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Summary History notes on Congo
History notes on Congo
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CONGO/ZAIREIndependence in the Congo followed a course very different from any other African state. Despite
this, it is important to study because of the repercussions the Congo Crises had on the rest of African
and the world.
Colonial history:
The Congo is rich in mineral and other natural resources, as
well as being immensely politically and strategically
important because of its situation in the centre of the
continent. From 1884 it became a personal possession of
King Leopold II of Belgium, under the name Congo Free
State. His rule was one of the most brutal, oppressive, and
exploitative in the colonial period, so much so that the
Belgian government took over the governance of Congo Free
State in 1908.
The Belgian Congo, however, continued to be a brutally
repressive colonial government.
One of the most important resources was rubber, which
grew naturally in the forests of Congo. Local people were
forced to collect rubber, an often dangerous endeavour and were brutally punished if they did not
meet their quotas. Men’s hands were cut off as punishment (sometimes as the “kinder” option than
being executed), and in other cases the women and elderly of a village were kidnapped by the
Belgian rulers and held for a ransom of rubber. Congolese people were viewed and treated as
replaceable tools in the acquisition of wealth. The Belgians systematically stripped their colony of
its natural wealth and actively suppressed any development of the Congolese people. Their rule
was paternalistic. Thus, the legacies of colonialism were particularly onerous for the Congo when it
became independent.
A cartoon commenting on the 1884 Berlin Conference where King Leopold II
officially took control of what is now the DRC.
This conference is often seen as the height of colonisation in Africa.
Agreements made at the conference regulated colonialism and trade A British cartoon criticising Leopold’s rule in
between European nations in Africa. the Congo.
Agreements were reached on the official borders of African colonies.
No Africans were present at the conference.
, At the time of independence, Congo had only 16 university graduates of any kind, no local doctors
or engineers, and there were no African army officers. All critical jobs in the civil service were held
by Belgians rather than Congolese, and the economy was entirely controlled by colonial companies.
Congolese had never been allowed even the smallest role in politics and the nationalist leaders thus
had no experience in government. The population at independence was over 13 million. The size of
the country presented a further leadership challenge as did severe political and ethnic divisions
amongst the populace.
Thus, Congo was extremely vulnerable at the time of independence, and this was exploited by
Belgium and other Western nations who had a vested interest in keeping the newly independent
state weak. Weakness would allow the West to continue exploiting Congo’s resources. Belgium for
many years had refused any negotiation of a handover of power, and made no attempt to prepare
local politicians for the inevitable independence. Instead, they suddenly announced that they would
give Congo independence and rushed the transition, destabilizing the government.
Within a few days of independence, the Congo descended into political crisis, beginning 30 years
(and by many accounts more) of civil and regional war and instability. Congo’s strategic and
economic importance also meant that it became a theatre of the Cold War, further complexifying
politics in the country and heightening polarization.
Thus, the Congo at independence was already doomed to fail:
There were very few professionals or university graduates, minimal infrastructure, the economy
was geared towards primary industries which enriched the colonizer, the new bureaucracy was
untrained, Western capital dominated the economy through ownership of mines and large
industries, there was widespread international interference, and there was no real sense of unity
in Congo, with politics being starkly split along ethnic lines.
Gaining independence:
Until 1960, Belgium had been resolutely against granting independence to its colonies. Although
the Belgian government had discussed decolonization as early as 1956, they saw it as something that
might happen at the least 30 years in the future. The Nationalist struggle in Congo heightened
towards the end of the 1950s. In 1959, after widespread protests and rioting, and Belgium was
forced to negotiate. At roundtable talks in Brussels Congolese political leaders and Belgian
government representatives met to discuss independence.
Belgium suddenly declared that elections for independence would take place in May 1960. Even the
Nationalist movements were taken completely by surprise, and rushed to form parties and
campaign for support. There was almost no time to organize, which led to chaos.
A total of 120 parties took part in the elections, spreading the vote widely and giving rise to
unstable coalitions. Most of these parties were based within a single region, often forming along
ethnic lines, and enjoyed support only within that region. Only the Mouvement National Congolais
(MNC), led by Patrice Lumumba, promoted a single centralized government. The MNC was
supported by popular majority in 4 of Congo’s 6 provinces, the only party to enjoy such widespread
backing. Lumumba himself was in prison at the time of the elections, having been arrested for his
political activities.
The Parti National du Progrès (PNP) was the only other party to enjoy support from more than one
province. Joseph Kasavubu’s Association de Bakongo (ABAKO) had played a significant role in the
Nationalist struggle, although their support in the 1960 election was limited by ethnic ties.
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