would have to go." With the UN abandoning Lumumba, Lumumba turned to the Soviet Union. Belgium had its plans too
The Belgian Prime Minister Gaston Eyskens wrote in his memoir, "On 18 August, I gave Jef Van Bilsen, legal adviser to Kasa Vubu, a confidential task. I led him to understand that Kasa Vubu had to kick Lumumba out." In the meantime leaflets scattered around Léopoldville read, "For
Lumumba thousands of diamonds, for our women millions of years." Another leaflet read, "Congolese, Lumumba will sell your women to Russia." These leaflets were obviously Belgian instigated. All these activities were concurrently done with the Belgian intelligence services.
The aim was to overthrow Lumumba. President Youlou of Congo Brazaville supported the Belgians actions. De Witte quoted Consul Duprey who said, "the time has come to give Youlou & other members of his circle some important honourary decorations. The pretext: aid given to refugees
The effect: a considerable reinforcement of our collaboration in Congolese matters."
Kasa Vubu made a deal with the UN and the Belgian authorities. Radio stations had been shut, airports were on lockdown and Lumumba was on the brink of losing his army. Lumumba eventually was placed under house arrest, with Mobutu and Kasa Vubu taking over government.
US ambassador Timberlake is quoted as saying, "Lumumba's physical isolation would mean his political death."
Lumumba was only safe as long as he was in his house. The goal was to make him politically inactive.
Lumumba was only safe as long as he was in his house. The goal was to make him politically inactive.
As of 1957, the extraction of cobalt from Katanga represented 75% of the world's production. Katanga was Belgium's treasure house. And the money made from the minerals in Katanga was used to fuel the secession.
Mobutu's coup d'etat of 14 September 1960 was not enough for the Belgians. They wanted to do away with Lumumba. President Eisenhower had given the CIA a go ahead to deal with Lumumba. On January 17, 1961 Lumumba was assassinated in Katanga with two of his closest associates.
The United Nations supported Western powers against Lumumba's government. At a time, Lumumba was the world's most famous prisoner. Tshombe forced him to eat his speech which he'd given on independence day. Lumumba's assassination was a colonial reconquest according to Gizenga.
In the words of Jean-Paul Satre, he described Lumumba as "a meteor in the African firmament." For us on the continent, Lumumba forever remains an inspiration.
The End!
The End!
