Belgian Congo
1939-1960 		History of Central Africa Zaire
1971-1997






Congo Independent, 1960-1971



To distinguish former Belgian Congo, now independent, from former French Congo, now independent, the respective countries were referred to as CONGO LEOPOLDVILLE and CONGO BRAZZAVILLE.

When the Congo declared independence in 1960, JEAN KASAVUBU assumed the presidency, PATRICE LUMUMBA was appointed prime minister. KATANGA seceded immediately; the army was in mutiny and Belgian nationals found themselves attacked by a mob. Immediately, the evacuation of the country's white population was organized. The United Nations sent security forces to protect the community of foreign nationals.
In 1960, President Kasavubu dismissed Prime Minister Lumumba who refused to accept that and declared President Kasavubu deposed instead. Ten days later Col. JOSEPH MOBUTU staged a coup d'etat; President Kasavubu was deposed, PM Lumumba arrested and later murdered in jail.
The country meanwhile was split in 4 regions controlled by different strongmen. After Col. Mobutu had returned to the barracks and Jean Kasavubu resumed the presidency, UN forces disarmed the various groups. The secession of Katanga was ended by negotiation and the unity of the Congo restored. In 1964, the UN forces were withdrawn.
In 1964 new rebellions occurred, and in 1965 Col. Mobutu staged a second coup d'etat. This time, Kasavubu retired for good; PM Moise Tshombe fled the country and Mobutu himself claimed the presidency, which he would hold on to until 1997. An anti-Mobutu-coup in 1966 and rebellions in 1966 and 1967 were unsuccessful. In 1966, many cities change names : Leopoldville to KINSHASA, Stanleyville to KISANGANI, Elizabethville to LUBUMBASHI.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		Library of Congress, Country Studies : Zaire
from Democratic Republic of Congo, History of, from Infoplease
From the Democratic Republic of Congo Homepage : History of the DRC : The Rupture between Lumumba and Kasavubu, Adoula Government (1961-1964); The Tchombe Government (!964-1965); The Kimba Government and Political Crises 1965; The Mobutu Government since 1965
Patrice Lumumba, Biography of, from Infoplease
Jean Kasavubu, Biography of, from Infoplease
The Lumumba Page, by Gebregeorgis Yohannes, documents, links. biased
Links to the History of Zaire/Congo, from Looksmart
The Brazilian Air Force in Congo, 1960-1964, from Forca Aerea Brasileira
Canberras in the Congo, from Indian Air Dorce
Congo 1960-1964. The assassination of Patrice Lumumba, from William Blum, Killing Hope, posted by Third World Traveller
CASCON Case CON : Congo (Katanga) 1960-1963, by L.P. Bloomfield, L. Moulton
DOCUMENTS Margaret Park, Leopoldville 1960, personal account of the evacuation of whites
Presentation Speech of the Nobel Peace Prize for 1961, awarded to Dag Hammarskjoeld, by Gunnar Jahn, from Nobel e-Museum, detailed on the Congo situation
Flags from 1960-1963 and 1963-1971, from FOTW
Image from Bilddatenbank, Weltchronik.de : Patrice Lumumba
La ceremonie officielle de declaration d'independance du Congo se deroule le jeudi 30 juin 1960, a 11 heures, au Palais de la Nation. Une journee marquee par les discours du Roi Baudouin, du President Kasavubu et l'intervention inattendue du Premier Ministre Lumumba... , from RTBF, Text of Radio Programme covering the Ceremony; in French
REFERENCE Article Congo, Republic of the, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1961 pp.187-190, on events of 1960 [G]
Article Congo, Republic of the, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1962 pp.177-179, on events of 1961 [G]
Article Congo, Republic of the, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1963 pp.289-290, on events of 1962 [G]
Article Congo, Republic of the, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1964 pp.277-278, on events of 1963 [G]
Article Congo, Democratic Republic of the, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1965 pp.263-264, on events of 1964 [G]
Article Congo, Democratic Republic of the, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1966 pp.209-210, on events of 1965 [G]
Article Congo, Democratic Republic of the, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1967 pp.232-233, on events of 1966 [G]
Article Congo, Democratic Republic of the, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1968 pp.232-234, on events of 1967 [G]
Article Congo, Democratic Republic of the, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1969 pp.223-224, on events of 1968 [G]
Article Congo, Democratic Republic of the, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1970 pp.228-229, on events of 1969 [G]
Article Congo, Democratic Republic of the, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1971 p.215, on events of 1970 [G]
Article : Congo, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1970-1971 pp.828-832 (data of 1969-1970) [G]
Article : Congo, Republic of the, in : Americana Annual 1961 pp.178-182 (on events of 1960) [G]
Article : Congo, Republic of the, in : Americana Annual 1962 pp.180-185 (on events of 1961) [G]
Article : Congo, Republic of the, in : Americana Annual 1963 pp.175-178 (on events of 1962) [G]
Article : Congo, Republic of the, in : Americana Annual 1964 pp.175-178 (on events of 1963) [G]
Article : Congo Leopoldville, in : Americana Annual 1965 pp.188-191 (on events of 1964) [G]
Article : Congo, D.R., in : Americana Annual 1967 pp.205-206 (on events of 1966) [G]
Article : Congo, D.R., in : Americana Annual 1968 pp.31, 194-196 (on events of 1967) [G]
Article : Congo, D.R., in : Americana Annual 1969 pp.207-208 (on events of 1968) [G]
Article : Congo, D.R., in : Americana Annual 1970 pp.212-213 (on events of 1969) [G]
Article : Congo, D.R., in : Americana Annual 1971 p.221 (on events of 1970) [G]
Article : Congo, D.R., in : Americana Annual 1972 pp.208-210 (on events of 1971) [G]
History of the Congo, pp.15-16; the Congo pp.144-153, in : Year Book and Guide to East Africa 1963 [G]
VIDEOS Lumumba, La Mort du Prophete, English subtitles, 1992, 69 min.



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on May 1st 2008

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