Belgium left the Congo with almost no trained leaders and then granted independence in a hurry. The new state was weak from its first day.
The Congo is a vast country, about 80 times the size of Belgium, with more than 200 ethnic groups. Belgium built mines, railways and mission schools there. But it gave Congolese people almost no higher education or political experience.
At independence only a handful of Congolese had university degrees. The army, the Force Publique, had no Congolese officers.
Nationalist protests grew in the late 1950s, including riots in Leopoldville in January 1959. Belgium feared a costly colonial war. At a conference in January 1960 it agreed to grant independence within six months.
Most political parties were regional or ethnic. Patrice Lumumba's MNC was the only major national party. Joseph Kasavubu's ABAKO spoke for the Bakongo people, and Moise Tshombe's CONAKAT spoke for Katanga.
On 30 June 1960 the Congo became independent, with Kasavubu as president and Lumumba as prime minister. Belgian officials and officers expected to keep running the state behind the scenes.
- Independence
- 30 June 1960.
- Leaders
- Kasavubu (president), Lumumba (prime minister).
- Legacy
- Few graduates; no Congolese officers.
Worked example: Using domestic politics as a cause
How did the colonial legacy cause the crisis?
- Weak state: no trained administrators or officers.
- Speed: independence within six months.
- Divided politics: regional parties with rival aims.
- Dependence: Belgians still ran key institutions.
Watch out for this
The Congo Crisis began because Congolese people were not ready to govern themselves.
Belgium had denied them the education and experience to govern, and then left in a hurry. The weakness was a colonial legacy.
Check your understanding
Why was the army a danger in July 1960?
- It had no Congolese officers, so soldiers resented their Belgian commanders.
- It was commanded by the UN.
- It had been disbanded.