The Belgian policy of paternalism. By this, Congolese were taken as primitive people.

The desire to continue exploiting Congo. Congo had rich soils minerals such as gold, diamonds and copper.

The Church and State alliance. For long, the Church, State and business men made an unholy trinity (alliance) to exploit Congo.

Inferior education. It is true that Belgians set up the biggest number of schools in colonial Africa. Unfortunately, the highest level of education one would attain was Primary five. At independence, Congo had only 16 graduates.

Restricted movements. No Congolese was expected to move out of Congo. Such movements would expose them to ideas of nationalism, liberalism and socialism.

Censorship of the press. To seal the Congolese from nationalistic ideas, the Belgians banned the reading of newspapers and magazines that had started circulating in Congo from West Africa.

Figure 89: FIELD MARSHALL MOBUTU SESEKO, his clear observation of Lumumba in MNC enabled him to rise to power.

The Colonial developments such as roads, schools and hospitals made Africans think that the white men were beneficial.

The Belgian divide and rule policy. Aware that unity would facilitate nationalism in Congo, the Belgians encouraged the growth of tribal feelings, suspicions and fears.

Lack of a national language. For fear that a national language would promote nationalistic feelings, the Belgians encouraged French for the evolues (elites) and local languages for the masses.

The training of puppets. When the forces of nationalism started awakening, the Belgians got the intelligent Congolese and gave them a number of privileges so as to blind their nationalistic vision

Lack of pressure from the super powers and UNO. Both the UNO and super powers regarded Belgium as an insignificant country.

The ban on political parties and trade Unions.

The influence of Multi national companies. In Congo, there existed exploitative companies of American, British and French origin.

Conflicts between the elites led to delayed nationalism in Congo e.g the radical Lumumba conflicted with Kalondji and this split the MNC party in two.