Choose an actor and test its influence on the crisis.
Which actor did most to shape the Congo Crisis?
Congolese leaders
- Tshombe declares Katanga independent.
- Mobutu's coups in 1960 and 1965.
They made the key decisions on secession and power.
Many depended on outside money and arms.
Belgium and Union Miniere
- Belgian troops return in July 1960.
- Union Miniere funds Katanga.
They gave Katanga the means to survive.
No country recognised Katanga.
The superpowers
- Soviet aid to Lumumba.
- US backing for Mobutu.
They turned a local crisis into a Cold War contest.
Neither sent its own troops to fight.
The United Nations
- ONUC of about 20,000 troops.
- Katanga's secession ended in 1963.
It kept the Congo united.
It could not create a stable government.