History of Central Africa






History of Katanga



When Belgian Congo was released into independence in 1960, the mineral-rich (copper) southeastern province of KATANGA seceded, declaring it's independence. The province of SOUTH KASAI also seceded. The government in Kinshasa did not recognize Katangan independence, and fighting broke out. No foreign government recognized Katangan independence, in accordasnce to the OAU's principle of the inviolability of African state borders.
UN secretary general DAG HAMMARSKJOELD died in an accident while trying to mediate. UN peacekeepers were dispatched. In 1962, after extended negotiation, Katangan premier MOISE TSHOMBE gave in, and in January 1963 Katanga was reintegrated into the Republic of Congo.
Under President Mobutu Sese Seko, Katanga was renamed SHABA in 1971; when Mobutu was toppled in 1997, the old name Katanga was reintroduced.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		Katanga : Kongo's secessionist nightmare, from OTN Congo Glossary
Katanga, from Columbia Encyclopedia, from Infoplease
Zaire: IRIN Briefing Part V: Shaba, 3/19/97, from Integrated Regional Information Network (UN), on insurrection in Katanga 1960-1964, 1977/78, 1984-85
DOCUMENTS U Thant : the Congo Problem, 1962, from Modern History Sourcebook
Flag of Katanga, from FOTW
Katangan banknotes, from ATS World Paper Money Catalogue; The Banknotes of Katanga, by P.J. Symes, Book Review, with illustrations
Map of Katanga/Congo, from Congo Pages
Image from Bilddatenbank, Weltchronik.de : Moise Tschombe, President of Katanga, c. 1962
Katanga Coin, from Joel's Coins, a commercial site
Banknotes of Katanga, from Currency Museum
REFERENCE



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on November 6th 2004

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