Patrice Lumumba
Congolese politician and independence leader (1925–1961)
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Key Takeaways
- Lumumba was the leader of the Congolese National Movement (MNC) from 1958 until his assassination in 1961.
- Shortly after Congolese independence in June 1960, a mutiny broke out in the army, marking the beginning of the Congo Crisis.
- Lumumba was captured en route by state authorities under Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, sent to the State of Katanga and, with the help of Belgian mercenaries, tortured, executed, and dissolved in acid by the separatist Katangan authorities of Moïse Tshombe.
- He is seen as a martyr for the pan-African movement.
Patrice Émery Lumumba ( pə-TREESS luu-MUUM-bə; born Isaïe Tasumbu Tawosa; 2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic of the Congo) from June until September 1960, following the May 1960 election.
Lumumba was the leader of the Congolese National Movement (MNC) from 1958 until his assassination in 1961. Ideologically an African nationalist and pan-Africanist, he played a significant role in the transformation of the Congo from a colony of Belgium into an independent republic.
Shortly after Congolese independence in June 1960, a mutiny broke out in the army, marking the beginning of the Congo Crisis. After a coup, Lumumba attempted to escape to Stanleyville to join his supporters who had established a new anti-Mobutu state called the Free Republic of the Congo. Lumumba was captured en route by state authorities under Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, sent to the State of Katanga and, with the help of Belgian mercenaries, tortured, executed, and dissolved in acid by the separatist Katangan authorities of Moïse Tshombe. In 2002, Belgium formally apologised for its role in the execution, admitting "moral responsibility", and in 2022, it returned Lumumba’s tooth to his family. He is seen as a martyr for the pan-African movement.
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