Who was Patrice Lumumba?
Patrice Lumumba, born in 1925 in the Belgian Congo, worked as a postal clerk and brewery sales manager and was jailed for embezzlement before turning to politics. In 1958 he helped found the Congolese National Movement, the first national party. It won the May 1960 election, and he became prime minister at independence on 30 June 1960 under President Joseph Kasavubu. After Katanga seceded, he sought Soviet help. Kasavubu dismissed him on 5 September, Colonel Mobutu's army took control, and Lumumba was arrested. He was flown to Katanga and killed in January 1961.
Political views
- Turned toward Pan-Africanism and Congolese nationalism while in prison in 1955, and favored a unitary form of government.Source: sahistory.org.za
- Founded a movement that aimed to overcome tribal divisions and build one national identity in an independent, secular state.Source: biografiasyvidas.com
- In his independence speech he condemned forced labor, unequal laws and segregation under Belgian rule and asked for social justice and fair pay.Source: marxists.org
- Asked Congolese people to set aside tribal divisions and urged fair treatment of foreign residents.Source: marxists.org
- Declared positive neutralism, rejecting imported ideologies from both the West and the Soviet bloc.Source: ebsco.com
- Turned to the Soviet Union after the UN refused to act against Katanga's secession, and used Soviet troops and supplies, which drew criticism.Source: ebsco.com
Legacy
Many Africans honor Lumumba as a martyr of anti-colonial struggle who gave voice to Congolese dignity and a united Congo. His independence speech is still widely quoted. Critics argue that he was inexperienced and that turning to Soviet help pulled the Congo deeper into the Cold War and alarmed Western governments. Kasavubu's dismissal of him was legally dubious. He was seized by Mobutu's forces and handed to the Katanga secessionists, who murdered him. Belgian and CIA involvement has long been suspected. His death left the new state in turmoil.