Patrice lumumba book pdf Continue Patrice Lumumba was the leader of the struggle for independence in the modern Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the country's first democratically elected Prime Minister. After the rapid rise of the colonial civil service and the African political elite, he became a major figure in the decolonization movement of the 1950s. Lumumba's short tenure as Prime Minister (1960- 1961) was marked by the uncompromising protection of Congolese national interests from pressure from international mining companies and Western governments that orchestrated his eventual demise. Geopolitical manoeuvres during the Cold War and the well-coordinated efforts of Lumumba's internal adversaries culminated in his assassination at the age of thirty-five with the support, or at least tacit complicity of the U.S. and Belgian governments, the CIA and the UN Secretariat. Even decades after Lumumba's death, his personal honesty and unwavering commitment to the ideals of self-determination, self-reliance and pan-African solidarity guarantee him a prominent place among the heroes of the African independence movement of the twentieth century and the global African diaspora. George Nsongola-Ntalaji's short and concise book provides a contemporary analysis of Lumumba's life and work, looking at both his strengths and weaknesses as a political leader. It also examines the national, continental and international context of Lumumba's political rise and its rapid elimination because of interests threatened by his ideas and practical reforms. Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo and a pioneer of African unity, was assassinated on 17 January 1961. Democratically elected to lead the National Congolese Party, which he founded in 1958, Lumumba was at the center of growing popular disobedience to the colonial domination imposed by Belgium. When independence was finally won in June 1960, his unscheduled speech at official ceremonies in Kinshasa received a standing ovation and made him a hero to millions of people. Always a threat to those who sought to keep a hidden imperialist hand over the country, however, he became for months the victim of an insidious conspiracy and was arrested and then tortured and executed. This book unravels the terrifying mass of lies, hypocrisy and betrayal that have surrounded the accounts of murder since its commission. Using a vast array of official sources, as well as the personal testimony of many of those in Congo at the time, Ludo de Witte reveals a network of complicity ranging from the Belgian government to the CIA. The cooling of official memos detailing the elimination and threats to national interests is analysed alongside grim tales of the destruction of evidence, resulting in Patrice Lumumba's personal strength and his dignified pursuit of African unity dramatically with one of the the highlights of the twentieth-century politics. Lumumba redirects here. For other people and those using the name Lumumba, see Lumumba (disambiguation). 20th Century Congo Prime Minister and leader Patrice Lumumba in 19601st Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo24 June 1960 - September 5, 1960SJosef Casa-WubuDeputiAntuan GisengaProposed CreatedSocefOminsicia Ilauhiner Defense of the Republic of The Congo In office June 24, 1960 - September 5, 1960 Personal DataBornelis Okit'Asombo (now Democratic Republic of Congo) Died 17 January 1961 (age 35) near Lisabwilleme, Katanga (now Lumbabushi, The cause of death Is the cause of death by the shootingPolitical PartyCongolez National Movement Patrice Omeri Lumumba (/lʊˈmʊmbə/; 4 alternative-style Patrice Hemery Lumumba; July 2, 1925 -January 17, 1961) - a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the independent Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Republic of Congo) from June 1960. He played a significant role in transforming Congo from a Belgian colony to an independent republic. Ideologically African nationalist and pan-African, he led the Congolese National Movement (MNC) party from 1958 until his assassination. Shortly after Congo's independence in 1960, an army mutiny erupted, marking the beginning of the Congo crisis. Lumumba appealed to the United States and the United Nations for help in suppressing Belgian-backed Katanga separatists led by Moise Tsombe. Both refused, so Lumumba turned to the Soviet Union for support. This has led to growing divisions with President Joseph Casa-Wubu and Chief of Staff Joseph-Desiree Mobutu, as well as with the United States and Belgium, which opposed the Soviet Union during the Cold War. After his assassination, he was widely regarded as a martyr to the broader pan-African movement. In 2002, Belgium formally apologized for its role in the murder. Early Life and Career Photo of the young Lumumba, c. 1950s Patrice Lumumba was born on July 2, 1925, in Onalua, in the Catacocomb area of The Kasai Province of The Belgian Congo. He was a member of the Tetela ethnic group and was born with the name Alias Okit'Asombo. His original surname means heir to the damned and comes from the words Tetela ocita/okitɔ́ (heir, successor) and asombe (cursed or enchanted people who will die quickly). He had three brothers (Charles Lokolonga, Emil Kalema and Louis Onema Lumumba) and one half brother (Tolenga Jin). Growing up in a Catholic family, he was educated at a Protestant elementary school, a Catholic missionary school, and finally at a public post office training school, where he completed a year-long course with honors. Lumumba spoke in Tetela, French, Lingala, Swahili, and Tshiluba. Outside of his regular research, Lumumba became interested in the ideals of the Enlightenment, in that they were the lian-yuk Rousseau and Voltaire. He also loved Moliere and Victor Hugo. He wrote poetry, and many of his works had an anti-imperialist theme. He worked as a beer salesman in Leopoldville and as a postal clerk at the Stanleyville Post Office for eleven years. In 1951 he married Pauline Ogang. In the post-World War II period, young leaders across Africa have increasingly worked for national goals and independence from colonial powers. In 1955, Lumumba became the regional head of Cercles of Stanleyville and joined the Liberal Party of Belgium. Edited and distributed party literature. After studying in Belgium in 1956, he was arrested on charges of embezzling $2,500.12 from a post office. A year later, he was found guilty and sentenced to twelve months in prison and a fine. In 1958, after the liberation of Lumumba, MNC leader Patrice Lumumba helped establish the National Congolese Party (MNC) on October 5, 1958, and quickly became the organization's leader. MNCs, unlike other Congolese parties developing at the time, did not rely on a specific ethnic base. It promoted a platform that included independence, the gradual Africanization of government, state economic development and neutrality in international affairs. Lumumba was a great popular following, because of his personal charisma, excellent oratory, and ideological sophistication. As a result, he had more political autonomy than his contemporaries, who depended more on Belgian ties. Lumumba was one of the delegates who represented the MNC at the All-African Peoples Conference in Accra, Ghana, in December 1958. At this international conference organized by the President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, Lumumba further strengthened his pan-African beliefs. Nkrumah was personally impressed by Lumumba's intelligence and abilities. At the end of October 1959, Lumumba, as leader of the MNC, was arrested for inciting anti-colonial riots in Stanleyville; Thirty people were killed. He was sentenced to 69 months in prison. The trial began on 18 January 1960, the first day of the Congolese Roundtable in Brussels, to draw up a plan for the future of the Congo. Despite Lumumba's imprisonment, the MNC won a convincing majority in The December Local Elections in Congo. As a result of intense pressure from delegates, frustrated over Lumumba, he was released and allowed to participate in the Brussels conference. Conference. and the election of Prime Minister Lumumba, pictured in Brussels at the 1960 roundtable with other members of the MNC-L conference, the Conference ended on 27 January with the proclamation of Congo's independence. It established 30 June 1960 as the date of independence with national elections to be held from 11 to 25 May 1960. The MNC won a majority of votes in the elections. Six weeks before the date of independence, Walter Hanshof van der Mersch was appointed Minister for Africa of Belgium. He lived in Leopoldville, effectively becoming the de facto Minister of Belgium in the Congo, administering it with Governor-General Hendrik Cornelis. He was accused of advising Baudouin on the choice of a formatist. On June 8, Hanshof flew to Brussels to meet Baudouin. He made three proposals for the formatist: Lumumba as the winner of the election; Casa-Wubu, the only figure with a strong national reputation that has been associated with opposition drillers; or any third person who could unite the competing blocks. Ganshof returned to Congo on June 12. The following day, he appointed Lumumba as a delegate (informant) to examine the possibility of forming a government of national unity composed of politicians with a wide range of views, and as a deadline he was appointed on 16 June. On the same day that Lumumba was appointed, the parliamentary opposition coalition National Cartel was announced. Although Casa-Wubu was in accordance with their beliefs, he remained away from them. MNC-L also had problems securing the loyalty of PSA, CEREA, and BALUBAKAT. Lumumba was initially unable to make contact with members of the cartel. In the end, several leaders were appointed to meet with him, but their positions remained the same. On June 16, Lumumba reported on his difficulties to Ganshof, who extended the term and promised to work out as a mediator between the leader of the MNC and the opposition.