Freedom fighter and nationalist
leader Patrice Lumumba was assassinated by imperialist forces 50 years ago Jan.
17. Along with Lumumba, the post-independence aspirations of the Congolese
people for a unified, economically independent Congo were also crushed, although
his example continues to inspire revolutionaries around the world.
The region now known as the Congo
was a Belgian colony called the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908, and the
Belgian Congo from 1908 to 1960. Independence in 1960 was followed by civil war
and an intervention by the United Nations to bring peace—a story all too
familiar to us in 2011.
In the midst of this grave crisis,
a great leader emerged from the struggle for liberation. His name was Patrice
Lumumba. The Belgians expected mild mannered obedience from their colonial subjects.
However, after being elected Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba gave a fiery
speech confronting the Belgian colonialists directly, sending shockwaves
throughout the imperialist camp.
Expressing the pride of a nation
finally liberated from oppression, Lumumba said, “We are proud of this
struggle, of tears, of fire, and of blood, to the depths of our being, for it
was a noble and just struggle, and indispensable to put an end to the
humiliating slavery which was imposed upon us by force.”
The fearlessness of Lumumba in
confronting the enemies of the people head-on and articulating an alternative
vision captured the imaginations of scores of the newly independent Congolese.
When other leaders buckled under intense pressure, Lumumba was bold and
decisive. It was these leadership qualities in addition to his insistence on
unconditional self-determination that made him the target of a Western-led
assassination plot.
Although some of the details are
still murky, we know that the United States played a role in the volatile atmosphere
that led to the murder of Lumumba. We also know that the Central Intelligence
Agency had planned to neutralize the Congolese leader.
After Lumumba’s death, the Congo
quickly disintegrated into competing regional and ethnic factions. A
Western-backed dictator and former confidant of Lumumba’s, Mobutu Sese Seko
assumed the mantle of absolute ruler in a military coup and held onto it for
decades until he himself was overthrown in an insurrection years later.
In his life, Lumumba was a soldier
in the cause of unity and social progress. He developed his leadership and
organizational skills as a trade unionist, educator and writer. In the midst of
a world revolution against colonialism, Lumumba became increasingly involved in
the anti-colonial struggles of his own country.
Lumumba was compelled by the
global political environment to create a radical nationalist party which
promoted national unity and economic sovereignty. He was also deeply influenced
by pan-Africanist ideals and attended the All-African People’s Conference in
Accra, Ghana, hosted by revolutionary leader, Kwame Nkrumah.
The assassination of Lumumba
created a crisis that the Congo has not yet overcome. In the absence of his
leadership, imperialists were able to take advantage of internal divisions and
their close relations with Mobutu to steal resource wealth and build a staging
base for counterrevolution in Central Africa. The Congo is now a neo-colonial
state serving the exclusive interests of multinational corporations and
financial institutions.
Meanwhile, millions of Congolese
people have died in conflicts over land and resources. Instead of the vision
Lumumba once represented, the Congolese have turned toward ethno-nationalist or
millenarian religious movements to defend their families and survive. Civil
wars and brutal upsurges for ethnic or religious “purity” have replaced the
national and popular anti-colonial movements that once inspired progressives
and revolutionaries worldwide.
On the 50th anniversary of Patrice
Lumumba’s assassination, we must remember the principles and exemplary
leadership model he provided for contemporary struggles in the Congo and Africa
in general. The parallels between the moment of crisis in the early 60’s and
now are inescapable.
To resolve the current leadership
crisis, new visionaries and organizations must emerge from popular
working-class movements rejecting neo-colonialism and offering a transcendent
vision of economic sovereignty and national unity. There are already efforts
throughout Africa to unite the working class and inspire a new generation of
leaders to challenge comprador elites and unite people across regional and
ethnic differences.
We honor our martyrs in the cause
of liberation best when new cadres join the struggle against imperialism. Long
live the legacy of Patrice Lumumba! The torch he and other freedom fighters lit
will never be extinguished!
