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Summary Independent Africa (Topic 2) notes
Easy to understand notes on Independent Africa ( Topic 2) for history. Made according to the IEB SAGS document.
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Independent AfricaHow Independence was Realised in Africa in
1960s - 1970s
Background
• Bt 1880-1900 – scramble for Africa – most European countries wante
〄 Africans did not rule themselves and were subject to authoritarian European
rul
〄 African economies were exploited to meet the colonial power’s nee
〄 Europeans imposed their language, legal system and values on the African
state and their was no attempt to keep the African tradition
• After WWII(1939 -1945), there was an increase in African Nationalism which led to the
process of decolonisation –UHURU became the rallying cr
• Decolonisation led to the following changes
〄 Colonial power could no longer control the political structure of the colony –new
political leader
〄 Colonial power was no longer responsible for the cost of running the colon
〄 New economic and social institutions were created with the aim of improving the
economic and social well - being of the populatio
The Congo (Zaire)
• Background & Legacy of Colonialism
➤
Congo experienced brutal colonial history (1908-1960)
➤
1955 — Belgian gov announced 30yr programme of emancipation — shows
there reluctance to relinquish control
➤
Economic recession (1950s) ↝ urbanised Congolese became discontent
↝ nationalism emerged
➤
2 political leaders in luential:
: Joseph Kasavubu
= Leader of Bo-Konga tribe
= Hoped to achieve federation w/ strong force of tribalism
: Patrice Lumumba
= Wanted united Congo w/out tribalism
= Representative of urbanised Congolese
= 1958: founded Congolese National movement (1st
nationwide Congolese political party)
1 of 19
e
s
f :
n
y
s
d
d
y
, ➤
When Belgians left →limited infrastructure → not sustainable:
: No trained Congolese to full gov. department
positions (3 : 4872 (C:B) members in cicil service in
1959 , under Belgian rule)
: 1960 (30 yrs of B rule) — only 30 graduates produced
by B gov
: No doctors, engineers, army o icers
: No Congolese secondnary school teachers (35 244
primary - only 1000 adequately trained → emergency
training course saw 12 000, but 13 000 taught w/o
any teacher training)
:
➤
Constant interference from ex-colonial power (Belgium)
• What type of leader was: Patrice Lumumba
• Challenges experienced after independence:
☼ By 1960 — Congo experienced various crises — main reasons for this
was:
◎ +150 ethnic groups & many languages → di icult to govern
◎ Belgian authorities made little attempt to train Congolese for
future gov. = leaders lacked experience to govern country
• Army Mutinies
☼ Few weeks after independence
☼ July 1960 - army mutinied against remaining Belgium o icers that had
led Congolese army
☼ Created panic in Europeans
☼ Belgium responded to crisis: sent Belgian paratroopers to protect
Belgian citizens → considered illegal in Congo bc they just acquired
independence & ought to be free from Belgian rule
• The Katanga secession
☼ Katanga = mineral-rich area declared independent by Moise Tshombe
— supported by Belgian companies whose main aim = take a cut from
pro its of mining companies
= produced copper / 60% of worlds uranium / 80% of
world’s industrial diamonds
= crucial to Congo’s economic growth — w/out Katanga
Congo had potential to become v wealthy African country
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f ff ff ff
,• Lumumba’s vision for the Congo
• Aimed to achieve complete independence & control over Congo’s resources
— use it to enhance Congolese ppl’s living conditions
• Reformer who believed all institutions needed to be democratised
• Goal = gradual Africanisation & development
• Hoped to achieve strong centralised state
• Championed ideal of Pan-Africanism
• Fought for social justice
• What type of leader was: Mobutu Sese Seko
• Politics
➤
Referred to as a president — stated he wain favour of democracy BUT
ruled like a dictator
➤
To maintain irm grip on power he forced out all other political parties
(1970) — paved his way to win a 7 year term election
➤
Hight cost in human rights violations & cruel suppression of his
enemies
➤
5 years after his rise to power he executed 4 of his cabinet members &
crowd of 50 000
➤
Prevented several attempts at being deposed
➤
Used several intelligence agencies — keep him advised abt anyone
expressing dissent/ posing a threat to his regime
• Failures
➤
Became involved in Angolan civil war
➤
Supported losing faction in Angolan war
➤
Hoped to become powerful in luence over African countries → never
happened
➤
Late 1980s — Congolese ppl became angry w/ Mobutu bc:
: Country’s economy = mess
: Most Congolese = w/out food
: No democracy
: Ethnic groups still quarrelled to control
valuable resources
3 of 19
f f
, • African Nationalism
➤
Aim: promote sense of national unity & pride in Zairian identity &
culture
➤
27 Oct 1971 — changed name of “Congo” to “Republic of Zaire”
➤
New name began programme of Zairenation ⇢ steps to lessen
European in luence on their society & economy
➤
Insisted all citizens adopt purely African names — European names of
most cities, towns & regions also changed
➤
Mobutu exerted strong control over Zaire’s economy — took over
many businesses & allowed relatives/ friends to administer them
• Positive aspects:
➤
Promoted sense of national unity & pride
➤
27 Oct 1971: Changed name (Congo) to Republic of Zaire — 1st step to
lessen European in luence on nation’s economy & society
• Negative aspects:
➤
Zaire became involved in Angolan Civil war — supporting losing faction
➤
Lives of ordinary Zairians didn’t improve
➤
His rule = associated w/ mismanagement of funds & corruption
➤
Zaire referred to as kleptocracy (ruled by thieves)
➤
Unseated Lumumba & was instrumental in decision to hand Lumumba
over to Katanaga regime ⇢ led to L’s death
➤
Developed cult of his own personality → “Mobutuism” — Following his
teachings became like religion
• Sese Seko’s Vision
• Came to power after civil war → came to power w/ military back-up
• Recalled Congolese students studying abroad to help w/ running the country
• CIA agents supported Mobutu — insisted USSR & Czechslovak embassies
leave Congo w/in 48hrs
• Strongly anti-communist
• Supported idea of free enterprise
• Encouraged forge in companies’ involvement in economic development in
Zaire
4 of 19
f f
, • Di ering ideologies/ Political issues: Becoming a tool for the Cold War
• Lumumba turned to USSR for assistance — USSR provided:
: Food
: Military equipment
: Military advisors
• Main aim = defeating rivals (Tshombe & Joseph Kasavubu)
• Acceptance of Soviet aid angered USA → Congo crisis becoming extension
of Cold War — pres. Eisenhower approved CIA strategy to assassinate
Lumumba (put poison in toothpaste — failed bc CIA couldn’t Gert close
enough to Lumumba
• USA → saw Lumumba as threat
→ wanted leader who wouldn’t challenge their interests in Congo —
Joseph Mobutu (1960 declared himself as temporary head of state)
• Political Instability - Lumumba
• Mutiny
→ Congolese soldiers no longer wished to be exploited by Belgian o icers ⇢
rioters demanded immediate Africanisation of the army
→ Lumumba pleaded rioters listen to legitimate commands of Belgian o icers
→ mutineers threatened to intensify protest
→ Lumumba dismissed 1 100 Belgian o icers
↘︎ Positions illed by inexperienced o icers
↘︎ Josef Mobutu ( Lumumba’s private secretary)
appointed as Chief of Armed Forces
→ Violence continued to spread
☼ Ppl. Raped
☼ White Congolese treated badly → +/- 25 000 Belgian nationals led
French Congo
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