Independent Africa: The Congo (Grade 12) Flashcards
Under which country and for how long was the Congo a colony?
The Congo was colonised by Belgium from 1878-1959
and was one of the wealthiest colonies in Africa
What were the features of Belgian colonial rule?
Belgium practised paternalist colonialism.
- exploited for its resources (rubber in particular
- high taxes
- forced labour
- limited secondary education (nothing higher)
- Nearly 10 million died under King
Leopold’s Rule (1885 – 1908)
How did colonialism affect the Congo politically and socially?
- No political opportunities for Africans (Belgian administrators treated Africans as children)
- No representation at the central government level
- No political parties allowed
- small educated elite
- 30 university graduates out of a population of 14 million
How did colonialism affect the Congo economically?
- an economy based on raw resources (cotton rubber, copper, tin, diamonds)
- Belgian mining companies and plantations
- Profits taken to Belgium, not Congo
- workers abused, exploited, and underpaid
- local industries began to be established only after WW2
- one of the richest colonies, but only for the colonisers
How did Belgium feel about African Nationalism?
Belgium was determined to hold onto the Congo:
- attempted to contain nationalist ideas
- political parties still banned
- no independent African newspapers allowed
Name the two important nationalist movements that formed in the Congo and their leaders
- Joseph Kasavubu – Alliance des Ba-Kongo
(ABAKO) - Patrice Lumumba – Mouvement National
Congolais (MNC)
Explain the Leopoldville riots and what resulted from them
- 1959
- demonstrators destroyed govt
buildings and churches in anger of unemployment, discrimination and
overcrowding in the Congo - Belgium decided to grant
independence immediately, allowing for its first democratic elections - (hoping to maintain control
because of the inexperience of
politicians)
Explain the difficulties of the 1960s elections
- Around 120 parties registered between May 1959 and May 1960, almost all of which were formed around 1 of the Congo’s 200 ethnic groups
- The divisions along ethnic lines made the Congo vulnerable to power
struggles
When did the Congo gain political independence?
30 June 1960
What did the Congo’s independence look like right after the elections?
- Belgium kept control of the economy and military
- MNC won most seats but the polls were very close
- Patrice Lumumba was named Prime Minister. (Wanted a strong central government)
- Joseph Kasavubu was named President. (Wanted a loose federation with regional autonomy)
What two problems faced the country right after it became independent?
- Congolese Army (The
Force Publique) mutiny
against their Belgian
officers, attacking Belgian civilians and their property
- Lumumba replaced all Belgian officers with Congolese ones - The secession of Kasai (backed by the USSR) and Katanga (declared independent territory)
How and why did Katanga break away from the Congo? What did this lead to?
- Leader Moise Tshombe wanted to take advantage of the Katanga province’s mineral richness (especially in Uranium)
- Katanga was backed by Belgian mining companies who sent troops and weapons
- This was justified by the protection of Belgian nationals and colonial rule/control
- Civil war broke out between the succeeding states and the rest of the Congo
In what way did Lumumba try to find support to quell the foreign support of Katanga and Kasai?
Lumumba appealed to the UN (United Nations) for help to restore order by re-uniting the country and removing the Belgian troops
Was the UN effective in helping Lumumba restore order in the Congo?
No.
- UN peacekeepers refused to help put down the Katangan rebellion.
The UN was not willing to use force against them
Who did Lumumba appeal to for help after the UN failed him?
The USSR
What did inviting the Soviet Union into the Congo in a bid to restore order result in?
- The USSR sent Soviet technitians and aid to help put down the (Belgian supported) Katangan rebellion
- The US and other western powers took notice as cold war tensions rose around the Congo
- The Congo became a zone of Cold War rivalry
How did the US respond to Soviet involvement in the Congo?
- President Eisenhower furious
that the USSR attempted to establish a power base in Africa - CIA become involved and were authorised to ‘eliminate’ Lumumba
- Tshombe of Katanga and Belgian authorities support the CIA’s plan
How did the government of the Congo break down after the US and USSR’s involvement in the civil war?
- President Kasavuba deposed Lumumba from his role as prime minister and placed him under house arrest
- Lumumba, upset at this, announces his dismissle of Kasavuba’s presidency
- Confusion and Chaos spread in the Congo as nobody is sure of who’s in-charge
Who declared a coup d’ état of the Congo as the government collapsed in and how did he carry it out? When? (First coup)
Joseph Mobutu (head of the Congolese army) declared a military coup of the Congo in June 1960
- Expelled the Soviets and arrested Lumumba, with the support of the US
- Sets up a Congolese Govt with Kasavubu as president again
When was Patrice Lumumba murdered?
17 january 1961
How was Patrice Lumumba assassinated?
- Mobutu, Tshombe, CIA, and Belgian agents all involved
- Lumumba was imprisoned by Mobutu for 2
months and then handed over to Tshombe
and Belgian officers before being executed by firing squad
How was Lumumba’s memory held in the eyes of the people?
- Patrice Lumumba became a martyr for communists and African nationalists
- Became a symbol of opposition to foreign
intervention - Lumumba was a much loved figure because:
- Support for a truly national government
- Open criticism of Belgian colonialism
- Support for pan-Africanism
What did Mobutu do after Lumumba’s assassination? (4 years later)
- 1965
- Mobutu seized power, establishing a one-party state
- The party in question:
the Popular Movement of
the Revolution (Mouvement Populaire
de la Revolution – MPR) - Mobutu managed to re-integrate the breakaway provinces of Katai and Katanga
- Changed the name of the Congo to Zaire in 1971
Why did Mobutu receive substantial support from the US?
- Seen as an ally against the USSR (Mobutu was the one who sent them away from the country)
- The mineral wealth of Zaire was attractive to the US (copper, cobalt,
industrial diamonds)
What did Joseph Mobutu change his name to?
Joseph Mobutu -> Mobutu Sese Seko
What was the nature of Mobutu’s rule over the Congo/Zaire?
- Corrupt and dictatorial
- focused on increasing his profits and power
- the army and police acted as his personal bodyguards and crushed any political opposition (torture, cruelty, public hangings)
- the constant switching of ministers (in order to avoid political rivals from emerging) led to a poorly governed country
What were Mobutu’s economic policies?
- 1970s
- Copper formed 40% of export earnings
- Mobutu used profits from Copper mining to start a 10-year industrialization program:
- Inga hydroelectric dam was the biggest project
- Steel mill built in Kinshasa
- A power line that stretched across the Congo commissioned
What about Mobutu’s economic policies changed as Zairianisation began?
- Mobutu nationalized 2000 foreign-owned companies (essentially rinsing them of all profit for himself)
- Establishes a kleptocracy
Explain what a kleptocracy is
- When corrupt leaders use political power to steal the wealth of the land & people
they govern. Then rewarding family and friends with state land and resources, industries, facilities, sectors of the economy etc. - Economy plundered – nepotism, corruption, mismanagement
What were the details of Zaire’s economic crisis?
- Civil servants went unpaid
- Soldiers set up roadblocks and extort money from civilians
- Hospital staff sell medicines
- All infrastructure begins to collapse into chaos
- Everyone becomes entangled in the web of corruption
All in Zaire suffer as a consequence
- Zaire goes bankrupt, turning to massive borrowing and aid deals to avoid total collapse
(More under the influence of the West)
(Neo-colonialism established in Zaire)
Explain Authenticité
Cultural and Political Shift:
- Mobutu encouraged the adoption of “Authenticité” measures, which included renaming the country from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Zaire, and promoting the use of Indigenous names, customs, and traditions
- encourage national pride: “An increased awareness of indigenous African beliefs and practices”
What was Zairianisation’s impact on foreign relations?
- The policy alienated Western allies, particularly the U.S. and European countries, that had significant investments in the Congo.
- Mobutu sought to assert independence from foreign powers
- Zairianization strained the economy, leading to reliance on foreign aid and loans, despite the nationalistic rhetoric.
How did Zairianisation impact education in the country?
- focus on primary education in French
- the system favoured the urban elite
- replaced free schooling with paid schooling
What plans were involved in implementing Mobutu’s vision of Zaire?
Authenticité - increased awareness of indigenous African beliefs and practises
Zairianization - nationalisation of foreign owned small businesses
Mobutuism- Zaire’s official state policy. Personality cult
