African Road to Independence

After watching the documentary, I have concluded that Patrice Lumumba was one in a million who stood up for the greater good of his people. His ideals clashed with those who were truly in control so as a result, he became a threat to them. When the Belgians first invaded Africa, they admired it for its many resources. Gold, Diamonds, Iron, Copper, and Zinc are just a few of the precious items that were flourishing there. The Belgians forced the Congolese into forced labor by threatening their families and even cutting the hands off of anyone who didn’t bring back enough resources in a timely manner.

     Lumumba came from humble beginnings working as a postal worker from Stanleyville.  He began selling a brand of beer that was rumored to be dangerous and have numerous side effects for those who drank it. He gained popularity with the Congolese people by doing so. He always felt like the Congo should be independent of Belgium and run things the way the Congolese wish. I would say that the Belgians only appeased Lumumba and his people to a certain extent. They went along with the independence plan and appointed a president, and Lumumba as prime minister. The Congo was divided. Lumumba wanted laws to be put in place that would not discriminate against one or two tribes, but would apply to everyone. Some tribes felt as though they were more dominant than others.  Many people loved him because he said what everyone else was thinking. Many people, even some Congolese hated him because of what he was trying to do which was make everyone equal. I think superiority had been embedded in many of their brains so they had to flex their muscles, sort of speak.

     Belgian forces felt like they had to be in charge because independence would never work. In their eyes civil unrest would take place because the different tribes hated each other. It would never work, they said.  To them that had to step in as a mediator to and uncivilized people and keep them in line.  Lumumba was a symbol of freedom to his people who believed in his message, and should be a shining example of greatness around the world. Still people perceived him as a threat to everyone. He began to be set up from every angle even his closest ally Genera Motumbu who was the head of the Congolese Army.  In many senses he became a martyr. The Belgians were upset because he tried to enlist the help of the Russians who were their sworn enemies to come in and force the Rebels to stop causing havoc. He went to the United States for help and they didn’t get involved but told him to contact the United Nations. Once those troops came in, they did nothing to stop the rebel troops reign of destruction.

  Lumumba did play a part in his own downfall in the sense of trying to win back his popularity. After he escaped from house arrest and began to make his way towards Stanleyville where he still had a great following, he stopped in different towns to make speeches. By doing so, he allowed troops to catch up with him, torture and jail him, then eventually kill him.  People didn’t fear him because he was a great danger to them; they feared him simply because he wanted to release the stronghold of Belgium. It seems as though every party down to the CIA and the FBI were for his assassination. During the film, it looked as though the US didn’t want to get involved however; they were present when the vote took place on where to kill Lumumba. They went with the majority vote.  The US has a vested interest in Africa’s resources as well. If total control were to go to the Congolese, the US as well as other countries will more than likely have to pull their hands from the cookie jar.  It was a sad truth about the sign of the times back then. All political leaders that took a stance that threatened to disturb the peace were killed. They weren’t killed by strangers in the night but their own governments. It was stated in the film that they decided to take Lumumba to Katanga where his sworn enemy was for certainty that he would be killed, so that all involved parties could keep their hands clean.  He said to let the blacks have him. That was just one of the ways that the guilty parties set things in to motion and stepped back and let it explode. Patrice Lumumba was not killed because he was dangerous, he was simply a political leader standing up for what he believed in.