European powers gave Leopold II personal control of Congo at the Berlin meeting in 1885. He never stepped foot in Congo but ruled it from afar until 1908. Workers who failed to bring enough rubber and ivory had their hands cut off. His harsh rule killed millions of people. Other European countries finally spoke up about the extreme cruelty.
Belgium took Congo away from Leopold because even they thought his methods went beyond normal colonial control. Belgium kept Congo until June 30, 1960, when freedom finally came. The people elected Patrice Lumumba as their first leader. He wanted to break the chains that tied Congo and Africa to Western powers. Lumumba worked with other freedom-loving African leaders like Kwame Nkrumah.
They reached out to Eastern countries for help against Western nations who wanted to keep their grip on Africa. The CIA quickly made plans to remove Lumumba just months after Congo became free. They wanted to poison him and put a pro-Western person in charge. The U.S. gave money to rebel groups inside Congo to cause trouble. Belgium stirred up problems in the army and backed corrupt local big shots like Moïse Tshombe.
They helped the resource-rich Katanga area try to break away from the rest of Congo. Their evil plans worked on January 17, 1961. Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, who took orders from Belgium, arrested Lumumba. They sent him to Katanga, where Belgian fighters helped torture and kill him. They shot Lumumba dead, then poured acid on his body to hide what they did.
One Belgian officer even pulled out a tooth to keep as a prize. Belgium denied any part in his death until 2002, when his family and human rights groups pushed them to tell the truth. Lumumba served as leader for just six months before they killed him. Western countries later helped Mobutu grab power in 1965. Congo became a place where the CIA ran secret operations across Africa.
Western nations kept Mobutu in power until rebels led by Joseph Kabila kicked him out in 1997. Kabila changed the country's name to the Democratic Republic of Congo. All through these years, Western businesses kept taking Congo's minerals and wealth. The fighting continues today with M23 rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Congo remains stuck between outside powers who want what it has.
The United Nations failed to help when Congo needed it most. When Congo first became free, African leaders asked the UN to send troops to stop Katanga from splitting away. They also wanted the UN to make Belgium leave Congo alone. The UN moved slowly, allowing killers to murder Lumumba and letting dictators rule for decades. This failure pushed African leaders to start their continental group.
As writer Adekeye Adebajo put it, African leaders decided that African problems needed African answers. This view, called the Congo allergy, kept UN peacekeepers out of Africa between 1964 and 1989. The UN failed Africa again during Rwanda's 1994 killing spree when peacekeepers watched without helping. Sudan faces the same problem today as war tears through the country without real help from the world.
Belgium took Congo away from Leopold because even they thought his methods went beyond normal colonial control. Belgium kept Congo until June 30, 1960, when freedom finally came. The people elected Patrice Lumumba as their first leader. He wanted to break the chains that tied Congo and Africa to Western powers. Lumumba worked with other freedom-loving African leaders like Kwame Nkrumah.
They reached out to Eastern countries for help against Western nations who wanted to keep their grip on Africa. The CIA quickly made plans to remove Lumumba just months after Congo became free. They wanted to poison him and put a pro-Western person in charge. The U.S. gave money to rebel groups inside Congo to cause trouble. Belgium stirred up problems in the army and backed corrupt local big shots like Moïse Tshombe.
They helped the resource-rich Katanga area try to break away from the rest of Congo. Their evil plans worked on January 17, 1961. Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, who took orders from Belgium, arrested Lumumba. They sent him to Katanga, where Belgian fighters helped torture and kill him. They shot Lumumba dead, then poured acid on his body to hide what they did.
One Belgian officer even pulled out a tooth to keep as a prize. Belgium denied any part in his death until 2002, when his family and human rights groups pushed them to tell the truth. Lumumba served as leader for just six months before they killed him. Western countries later helped Mobutu grab power in 1965. Congo became a place where the CIA ran secret operations across Africa.
Western nations kept Mobutu in power until rebels led by Joseph Kabila kicked him out in 1997. Kabila changed the country's name to the Democratic Republic of Congo. All through these years, Western businesses kept taking Congo's minerals and wealth. The fighting continues today with M23 rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda. Congo remains stuck between outside powers who want what it has.
The United Nations failed to help when Congo needed it most. When Congo first became free, African leaders asked the UN to send troops to stop Katanga from splitting away. They also wanted the UN to make Belgium leave Congo alone. The UN moved slowly, allowing killers to murder Lumumba and letting dictators rule for decades. This failure pushed African leaders to start their continental group.
As writer Adekeye Adebajo put it, African leaders decided that African problems needed African answers. This view, called the Congo allergy, kept UN peacekeepers out of Africa between 1964 and 1989. The UN failed Africa again during Rwanda's 1994 killing spree when peacekeepers watched without helping. Sudan faces the same problem today as war tears through the country without real help from the world.
