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Patrice Lumumba

1925 – 1961 Congolese independence leader, first prime minister of Congo

First prime minister of independent Congo, assassinated within months of taking office.

Affiliations
Mouvement National Congolais

Patrice Lumumba led the Mouvement National Congolais and became the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at independence in 1960. His government collapsed within weeks amid the Katanga secession, an army mutiny, and a power struggle with President Kasa-Vubu and army chief Mobutu. He was captured and killed in Katanga in January 1961; Belgian and American involvement in the events leading to his death has been documented, and Belgium has since issued a formal apology, though the precise chain of responsibility remains debated. He became an enduring symbol of African independence and of Cold War interference.

Connections

  • ally of Kwame Nkrumah — Fellow Pan-Africanist who backed his cause.
  • ally of Kwame Nkrumah — Fellow Pan-Africanist whose cause he backed.
  • rival of Mobutu Sese Seko — Mobutu seized power and played a role in his removal and death.
  • rival of Mobutu Sese Seko — Took part in his overthrow and rose to power in his place.
  • rival of Richard Bissell — Oversaw a CIA plot to have him killed.
  • rival of Sidney Gottlieb — Prepared a poison intended to assassinate him.

In the timeline

Wikipedia