congo Flashcards
mnc
cobgolese national movement
led by patrice lumumba
only nationalist moment w members from all provinces
difference of opinion on constitutional issues
lumumba- strong national gov
joseph kasavubu- president- federation based on ethnicity
moise tshombe- loose federation of states
moise tshombe
leader of mineral rich katanga (copper)
broke away
supported by belgian mining companies (neo-colonialism)
how did Belgium maintain economic control of Congo
○ Manipulating UN
○ Mercenaries
○ Still controlled and worked through mining groups in the Congo
○ Threats, bribes, open political pressure
lumumba goal and issue
national government
Aimed at complete independence for Congo, complete control over resources – to use to enhance living conditions of the Congolese
■ Lumumba wanted to democratise all institutions
■ Goal = gradual Africanisation and development (Pan Africanist)
■ Hoped to achieve a strong, centralised state
Issue
Congolese preferred to support ethnic leaders
rather than a national leader (issue created and encouraged by Belgians)
■ Thus Lumumba did not have much support in Congo or internationally
mpr
popular movement of the revolution
under joseph mobutu
1 party state which seized power in november 1965
nam
non-aligned movement
lumumba’s assasinaton
january 1961
Eisenhower approved CIA strategy to assassinate Lumumba - failed
killed by firing squad under Tshombe’s orders (US & Belgium bank-rolled rivals)
murdered w CIA and Belgian complicity
UN offered little help
martyr
kleptocracy
corruption where leader makes himself wealthy at expense of citizens. Involves expropriation of wealth + diversion of public resources for personal gain (money syphoned)
nepotism
appointment of friends and family (inner circle)
congo under mobutu
ruled as dictator of one party state
corruption, kleptocracy, poor economic planning, cult of personality
and nepotism.
severe economic collapse
autocratic government where resistance and opposition was met with brutality and suppression.
The levels of looting and of government corruption had increased. Most of Mobutu’s economic
and political policies had proved to be failures.
overthrown in civil war in 1997
Authenticitè/ Zairisation
mobutu’s ideology
mobuto nationalises Congo - name change to Zaire
nationalism gave mobutu + associates ownership of foreign owned businesses ( bankruptcy)
mining,oil + agriculture flourishes, foreign firms created employment, some taxes did reach ppl but economy ultimately collapsed
greetings no lobger in french
citoyen
coats + ties banned- replaced by abakos
places renamed (Leopoldville- Kinshasa, Congo river Zaire river)
Solongo- community duty of citizens to clean roads on saturdays
mobutu wears skin toque, staff,chinese abakos (expensive but anyways)
mental liberation - Congolese pride + nationalism but takes freedom
establishes + solidifies mobutus power
cost lots of money
political issues post colonialism
Once the Belgians left, the local people had very little experience of running a country
❏ The country was huge, had a large population and poor infrastructure (no trade ➤ no movement of products ➤ no movement of ideas)
❏ It contained many different ethnic groups with different allegiances and languages
❏ There was in-fighting between the various factions
❏ Great inequality amongst the people
❏ There were no checks and balances set up to protect the infant democracy established by Lumumba
which resulted in the dictatorship of Mobutu
❏ Zaire was ruled as a one-party state and dictatorship for 32 years (political stability bcus of army + secret service)
❏ Mobutu created a regime of terror and there was no freedom of speech
❏ The dependence on western countries for aid and weapons threatened the country’s ability to charter its own course
Corruption was rife and remains
❏ Western businesses in the Congo were also so powerful that they threatened the country’s sovereignty
❏ The conflict in Rwanda spilt over into the Congo
❏ Human rights were not protected, especially women’s rights
❏ Lack of government transparency
economy under mobutu
production,consumption + distribution of goods badly managed
country unable to sustain its own people (resources not being used to benefit the country)
blood diamonds ( miners don’t get money- profits go overseas, over dependence on mining - economy vulnerable to fall in commodity prices )
foreign aid + loans wasted in corruption
zaire developed large national debt
underdeveloped infrastructure stalled economic growth
overprinting of money led to runaway inflation
poor working condition
people have little buying power (contribution to economy)
decrease in trade
economic collapse
butttt
foreign firms created some employment
social issues of zaire under mobutu
poverty
urban communities suffered from overcrowding, crime, lack if sanitation + clean water
civil war led to death + displacement of many
malnutrition, starvation
HIV/AIDS, cholera,malaria,typhoid
exploitation in mining
sexual violence
gender inequality
homosexual people prosecuted
certain ethnic groups victimised + targeted
lack of progress in education
