Introduction
Ethnic
sub-nationalism bedeviled Zaire later the Democratic Republic of Congo
in the first three years after independence to the extent of arousing a
separatist or secessionist movement in the province of Katanga (later
Shaba). Katanga's secession was a more complex affair, however, than
the desire of some ethnic groups (or rather, their leaders) to carve
out a new state and ignore a border drawn up by Europeans when they
scrambled for Africa two or three generations earlier.
The Congo became independent on 30 June I960 with Kasavubu as President
and Lumumba as Prime Minister. Six days later, on 5 July, the Force
Publique mutinied in protest at its Belgian commander Janssens, who
declared his opposition to Africanization and demoted an African
non-commissioned officer. At that time the Force had not a single
African officer. The African soldiers mutinied against their Belgian
officers, though, in the mutiny some European civilians were also
killed. Belgium therefore flew in troops to protect Belgian lives and
property, with the Lumumba government's permission.
Then on 11 July the Belgian navy bombarded the port of Matadi as a
retaliation. On the same day Moise Tshombe, the provincial Premier of
Katanga, declared the province's 'independence', with the backing of
the local Belgian administrators and garrisons. Lumumba ended the
mutiny by promising rapid Africanization of the Force Publique and
sacking Janssens. But the Prime Minister could not cope alone with the
aftermath of the events of 11 July. The shelling of Matadi led to
revenge attacks on white people throughout the country, which in turn
provoked massive
'further Belgian military intervention - an illegal intervention which Lumumba was not consulted about.
'further Belgian military intervention - an illegal intervention which Lumumba was not consulted about.
The second Belgian intervention led to Belgian military occupation of
large areas of the country and strengthened the position of the
secessionists in Katanga. Lumumba and Kasabuvu agreed to call in the
United Nations to maintain law and order until the Force Publique could
be reorganized and disciplined, to assist in training civil servants,
to replace the invading Belgians and to end the secession of Katanga.
UN intervention was Lumumba's alternative to imperial peace. Africa was
as yet not equipped ' or ready to assert a Pax Africana over itself.
The rest of Africa was soon to approve of this move for the time being.
Better a collective police action by the world body than a return to
imperial pacification.
The first UN troops arrived in the Congo on 15 July. Tunisian troops were followed at intervals by Ghanaian and then Ethiopian, Indian, Irish and Swedish troops.
The first UN troops arrived in the Congo on 15 July. Tunisian troops were followed at intervals by Ghanaian and then Ethiopian, Indian, Irish and Swedish troops.
The key to Katangan secession was the Belgian presence, in the form of
troops and the financial influence of the huge mining combine, Union
Miniere, Tshombe's CONAKAT party and his regime, lacking widespread
local support, was dependent entirely on Belgian arms, men and money.
The Elisabethville (later Lubumbashi) correspondent of the (London)
Daily Telegraph newspaper summed up the position in his report
published on 27 July: "The outline of Belgium's emergency policy for
Katanga is now discernible. It is to protect the great financial stake
here and hold a political bridgehead in the hope of a Congolese union
amenable to Belgium and the West.'
National Movements and New States in Africa