Patrice Lumumba.pptx showing Lumuba's life and timeline.

Independent Africa. The Congo. Patrice Lumumba powerpoint.

1. PATRICE EMERY LUMUMBA

2. Personal Life He was born in the tiny village of Onalua in Kasi Province in the Congo in 1925. He went to a protestant primary school, a Catholic missionary school and finally the government post office training school. He was part of an educated elite that emerged in the 1940s and they called themselves “evolues’’ (educated middle class). He was married 3 times and had 4 children, one with his second wife and three with his third wife. He did have relationships with other women, and we know of at least one another child that he had. His wives were not educated.

3. National Congolese Movement In 1958, he founded the MNC (Mouvement Nationale Congolais). The MNC embraced members from all tribes and provinces.

4. Pan-Africanism Lumumba attended the Pan-Africanist Conference in Accra, Ghana in 1958. This shaped his long term objectives. He was an African Nationalist. He believed that people of African descent have common interests and should be unified. Lumumba holds a special place in African history. He is regarded as a hero and is often referred to as ‘best son of Africa’, ‘the Lincoln of the Congo’, and ‘The Black Messiah’.

5. Lumumba’s vision for the Congo He aimed at achieving complete independence, including having control over the resources so that they could be used to enhance the living conditions of the Congolese people. He stood for social justice. He believed that all institutions need to be democratised. His goal was gradual Africanization and development. He championed the ideal of Pan Africanism . He wanted a united Congo with a strong central government.

6. Support for Lumumba

7. z Map of the Congo showing the different regions.

8. Analysis of his leadership POSITIVES He was involved in the anti-colonial struggles. He was the only leader with the idea of national unity. He could have held the Congo together and prevented foreign nations from exploiting the resources. He was bold and decisive. He was courageous in the face of torture and adversity. NEGATIVES He made some errors of judgement e.g. His speech on Independence Day slated the Belgians. In turning to the USSR for assistance, he gave the West the impression that he was pro-communist.

9. z The Congo became independent in 1960.

10. Elections In the elections held in 1960, Lumumba’s Party, the MNC attained 33 seats, while the Abako Party under Joseph Kasavubu won 17 seats. Since no party received more than 25% of the popular vote, the Belgian government arranged a coalition between Lumumba and Kasavubu to form a government. The Congo was a multi-party state. Lumumba governed with the assistance of the Belgian civil service and Belgian-led army. The MNC accepted the appointment of Kasavubu as President. Lumumba was the Prime Minister. At the Independence day celebrations, King Badouin of Belguim gave the opening address. He praised King Leopold II and said that the Belgians had made many sacrifices for the Congo. Lumumba was angry and pointed out the wrongs of Belgian colonization and promised that the Congo would be a shining example for the whole of Africa now that they had their independence and could work in freedom.

11. z Lumumba quote

12. Mutiny in the army After independence a mutiny occurred in the army. Congolese soldiers of the army mutinied as they no longer wanted to be exploited by their Belgian officers. The rioters demanded the immediate Africanization of the army. At first, Lumumba pleaded with them to obey some of the legitimate commands of the Belgians, however the mutineers threatened to intensify their protest and this led Lumumba to dismiss 1100 Belgian officers.

13. Mutiny continued The Belgian positions were filled by inexperienced officers and Lumumba appointed his private secretary, Mobutu, as Chief of the Armed Forces. Violence spread and Belgian nationals fled. By Belgium trying to retain power over the army by maintaining leadership of the army, they had made a mockery of Congolese Independence and this had led to the mutiny.

14. The secession of Katanga and Kasai Separatist groups in Katanga and Kasai declared the independence of their provinces. The separatists in Katanga were led by Tshombe who was supported by a Belgian mining company that owned and administered Katanga’s rich mines. Belgian troops flew in to protect their economic interests. The Congo was in a critical situation. The army developed into a dangerous mob, the white population fled, government authority collapsed and the Katanga recession was tearing the country apart.

15. z The rogues of the Congo

16. z A cartoon showing the Katanga secession

17. Result of Katanga secession Lumumba broke off all ties with Belgium. He appealed to the United Nations for assistance. He toured African states requesting assistance. Only Ghana responded. The UN passed a resolution demanding that Belgium should withdraw, and the Secretary General of the UN, Dag Hammarskjold, flew into the Congo.

18. Lumumba turned to the USSR for help. Lumumba turned to the USSR for help. They provided the Congo with food, military equipment and military advisers. Acceptance of the Soviet assistance angered the USA and resulted in the Congo becoming an extension of the Cold War conflict. The US found Lumumba threatening and they obviously wanted a leader who would not challenge their interests in the Congo.

19. The role of the USA Mobutu was handpicked by the US and in September 1960, he declared himself as the temporary head of state. Eisenhower approved of a CIA strategy to assassinate Lumumba by using poison to be placed in his food or toothpaste. This plan was aborted because they could not get close enough to Lumumba.

20. The end of Lumumba Lumumba was deposed by Mobutu on 14 September 1960 after serving as Prime Minister for 67 days. Once Mobutu became leader, Lumumba feared for his life. He continued to live in Leopoldville at the Prime Minister’s residence, where he was guarded by an inner group of UN troops. However, Lumumba escaped to try to join his supporters in Stanleyville, but he was arrested and handed over to Mobutu’s army.

21. End of Lumumba continued Thereafter, he was placed in a military prison and Kasavubu asked him to join the government again, but he refused and then Kasavubu decided that he ought to be sent to Elizabethville, the capital of Katanga, where his rival, Tshombe, was in charge. After being flown to Elizabethville, he was never seen again.

22. Lumumba was executed by firing squad. Lumumba was dragged around by his hair and tortured in front of cameras. Dag Hammerskold called for an immediate international investigation of the crime. He died later under dubious circumstances in a plane crash. “Belgium bears the greatest responsibility in Lumumba’s murder. The had the leadership of the whole operation from his transfer to Katanga, to his execution and the disappearance of his body.” Ludo de Witte (an historian) It was only a week after independence that Belgian officials decided to eliminate Lumumba.

23. z Letter to his wife

24. Timeline

25. z Visuals to interpret. Visual 1

26. z Visual 2

27. z Visual 3

28. Credits: Content from New Generation History for Grade 12 by Pillay, Sikakhane and West.