The Congo in the Cold War

Background…

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 30th 1960, giving only 6 months notice

Congo was not ready to govern itself, no doctors, lawyers, military…

Crisis

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

UN Problems:

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

UN Response

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

Soviet Interest

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

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

Crisis Intensifies 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

Lumumba Mudered

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

UN Authorizes Force

Feb 21st 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

End to the Crisis

UN authorizes force to crush Katanga rebellion, 1962 ONUC has control and Congo is reunified

1964 UN forces leave the Congo…

The Weird Twist…

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