DOCUMENT SECTION THE SECESSION OF KATANGA, 1960 – 63

WHAT WE WILL COVER IN THIS SECTION: Why Katanga broke away (seceded) from the Congo. The efforts made by Lumumba and the Congolese government to end secession. The reasons why Katanga was able to resist. The role of the United Nations in the secession of Katanga. The influence of the Cold War on the secession. The impact of the secession of Katanga. The role of Joseph Mobutu during and after the secession.

COLONIALISM COLONIAL RULE is when one country rules over another country. DECOLONISATION is the process by which countries (colonies) become independent of a colonial power. The Congo in Africa was a colony of Belgium.

How and why did Belgium give independence to the Congo? Belgium ruled the Congo since the 19 th century. Belgium exploited the natural resources of the Congo – copper, diamonds and uranium. The Belgians did not give the Congolese any rights because they didn’t want their rule to be challenged. A nationalist movement grew in the 1950s. One of its leaders was Patrice Lumumba. There was widespread trouble in 1959,especially in the capital city Leopoldville. Belgium was forced to negotiate with Congolese leaders at the Round Table Conference in Brussels. Belgium wanted a gradual transfer of power but gave into the Congolese demands for immediate independence. Congo got its independence as the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 30 th June 1960.

CONGO & KATANGA – KEY FACTS CongoSize: 2.3 million sq. kms (about ¼ size of the United States) Capital: Léopoldville (Kinshasa) KatangaSize: 0.5 million sq. kms Capital: Elizabethville (Lumbumbashi) Direct distance from Léopoldville to Elizabethville: 1,000 miles/1,500 kms approx.

What difficulties did the Congo face after independence? The Congolese President was Joseph Kasavuba and the Prime Minister was Patrice Lumumba. Elections showed how divided the country was, with many political parties gaining support in different tribal areas. In the province of Katanga Moise Tshombe’s CONAKAT party won. The government was headed by Lumumba with the support of 12 different parties. There was a rebellion in the Congolese army as native soldiers rebelled against their white Belgian officers and attacked white civilians. The Belgian government flew in troops to protect white civilians. Lumumba declared that Belgium was at war with the Congo. Shortly after this, the province of Katanga rebelled and MoiseTshombe declared its independence on 11 th July 1960.

Why did Katanga secede (break away) from the Congo? On 11 th July, Moise Tshombe announced that Katanga was seceding from the Republic of Congo, which was led by President Kasavubu and Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. Spread of independenc e in many African countries Tshombe feared the rule of Lumumba as he was seen as a communist and feared they would become like Cuba Tshombe and Katanga were in a strong financial position to resist Congo The Belgian government and mining company encouraged Katanga independence Tshombe wanted federal government with greater freedom for Katanga but Lumumba wanted central government

Why did Katanga secede (break away) from the Congo? Katanga was influenced by the spread of independence in many African countries. Most British colonies in Africa got their independence between 1957 and 1964, especially after Macmillan’s ‘wind of change’ speech. French colonies also had a choice of becoming independent after de Gaulle’s speech in Brazzaville in As far Katanga could gain its independence from the Congo.

Why did Katanga secede (break away) from the Congo? Initially, Tshombe and his CONAKAT party favoured a federal government structure in the Congo. Katanga had been developed differently under Belgian rule; it was populated by the Lunda tribe, and it was distant from Léopoldville. Tshombe put forward these ideas in the negotiations for independence at the Round Table Conference in Brussels. He believed that this would give more power to the provinces, including Katanga. But Tshombe and other parties did not succeed. Instead, Lumumba wanted a strong central government and this is what was established.

Why did Katanga secede (break away) from the Congo? Tshombe was encouraged to make katanga independent by the Belgian government and the Belgian mining company, Union Minière. Katanga was rich in minerals such as copper, diamonds, cobalt and tin. Their production was controlled by Union Minière, which made very large profits. Belgium also benefited through increased trade. Both the country and the company wanted to protect their investments there. They feared the spread of the chaos caused by the mutiny of soldiers of the Congolese army. Consequently, the Congolese army was expelled by local units helped by Belgian troops.

Why did Katanga secede (break away) from the Congo? Tshombe and Katanga also feared the rule of Lumumba. He was regarded as a socialist and a communist and some feared he would establish another Cuba. This could lead to the government takeover of the rich mines in Katanga. Katanga would lose all the taxes it got from mining and the company would lose its profits. Lumumba was not strong enough to prevent the secession. His army had mutinied, Belgian troops came in to restore order and there were no United Nations troops in the country when Katanga seceded. At any rate, UN troops could do nothing since their mandate said they could not interfere in the internal affairs of a country.

Why did Katanga secede (break away) from the Congo? Tshombe and Katanga were in a strong position to resist the Congolese government. They could use taxes from the mining companies to pay for Belgian officers and mercenaries who organised and trained the Katangan gendarmerie. The secession lasted almost two and a half years, until the United Nations forces moved from peacekeeping to peace enforcement and took over Katanga, bringing it back into the Congo.

EXAM QUESTION: ORDINARY LEVEL – 2009, 2008, Why did Katanga seek to break away from the Congo during the early 1960s?

How was Katanga ruled during its secession? Katanga was ruled by its capital, Elizabethville. Tshombe got help from the Belgians to run the province and the mines. The mines paid taxes directly to Tshombe’s government. Belgian officers trained the Katangan army and Tshombe recruited mercenaries to strengthen his army. He was also able to buy supplies and aircraft from Belgium, South Africa and Rhodesia.

What efforts did the Congo make to end the secession of Katanga? When Tshombe declared the secession, Lumumba called on the Belgian army to withdraw, which they refused. Lumumba got support from the non-African countries, which were part of the non-aligned movement, but they could do little. Lumumba’s position was weakened because the Congolese army was controlled by Mobutu, who favoured the United States. Lumumba called on the United Nations for help. They sent in military to Léopoldville for self-defence to establish law and order. They couldn’t get involved with an internal conflict and followed a policy of peacekeeping rather than peace enforcement.

What efforts did the Congo make to end the secession of Katanga? Lumumba asked the Soviet Union for help. He wanted transport planes, trucks and weapon to move against Katanga. By the early 1960s, the Cold War was at its height as tensions grew between the United States and the Soviet Union. Soviet help arrived, which worried Americans because they worried that Congo was ‘a Cuba in the making’. The United States was interested in Congo because of its uranium for nuclear power and cobalt for its space programme, as well as the other mineral wealth. The US planned to kill Lumumba. Belgium was also planning to do this separately.

The influence of the Cold War The Cold War was a period of tension between the United States and the USSR (Soviet Union), which lasted from 1945 – The USSR saw an opportunity of using the Congo to gain influence in central Africa. The United States feared this and wanted to protect the mineral wealth for the West.

Why was the Congo not able to end the secession? The government of the Congo was split between Kasavubu and Lumumba, who were opposed to each other. As well as this the Congolese army was controlled by Mobutu. The country was split between four different power groups, so the government had many problems to deal with: – The central government in Léopoldville – Tshombe’s government in Katanga – Supporters of Lumumba in Stanleyville – The Province of Kasai The country was very large. Katanga was able to buy military equipment and it had the support of Belgium and other countries.

ASSASSINATION: What happened to Lumumba? President Kasavubu dismissed Lumumba, who had the backing of parliament. Mobutu intervened and led an army takeover. He ordered Soviet personnel out of the Congo. Lumumba left Léopoldville for Stanleyville, which was the centre of his support. He was captured by Mobutu’s troops and handed over to Tshombe’s forces in Katanga. After being beaten ad tortured, Lumumba and two colleagues were shot in the countryside. The firing squads were led be a Belgian officer. The decision to execute him was taken by Tshombe, who was present, with the support of Belgium (January 1961). The news of lumumba’s death was kept quiet for three weeks.

What was the impact of Lumumba’s death on the secession of Katanga? When the news of Lumumba’s death was announced, many people around the world were shocked and Katanga lost support. – Loss of strong support for Katangan independence. – Loss of Soviet influence (he was a supporter of USSR) – US role was strengthened (they were opposed to Katanga) – The US wanted influence in Africa and many African states supported Africa. – The US influenced the United Nations to become more aggressive towards Katanga; resolutions were passed to use force.