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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 19th 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 30th
June 1960.
CONGO & KATANGA – KEY
FACTS
Congo
Size: 2.3 million sq. Capital: Léopoldville
kms (about ¼ size of (Kinshasa)
the United States)
Katanga Size: 0.5 million sq. Capital: Elizabethville
kms
(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 11th July 1960.
Why did Katanga secede (break
away) from the Congo?
• On 11th July,
Moise Tshombe
announced that
Katanga was
seceding from
the Republic of
Congo, which
was led by
President
Kasavubu and
Prime Minister
Patrice
Lumumba.
Tshombe
wanted federal
government
with greater
freedom for
Katanga but
Lumumba
wanted central
government
Spread of
independenc
e in many
African
countries
The Belgian
government and
mining company
encouraged Katanga
independence
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
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 1958. 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,
2006.
• 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 – 1990.
• 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.