PROFILES OF COURAGE:

Patrice Lumumba

With Civil unrest between Government forces and Tutsi Rebels dominating the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the thought suddenly came to me to write about another little known hero. Patrice Lumumba.

Born in what was then known as the Belgian Congo in 1925, the African nationalist Leader would rise to become the country’s First Prime Minister in 1960.

Raised as part of a small Congolese Batetela tribe, Lumumba would rise as a young writer and poet in Kinshasa.

In 1955 Patrice Lumumba made his first foray into the political world, as Regional President of a Congolese Trade Union, and as a member of the Belgian Liberal Party.

It is here that it should be noted that many of Lumumba’s allegiances were contrary to the tribal, religious, and economic groups that formed the Majority in the Congo. Because of this he would face hostility and treachery from those groups for the remainder of his life.

In 1956, Patrice Lumumba would be set up and imprisoned for embezzlement. He would serve 12 months in prison. This would only spur Lumumba on to further action going forward.

In 1958, he would form the first nationwide Congolese political party-Congolese National Movement. After meeting with other African Nationalists, Lumumba’s political stance would start to lean more toward Militancy.

Around this same time, the Belgian government began a program to install a “puppet Government” under the guise of “Independence.” The Congo’s nationalists announced a boycott of the elections, and were immediately attacked by the Belgian police force. On October 30^th 1959, 30 people died and Lumumba was imprisoned for the charge of inciting a riot.

The MNC opted to instead enter the elections, and went on to win 90% of the vote. In lieu of discussions for political change, Patrice Lumumba was released from prison and all parties agreed to a June 1960 date for Congolese independence.

Unhappy with Patrice Lumumba as the Prime Minister of the new government, the province of Katanga-led by Lumumba’s rival Moise Tshombe- made a move to secede from the Congo. This was done with the assistance of the Belgian government. There was also a short-lived military revolt.

Unable to get assistance from the U.N., he sought the aid of Russia and neighboring Independent African Nations. This move alarmed the Western Powers, who preferred to support President Kasavubu’s more moderate governing stance.

In September of 1960, Lumumba was dismissed from his role as Prime Minster of The Congo. As the two sides fought for control of the country, Congolese Army Leader Joseph Mobutu would step in and seize power. Mobutu would later form an alliance with President Kasavubu, and the pair would receive recognition as the official government from the U.N. by October 1960.

During this time, Lumumba received protection in Kinshasa (Leopoldville,) but sought to travel to Stanleyville. With the assistance of the C.I.A., Mobutu would succeed in capturing Lumumba and would imprison him for the next three months.

Aware that Lumumba was still a threat to the new government, in spite of being in prison, Lumumba was sent to his death on January 17^th 1961. he was murdered, along with two of his contemporaries, by the secessionist Katanga Regime. Patrice Lumumba’s execution would lead to major international scandal. Ultimately, it was Lumumba’s defiant stance for a “unified Congo”-not separated by tribal territories-that would lead to his assassination. Many in the West feared the rise of any radical African nation as the Cold War era. A radical Congo was also considered a threat to the racist regime in South Africa.

Over the next four decades, the Democratic Republic of The Congo would be financially raped by the administration of President Mobutu and the nation would incur a huge debt to the World bank.

In 2002, documents would be made public that not only revealed the role of the Belgian Government and the C.I.A. in Lumumba’s assassination. Fearing the rise of an “African Fidel Castro,” Patrice Lumumba and his aides were tortured for up to three days before being murdered.

-Magnetic-

Links for additional info on Patrice Lumumba:

http://www.africawithin.com/lumumba/murder_of_lumumba.htm

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=JisyDDP6Ji8C&dq=patrice+lumumba&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=NyNV2XG5ZN&sig=FmW70MdFMmYbKzym2vYeDbXj7lo&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result#PPP1,M1

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/doubleissue/mysteries/patrice.htm

http://www.notablebiographies.com/Lo-Ma/Lumumba-Patrice.html

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