Patrice Lumumba a true African martyr

Mr. Patrice Lumumba would be remembered for his role during the independence struggle of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), born into the family of Mr. François Tolenga Otetshima, in the Katakokombe region of the Kasai province of the Belgian Congo on the 1st of July 1925. The Lumumba’s were Catholics just like most Congolese who were converted into the new religion of the white man.

The young Patrice went to a Protestant primary school, a Catholic missionary school, and finally the government post office training school where he passed the one-year course with distinction.

He had a brief work life, working at Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) and Stanleyville (now Kisangani) as a postal clerk and as a travelling beer salesman.

Lumumba’s odyssey in politics started in 1956 when he was imprisoned for embezzlement. Spending a year in prison, he was able to write a book -Le Congo, Terre d' Avenir-setting out his views on colonial rule. With the news of Ghana independence in 1957 political activities in DRC was awakened.

In December of 1958 he travelled to Accra where he attended the All- African Peoples conference; on his return he joined a group of other young Congolese- évolués as they were called back then; they formed the Movement National Congolais (MNC).  The MNC just like Kwame Nkrumah’s CPP gained the support of the people on a national basis along the line of Nationalism.

Political and economic autonomy of the DRC lead to the riots of January 1959 which came as a shook to the Government in Brussel. To help restore calm, the Belgian government announced political reforms.

 By November 1959, fifty-three political groups were officially registered; a few month later the number had increased to 120.  Almost every party sprang from tribal origin except a few like the Movement National Congolais (MNC) that was nationalistic in nature.

The Belgian government afraid of being drawn into the Algerian type of war, invited leaders of thirteen political party to Brussels in January 1960 to discuss the terms and timetable for independence. The Belgian negotiators had been hoping for an agreement which would lead to a phase transfer of power over a period of about four years, but they were faced by a united Congo front that was demanding for immediate elections and independence on 1 June 1960.

Elections took place by May 1960 of 137 seats Lumumba’s (MNC) won 33 seats, the largest number of seats won by a single political party. In collaboration with its political allies, MNC could count on 41 seats in the parliament. The colonialist were unduly reluctant to allow Lumumba form a government, but turned to the opposition who did not have up to the required number of seats in the parliament. However, when MNC managed to obtain majority seats in the Chamber of Deputies-64 out of 137 seats- they were obliged to form a government headed by Lumumba.

Few days after independence, disaster struck leading to civil disobedience.  In desperation, Lumumba appealed to the United Nation (UN) for help. A resolution, was passed at the UN and foreign troops mostly from African countries were sent to DRC. But Lumumba wanted the UN troops to expel the Belgian troops who had taken over part of the DRC at the start of the civil disobedience because of the death of many Europeans.

Lumumba in known for his volatile nature, on 16^th  July 1960 he  issued an ultimatum to the UN to send away the Belgian troops from the Congo or he will invite the Soviet Union to intervene. This single act angered the President of the United States of America (USA), Eisenhower.

President Eisenhower fearing the possibility of another Cuba on the 22 July 1960 ordered the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to eliminate Lumumba by any means possible.

On the 14 September 1960 with help of the CIA, Lumumba’s government was over thrown in a Coup and the 29 year old Army chief of staff Colonel Mobutu took over.

Mr. Lumumba was arrested on 1^{st December} 1960 in Kasai province, half way to Stanleyville his political stronghold. According to an eye witness account when Lumumba was brought to Mobutu’s residence, Mobutu scrutinized Lumumba with a malicious air, spat in his face, then said to him, “Well! You swore to have my skin, now it is I who have yours”.

During the early morning of 17^th January 1961 Lumumba was flown to Elisabethville and handed over to his political enemies.

At about 10 p.m., Lumumba was led away by three Belgian Military police men to an unknown place where a grave has already been dug. Lumumba in fears asked “are you going to kill me”. The answer was yes from the Belgian.  From an eye witness account Lumumba was quoted as saying “If I die, tant pis, Congo need martyrs”.

He was executed by firing squad by a Belgian officer and buried in an unmarked grave.

Lumumba would be remembered for his fight for independence and telling King Baudouin of Belgium in a speech during independence that “We are no longer your monkey”.

After 41 years, the Belgian government expressed its profound and sincere regrets and its apologies for Belgium’s role in the assassination of Patrice Lumumba. The Foreign Minister told parliament that a $3.25 million fund in Mr. Lumumba’s name had been created to promote democracy in Congo where the slain leader’s son leads an opposition party.

The CIA denies responsibility in the assassination.

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