2.  African States fought colonial domination in 1960’s  Nationalist movements were poor and needed Superpower help bringing them into the Cold War  The Congo was a colony of Belgium. Belgium and left on June 30 th 1960, giving only 6 months notice  Congo was not ready to govern itself, no doctors, lawyers, military…

3.  When Belgium left the National Army of the Congo (ANC) mutinied. Prime Minister Lumumba and President Kasavubu asked the UN for help  Belgium sent troops to protect its people from the rampaging ANC  Tshombe declares Katanga’s independence from the Congo. Katanga was a rich provice. Lumumba believes Britain and France put Toshombe up to it for control over the minerals

5.  Needed to get the Belgium forces out & restore order  Needed to send troops because the Congolese government was not in control, but the UN needed to remain out of local politics because their purpose was to restore peace  Needed to prevent USA and USSR from getting involved

6.  ONUC (Un troops) is set up to kick out Belgium troops who were reluctant to leave w/Congo unstable & disarm the AN  Belgium encouraged Katanga’s independence, UN did not want to attack because that would go beyond role of peacekeepers

7.  Lumumba feels betrayed by UN calls them a tool of the imperialists and becomes more anti-Western…Soviets become interested  Kasavubu fires Lumumba…then Lumumba fires Kasavubu…no real government  UN representative Andrew Cordier tried to control the chaos by closing down air fields and radio stations…but it weakens Lumumba and strengthens his enemies

8. Soviet Reaction:  Sept. 1960 Soviets Accuses UN of working against third world revolutions, and the Secretary General of the UN has too much power  Khrushchev says SG should be abolished because “There are neutral nations but no neutral men”  Wants a “Troika” council represented by Western, Communist and Afro-Asian countries…no one else agrees

9.  Mid. September ANC leader Mobutu announced an army coup & expels communist diplomats  Mobutu and Kasavubu make an alliance, Lumumba goes to the UN for protection  Nov. 1960 UN accepts delegation from M/K recognizing their regime over Lumumba’s  Lumumba feels betrayed, leaves UN protection, is captured by ANC, handed over to Tshombe

10.  Toshombe and Belgian officials decide to kill Lumumba. He is shot by a tree, hacked to pieces and burned.  They try to cover it up but do a very bad job of it

11.  Feb 21 st 1961 ONUC authorized to use force to prevent full scale civil war  Katanga is now the focus, Tshombe’s regime was stable and prosperous due to European backing and ignores UN attempts at reunification

12.  UN authorizes force to crush Katanga rebellion, 1962 ONUC has control and Congo is reunified  1964 UN forces leave the Congo…

13.  Mobutu kicks Kasavubu out and elects Tshombe as Prime Minister  Mobutu has all the power and controls the Congo for over 30 years  He has one of the most corrupt regimes in the world  He uses the murder of Lumumba to unite the people…yet he knew of it and did not stop it