Patrice Lumumba

**Patrice Émery Lumumba** ((/pəˈtriːs lʊˈmʊmbə/ ⓘ *pə-TREESS luu-MUUM-bə*; born **Isaïe Tasumbu Tawosa**; 2 July 1925 - 17 January 1961) na he be a Congolese politician den independence leader wey na he serve as de first prime minister of de Democratic Republic of the Congo (dem then know as de Republic of the Congo) from June til September 1960, dey follow de May 1960 election. Na he be de leader of de Congolese National Movement (MNC) from 1958 til ein assassination insyd 1961. Ideologically an African nationalist den pan-Africanist, na he play a significant role insyd de transformation of de Congo from a colony of Belgium into an independent republic.

Shortly after Congolese independence insyd June 1960, na a mutiny break out insyd de army, wey dey mark de beginning of de Congo Crisis. After a coup, na Lumumba attempt make he escape to Stanleyville make he join ein supporters wey na dem establish a new anti-Mobutu state dem call de Free Republic of the Congo. Na dem capture Lumumba en route by state authorities under Joseph-Désiré Mobutu (Sese Seko), wey dem send am to de State of Katanga den, plus de help of Belgian mercenaries, dem torture den execute am by de separatist Katangan authorities of Moïse Tshombe. Insyd 2002, na Belgium formally apologise for ein role insyd de execution, wey dem dey admit "moral responsibility", wey insyd 2022, na dem return Lumumba ein tooth to ein family. Dem dey see am as a martyr give de pan-African movement.

## Early life den career

Na dem born Patrice Lumumba on 2 July 1925 as Isaïe Tasumbu Tawosa to Julienne Wamato Lomendja den ein husby, François Tolenga Otetshima, a farmer, insyd Onalua, insyd de Katakokombe region of de Kasai province of de Belgian Congo. Na he be a member of de Tetela ethnic group, wer na he be referred to plus de name Élias Okit'Asombo. Na ein original surname dey mean "heir of de cursed" wey be derived from de Tetela words / ('heir', 'successor') den  ('cursed anaa bewitched people who go die quickly'). Na he get three bros (Charles Lokolonga, Émile Kalema, den Louis Onema Pene Lumumba) den one half-bro (Jean Tolenga). Na dem raise am insyd a Catholic family, wey he educate at a Protestant primary school, a Catholic missionary school, den finally de government post office training school, wer na he pass de one-year course plus distinction. Na he be known for he be a vocal, precocious young man, regularly dey point out de errors of ein teachers in front of ein peers. Na dis outspoken nature go cam make e define ein life den career. Na Lumumba speak Tetela, French, Lingala, Swahili, den Tshiluba.

## Leader of de MNC

After ein release, na Lumumba help found de *Mouvement National Congolais* (MNC) party insyd 1958 wey na he quickly cam be de organisation ein leader. De MNC, unlike oda Congolese parties wey dey develop for de time, na den no draw on a particular ethnic base. Na e promote a platform wey include independence, gradual Africanisation of de government, state-led economic development, den neutrality insyd foreign affairs. Na Lumumba get a large popular wey dey follow am den as a result, na he get more political autonomy dan contemporaries wey na dem be more dependent on Belgian connections. Na Lumumba be one of de delegates wey represente de MNC for de All-African Peoples' Conference insyd Accra, Ghana, insyd December 1958. For dis international conference, wey be hosted by Ghanaian presido Kwame Nkrumah, na Lumumba further solidify ein pan-Africanist credentials.  Na Nkrumah be personally impressed by Lumumba ein intelligence den ability.

Insyd 1959, na de MNC split into de majority MNC-L, wey Lumumba lead, den de more radical den federalist MNC-K. Insyd late October 1959, na Lumumba, as leader of de MNC, na dem arrest am for he dey incite an anti-colonial riot insyd Stanleyville during wich na dem kill 30 people. Na dem sentence am to six months insyd prison. Na de trial ein start date of 18 January 1960 be de first day of de Congolese Round Table Conference insyd Brussels, na dem intend make dem make a plan for de future of de Congo. Despite Lumumba ein imprisonment, na de MNC win a convincing majority insyd de December local elections insyd de Congo. As a result of strong pressure from delegates wey be upset by Lumumba ein trial, na dem release am wey dem allow am make he attend de Brussels conference.

## Final days den assassination

Na dem first send Lumumba on 3 December 1960 to de Thysville military barracks for Camp Hardy, 150&nbsp;km (about 100 miles) from Léopoldville. Na he be accompanied by Maurice Mpolo den Joseph Okito, two political associates wey na dem plan make dem assist am insyd make dem dey set up a new government. Na dem feed dem poorly by de prison guards, as per Mobutu ein orders. Insyd Lumumba ein last documented letter, na he wrep to Rajeshwar Dayal, head of de UN insyd de Congo: "Insyd a word, we dey live amid absolutely impossible conditions; moreover, dem be against de law."

Na dem forcibly restrain Lumumba on de flight to Elisabethville on 17 January 1961. On arrival, na ein associates den am be conducted under arrest to de Brouwez House, wer na dem be brutally beaten den tortured by Katangan officers, while na Presido Tshombe den ein cabinet decide wat dem go do plus am.

Later dat night, na dem drive Lumumba, Mpolo, den Okito to an isolated spot wer na dem assemble three firing squads wey na dem be commanded by Belgian contract officer Julien Gat. Na Katangan leaders give de orders make dem murder Lumumba. Na de last stage of de execution be personally undertaken by de Belgian contracts wey Police Commissioner Frans Verscheure lead. Na dem put up Lumumba, Mpolo, den Okito against a tree wey na dem shoot one at a time. Dem think na de execution take place on 17 January 1961, between 21:40 den 21:43  according to a later Belgian parliamentary inquiry. Na Tshombe, two oda ministers, den four Belgian officers under de command of de Katangan authorities dey present. Na dem throw de bodies into a shallow grave.

De following morning, on orders of Katangan Interior Minister Godefroid Munongo, wey na he want make de bodies disappear den prevent a burial site from being created, na Belgian Gendarmerie officer Gerard Soete den ein team dig up den dismember de corpses, wey dem dissolve dem insyd sulfuric acid while dem grind den scatter de bones.

Na Lumumba ein assassination allow de governments of Belgium, de U.S., den reportedly de United Kingdom, make dem abandon dema own assassination plans. Na Allen Dulles, then de head of de Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) support make dem assassinate Lumumba, reportedly as na he hear Eisenhower dey wish dat Lumumba "fall into a river full of crocodiles." Na Eisenhower ein involvement insyd de CIA ein assassination plans remain speculative.

### Announcement of death

Na dem no release statement til three weeks later, despite rumours say na Lumumba die. Na Katangan Secretary of State of Information Lucas Samalenge be one of de first people nake he reveal Lumumba ein death, on 18 January. According to De Witte, na Samalenge go to de bar *Le Relais* insyd Élisabethville wey na he "tell everybro willing make dem listen say na Lumumba die wey dat na he kick ein corpse. Na he go around wey he dey repeat de story til de police take am away."

On 10 February, na de radio announce say na Lumumba den two oda prisoners escape. Na dem formally announce ein death over Katangan radio on 13 February:  na e be alleged say na enraged villagers wey dem kill am three days after he escape from Kolatey prison farm.

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## Read further
* Chotiner, Isaac, "A Dangerous Man: Why Congo's independence leader Patrice Lumumba had to die" (review of Stuart A. Reid, *The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination*, Knopf, 2023), *The New Yorker*, 6 November 2023, pp.&nbsp;67–70.
## External links

* Speeches and writings by and about Patrice Lumumba, at ''the Marxists Internet Archive''.
* Patrice Lumumba: 50 Years Later, Remembering the U.S.-Backed Assassination&nbsp;– video report by *Democracy Now!*
* Africa Within. A rich source of information on Lumumba, including a reprint of Stephen R. Weissman's 21 July 2002 article from the *Washington Post*.
* BBC Lumumba apology: Congo's mixed feelings.
* Mysteries of History Lumumba assassination.
* Lumumba and the Congo on YouTube (Documentary of Lumumba's life and work in the Congo).
* BBC An "On this day" text. It features an audio clip of a BBC correspondent on Lumumba's death.
* English translation of Lumumba's speech at the 1960 independence day ceremony
* Patrice Lumumba, Royal Museum for Central Africa