The Congo: Belgian Legacy Flashcards
Belgian colonial policy (4)
- Excluded African participation in government
- Denied the Congolese access to high positions in management in commerce
- Deliberately restricted Congolese access to secondary and higher education
- Stifled the creation of a strong sense of nationalism
CW Context
Came at a time of heightened tension during the CW, hence became a proxy conflict
The government under Lumumba
Lumumba was the first Prime Minister with Kasavubu as the president
Head of the MNC party
Multi-party state
Coalition government (little work done)
Used Belgian civil service + army
State of the Nation at Independence (6)
- No trained Congolese could hold positions in government
- 30 graduates produced by the Belgians
- No doctors, engineers or army officers
- No trained high school teachers, 10000/35000 primary school teachers trained enough
- Ethnic rivalry created under Belgian rule
- Belgium interfered with Lumumba’s rule
Challenges faced by Lumumba (3)
Leaders in government didn’t believe in a strong sense of Congolese nationalism and identity + central government.
Kasavubu wanted an ethnically divided federation of states while Tshombe wanted a loose federation
The divisiveness meant that Lumumba didn’t have much support anywhere
Katanga Secession
Separatist lead by Tshombe in the mineral-rich region of Katanga in the south of the Congo.
Supported by the Belgian mining officials who flew in troops and supplies as they believed that Tshombe would let them regain control of the profitable mines
Congolese army was demanding Africaninsation of the army (no Africans rose part a certain rank)
Lumumba asked the UN for help and they told Belgium to withdraw
Lumumba’s response to the Civil War
- Asked the UN for help but they weren’t very useful
- Lumumba turned to the USSR for help as a last resort. He wasn’t a communist but needed their help
- USSR provided them with food, equipment and advisors
- USA saw this as the USSR trying to expand their sphere of influence
