Congo & Zaire
(2 examples of independence)
Congo independence
→1960 Belgium ceded independence to Congo
- Belgium colonisers had been brutal and left no political structures in place
→120 political parties all viled in election and none won outright majority
→MNC (national movement of the congo) under Lumumba won the most seats
→he became prime minister and formed a coalition government with his rival Kasavubu
→Issue:
- Lumumba wanted a centralised government under a unified Congo
- Kasavubu wanted a federation where each state had autonomy
MNC under Lumumba:
→Positive neutralism: friendly and cooperative with all other countries
→Wants to nationalise all resources e.g. gold, diamonds, copper
→After Lumumba announced plan of a united Congo:
- Army mutinied because they did not want top leaders to be Belgian officers
- Two provinces broke away claiming their own independence (Katanga- rich in copper
and Kasai- rich in diamonds)
→Belgium had mining interests in Katanga and 100 000 Belgians still lived there
→Almost half of Congo’s income came from Katanga
→Belgium sent soldiers there to defend their property
→Lumumba appealed to the UN to restore order and unite the country
→The UN did nothing and Lumumba accused them of aiding Western powers and turned to
USSR for support
→When Soviet technicians, agents, vehicles and soldiers arrived the West became alarmed
Lumumba arrested:
→Army’s chief Mobutu got backing from USA and Belgium
→Lumumba was arrested, he was no longer prime minister and was killed
Lumumba dies:
→Lumumba was killed because the Western powers could not breakdown the congo with him in
power, they created the lie that Lumumba was a communist
→Next 5 years there was general chaos in the Congo under Kasavubu - the struggle for power
between political groups continued = ethnic violence
→province of Katanga was forced to rejoin Congo in 1963
(2 examples of independence)
Congo independence
→1960 Belgium ceded independence to Congo
- Belgium colonisers had been brutal and left no political structures in place
→120 political parties all viled in election and none won outright majority
→MNC (national movement of the congo) under Lumumba won the most seats
→he became prime minister and formed a coalition government with his rival Kasavubu
→Issue:
- Lumumba wanted a centralised government under a unified Congo
- Kasavubu wanted a federation where each state had autonomy
MNC under Lumumba:
→Positive neutralism: friendly and cooperative with all other countries
→Wants to nationalise all resources e.g. gold, diamonds, copper
→After Lumumba announced plan of a united Congo:
- Army mutinied because they did not want top leaders to be Belgian officers
- Two provinces broke away claiming their own independence (Katanga- rich in copper
and Kasai- rich in diamonds)
→Belgium had mining interests in Katanga and 100 000 Belgians still lived there
→Almost half of Congo’s income came from Katanga
→Belgium sent soldiers there to defend their property
→Lumumba appealed to the UN to restore order and unite the country
→The UN did nothing and Lumumba accused them of aiding Western powers and turned to
USSR for support
→When Soviet technicians, agents, vehicles and soldiers arrived the West became alarmed
Lumumba arrested:
→Army’s chief Mobutu got backing from USA and Belgium
→Lumumba was arrested, he was no longer prime minister and was killed
Lumumba dies:
→Lumumba was killed because the Western powers could not breakdown the congo with him in
power, they created the lie that Lumumba was a communist
→Next 5 years there was general chaos in the Congo under Kasavubu - the struggle for power
between political groups continued = ethnic violence
→province of Katanga was forced to rejoin Congo in 1963
