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Democratic Republic of the Congo Zaire Belgian Congo history independence
Belgian Congo: Independence and Chaos (1960-65)
Figure 1.-- After independence (1960) and for several years the Congo was highly unstable. This press photo was taken Seprtember 10, 1964. The caption read, "In the process of recruiting troops in Albertville, a rebel officer introduces a young boy to an automatic gun. Since the rebels took over, Albertville has been without administration and has been in a state of chaos. Most rebel troops are teenagers." Albertville or Albertstad is now called Kalemie. It is a a town on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika in eastern Congo. After the Katanan issue in the south ws resolved, the eastern Congo descended into chaos. Tanzania is on the other side of the Lake. To the north is Rwanda and Burundi.
Belgium set independence for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (June 1960). Belgian authorities, however, had done little to prepare the Conglese people for independence. Authorities proceeded to hold elections in preparation for independence (May 1960). Lumumba's MNC did well in the election, becoming the largest single party, but not a majority party. Kasavubu's Abako gained second place. Neither is able to form a majority coalition. They work out an untenable compromise. Kasavubu becomes president and head of state while Patrice Lumumba becomes prime minister. He forms an unwiedly coalition including a dozen small parties with no shared interests. Tshombe's party also becomes an important force, winning control of the provincial assembly in Katanga. There were virtually no chance that this arrangement would work. It would have required coopertion and deocratic compromise. The Congolese had, however, no experiece with democravy or compromise. The Congo bcame independent (June 30, 1960) as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. immediately problems developed with the Army. We notice the account of a Western boy in Zaire. The soldiers in the new Congolese Army proved difficult to control after independence. A factor here ws that the officers in the were without exception white Belgians . In the Belgian colonial army, Africans could not rise higher than the rank of sergeant-major. The Belgian Government only began to address this in the rush to independence. The first Congolese officer cadets had not yet completed their officer training courses. Prime minister Lumumba attempted to apease the soldiers (early-July 1960). He moved to dismiss the Belgian officers and replace thm with Congolese. The job of issuing new commissions was put in the hands of Minister of Defense Joseph Mobutu. The patronage involved made him a major figure in the developing Congolese Army. The Congolese military, directed by the Belgians and presumably the CIA, fearin g pro-Soviet connections, removed Lumumba from office just a few weeks after independence and shot him.
Belgium set independence for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (June 1960). Belgian authorities, however, had done little to prepare the Conglese people for independence. Authorities proceeded to hold elections the new National Assembly in preparation for independence (May 1960).
National Assembly Elections (May 1960)
Lumumba's MNC did well in the National Assembly election, becoming the largest single party, but not a majority party. Kasavubu's ABAKO gained second place. Neither is able to form a majority coalition. They work out an untenable compromise. The PSA which had played a major role in the independence struggle began to disinigrate. Unlike the NMC and ABAKO, there was no one chaismatic leader. Differences between the leadership and the Party masses became apparent once the unifying goal of independence was achieved. The PSA broke apart over ideology and leadership along largely tribal lines and ceased being a factor in Congo politics.
New Government
Kasavubu becomes president and head of state while Patrice Lumumba becomes prime minister. Lumumba forms an unwiedly coalition including a dozen small parties with no shared interests. Tshombe's party also becomes an important force, winning control of the provincial assembly in Katanga. There were virtually no chance that this arrangement would work. It would have required coopertion and deocratic compromise. The Congolese had, however, no experiece with democracy or compromise.
A growing nationalist movement, the Mouvement National Congolais (MNC), a nationalist movement led by Patrice Lumumba aptured the imagination of many voters, but not a majority. His party emeerged as the largest, but not majority party. Lumumba thus became the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The parliament elected as President Joseph Kasavubu, of the Alliance des Bakongo (ABAKO) party. Other parties that emerged included the Parti Solidaire Africain (PSA) led by Antoine Gizenga, and the Parti National du Peuple (PNP) led by Albert Delvaux and Laurent Mbariko. [CRISP] The Belgian Congo achieved independence (June 30, 1960). Immediately problems developed with the Army. We notice the account of a Western boy in Zaire. Most Congolese believed optimistically that independence would by itself usher in a new era of prosperity and freedom. They believed that a rich future would result with the dearture of the Belgians. This was a common belief throughout the Third World at the onset of de-coloization. The country became the "R�publique du Congo" ("Republic of Congo" or "Republic of the Congo". The neighboring French colony of Middle Congo (Moyen Congo) also chose the name "Republic of Congo" upon achieving its independence creating confusion. The two countries became commonly known as "Congo-L�opoldville" and "Congo-Brazzaville", using the names of their respective capital cities. The concept of civilian control of the military was not an accepted doctrine at independence. Almost immediately after independence the Force Publique mutinied. The province of Katanga (led by Mo�se Tshombe) and South Kasai engaged in secessionist struggles against the new national government (July 11). [Jungle shipwreck"] Most of the 100,000 Europeans who had remained behind after independence soon realized that they had made amistake and fled the country. This m\meant that the Congolese moved to replace the European military and administrative elite faster than had been anticipated. Kasavubu dismissed Lumumba from office (Seprember 5). Lumumba declared Kasavubu's action unconstitutional and Congo faced its first major crisis only a few mobths after independenmce. Forces loyal to Joseph Mobutu removed Lumumba from office (September 14). Mobutu handed him over to Katangan authorities (January 17, 1961). Katangan troops executed him. An investigation by the Belgian Parliament in 2001 found Belgium 'morally responsible' for the murder of Lumumba, and the country has since officially apologised for its role in his death. The situation in Congo with this crisis imediately after led confusion and chaos. A care taker government was led by technicians (the Coll�ge des commissaires g�n�raux). The Katanganist seccesionist were supptessed wiyh help from the United nations (January 1963). Several short-lived governments (Joseph Ileo, Cyrille Adoula, and Moise Tshombe) folowed.
Lumumba had previously appointed Joseph Mobutu chief of staff of the new Congo Army -- the Arm�e Nationale Congolaise (ANC). Mobutu took advantage of the leadership crisis that developed between Kasavubu and Tshombe. Hevused his command position to build loyalty within the army to launch a coup. He received covert financial support from the United States and Belgium. Mobutu gained condiderable support by paying his soldiers privately. This was in the middle of the Cold War and Mobutu seemed a way of preventing a Communist take over. A constitutional referendum the year before Mobutu's coup of 1965 resulted in the country's official name being changed to the "Democratic Republic of the Congo." Mobutu changed the name again, this time to "Republic of Zaire" (1971). [Payanzo]
Amid the chaos. Army head Gen. Joseph-Desir� Mobutu had been biding his time and strengthening the Army and building his control over it. Finally he strikes. He executes a well-planned coup, dismisses Kasavubu, and takes control from the weak government as a new president (October 1965). Thus began a 30-year dictatorship. Mobutu nationalized the Union Mini�re. Mobutu renamed the country 'Zaire'. Mobutu as dictator began using the country�s resources for his own personal agrandizement. He built lavish plasure palaces in every Congo province. Mobutu eliminated opposition using the Army and secret police. He was thus able to win the next election (1970). He cemented his dictarorship (1975). He nationalized much of the economy, barred religious instruction in schools, and decreed the adoption of African names. He changed the country's name to Zaire and his own to Mobuto Sese Seko--which meant 'the all-powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and inflexible will to win, will go from conquest to conquest leaving fire in his wake'. Rebel forces massing in northern Angola calling themselves the Congolese National Liberation Front pushed into Shaba (Katanga), threatened the important mining center of Kolwezi (1977). France and Belgium provided military aid to th Congolese Army, allowing them to defeat the rebels. Mobutu according to a 1984 estimate is said go have amassed $4 billion U.S. dollars in personal Swiss bank accounts. Most of the money cane from Congolese state mining companies. Mobutu ruled until his regime was finally ovrrthrown by Laurent Desire Kabila with the backing of Rwanda and Uganda forces (1997). He died shortly after. He has ammased vast wealth in Swiss bank accounts while the Congo and its people lived in poverty, repression, and chaos.
Sources
CRISP. Congo 1960: Dossiers du CRISP (Belgium).
Payanzo, Ntsomo. "Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)". britannica.com. Encyclop�dia Britannica. (October 9, 2015).
