Photo of Patrice Émery Lumumba
(July 2, 1925– Jan 17, 1961)
Patrice Émery Lumumba (aka Patrice Hemery Lumumba) was born July 2, 1925 inward Onalua, Katakokombe, Kasai Province inward what is at i time the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One of 4 sons, Lumumba was a fellow member of the Tetela tribal group. His teaching included missionary schoolhouse training. After completing his education, he passed the postal clerk examination too began to go inward Kinshasa (then Léopoldville). In 1951, Lumumba married Pauline Opangu too they would become on to bring 5 children: François, Patrice Junior, Julienne, Roland too Guy-Patrice Lumumba.
Photo of a youthful Patrice Lumumba inward the Belgian-Congo
By 1955, Lumumba began to acquire into political life. He became a regional leader for the Cercles of Stanleyville too joined the Liberal Party of Kingdom of Belgium where he served every bit editor too distributor of information. While traveling inward Kingdom of Belgium that same year, Lumumba was arrested past times the colonial authorities constabulary too charged amongst embezzling postal service role funds. In July 1956, Lumumba was released after serving 12 months of a two-year sentence.
By 1958, Lumumba had re-entered political life too began to organize for Mouvement National Congolais (MNC). In Dec 1958, he represented the MNC every bit president at the All-African Peoples' Conference held inward Accra, Ghana, hosted past times Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah.
Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba too the Congo-Brazzaville
By Oct 1959, Lumumba was i time to a greater extent than arrested past times the Belgian colonial authorities on charges of inciting anti-colonial riots inward Stanleyville. He was sentenced to 6 months inward prison theater for his anti-colonial activism. While Lumumba was inward prison, the MNC participated every bit a political political party inward the Belgian-Congo elections held inward Dec of 1959. Lumumba was released earlier the MNC won the May 1960 election.
Lumumba, historic menses 34 years old, was announced every bit the Belgian Congo's starting fourth dimension prime number minister. Joseph Kasa-Vubu was named president. On June 30, 1960, the country’s novel leadership declared independence from the Belgian colonial rule. In an Independence Day ceremony for the newly named Republic of the Congo, King Baudouin spoke first, urging the Congolese to rest nether the leadership of Belgium. Lumumba responded, inward part, inward his vocalism communication every bit follows:
"For this independence of the Congo, fifty-fifty every bit it is celebrated today amongst Belgium, a friendly dry soil amongst whom nosotros bargain every bit equal to equal, no Congolese worthy of the parent volition e'er last able to forget that it was past times fighting that it has been won, a day-to-day fight, an ardent too idealistic fight, a struggle inward which nosotros were spared neither privation nor suffering, too for which nosotros gave our strength too our blood. We are proud of this struggle, of tears, of fire, too of blood, to the depths of our being, for it was a noble too simply struggle, too indispensable to seat an destination to the humiliating slavery which was imposed upon us past times force."
Unrest inward the New Republic
Photo of Patrice Lumumba
Lumumba's vocalism communication became a media sensation inward the West. Dissent inside the Blue Planet forces arose shortly after reports arose nigh military machine unrest, looting too European flight. By July 11, 1960, Moïse Tshombe declared himself the regional premier of the Katanga province. Tshombe was supported past times the Belgian authorities too European mining firms amongst involvement inward rubber, copper too other minerals.
United Nations troops arrived, but did non movement to suppress the Katanga rebellion. Lumumba shortly sought Soviet military machine aid. President Kasa-Vubu, however, wanted a to a greater extent than moderate political approach too sought to withdraw Lumumba every bit prime number minister. Lumumba declared the presidential deed illegal too sought senate too parliament activity to declare President Kasa-Vubu‘s removal. The dry soil was torn over the Kasa-Vubu too Lumumba political divide.
Joseph Mobutu’s Rise to Power too the Murder of Lumumba
Photo: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 immature Joseph Désiré Mobutu rolls upwardly his sleeves
during a vocalism communication inward Dec 1965 inward Leopoldville, Congo
On September 14, 1960, Lieutenant General Joseph Désiré Mobutu (later known every bit Mobutu Sese Seko) organized a coup inward the divided nation. Lumumba was placed nether menage arrest, but he shortly stole away to Stanleyville, organizing amidst his Haut-Congo supporters. On Dec 1, 1960, Lumumba was captured inward Port Francqui past times Mobutu’s troops too flown to Kinshasa (then Leopoldville).
The Soviet Union demanded Lumumba's liberate too called upon the U.N. Security Council to act. U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld called for due procedure of law; on Dec 14, 1960, however, inward an 8-2 vote, the Soviet Union's resolution was defeated. Lumumba was transferred to the Katanga Province nether Mobutu‘s leadership.
On Jan 17, 1961, Lumumba was restrained too flown to Lubumbashi (then Elizabethville). That same day, Patrice Lumumba, Maurice Mpolo too Joseph Okito were reportedly lined earlier a firing squad, according to Belgian reports. No due procedure was afforded those executed. While diverse accounts are reported, the truthful nature too facilitators of his murder bring never been definitively explained too brought to justice. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Foreign Affairs report indicates the coup was financed past times the U.S. government's CIA agency, whose extensive covert efforts influenced the political affairs of the region.
Photo of Congo leader Mobutu Sese Seko conversing amongst U.S. President Richard Nixon
In February 2002, the Belgian authorities released an official apology to the Congolese people. In a m page report, the authorities admitted to failure of a "moral responsibility" too "an irrefutable percentage of responsibleness inward the events that led to the croak of Lumumba."
Lumumba’s Murder Leads to International Protests inward Europe
After Patrice Lumumba's assassination, protestors clashed amongst Belgian embassies too local constabulary inward Belgrade, Yugoslavia too at Trafalgar Square inward London, UK. Prior to Lumumba's imprisonment, he had arranged for his wife, Pauline, too their children to movement to Egypt.
“We must movement forward, hitting out tirelessly against imperialism," said Che Guevara inward 1964, reflecting on the life of Lumumba. "From all over the globe nosotros bring to larn lessons which events afford. Lumumba’s murder should last a lesson for all of us.”
That same year, Malcolm X declared Patrice Lumumba "the greatest Black homo who e'er walked the African continent."
African Freedom Fighter too Pan Africanist
The heroism of Patrice Lumumba is embraced every bit a symbol of African independence efforts. In the 2006 election, a divulge of the running parties affiliated themselves amongst Lumumba's political philosophy. This includes the Unified Lumumbist Party (Parti Lumumbiste Unifié (PALU)), Mouvement Lumumbiste (MLP) too Mouvement National Congolais-Lumumba (MNC-L). The MNC-L is Pb past times Lumumba's eldest son, François Lumumba, who obtained a doctorate inward political economic science inward Republic of Hungary earlier returning to the Congo-Kinshasa inward 1992 to oppose Mobutu Sese Seko‘s dominion of the country, too therefore known every bit Zaire.
In Kampala, Uganda, "Lumumba Hall" of Residence at Makerere University continues to comport the parent of Patrice Lumumba.
Did You Know? The diverse formal official dry soil names
for the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Congo Free State (État indépendant du Congo): 1885 to 1908. Belgian King Leopold II claimed personal ownership over the land
- Belgian Congo (Congo Belge): 1908 - 1960. King Leopold II's formal transfer of holding ownership to the province of Belgium
- Republic of the Congo or Congo-Léopoldville: 1960 - 1964. Distinguish from its western vecino inward the Republic of the Congo, formerly French Congo
- Republic of the Congo or Congo-Kinshasa (1964-1971)
- Zaire (Zaïre): 1971-1997
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: 1997 to Present
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