#congolese protests

[hussyknee]

"Not publicized to prevent copycats" is an absolute bullshit excuse in a nation of school shooters btw.

Please, please read this.

The Congolese genocide is one of the biggest mass murders in modern history, counting eight to ten million murder victims and millions of others severely injured.

As for Palestine, but the bombardment is somehow more intense than ever, they killed about 178 people including 52 babies the first day after the ceasefire. Zionists got hold of the photo of one of the babies cradled by his grandfather in his tiny shroud, his face waxy and eyes open and glassy in death, and has been passing it around, along with other similar pics of dead little children, claiming they're "obviously a doll". The open calls for genocide from the Israeli general public are more virulent than ever, and the IOF has arrested and imprisoned more Palestinians in West Bank than they released. The increase in intensity may be due to Blinken having told Netanyahu that "he had weeks, not months" to finish up whatever he wanted to do (genocide isn't good for the holiday spirit of the voting public methinks), and Netanyahu reportedly wants to "thin the population" as much as possible and herd the remaining survivors out through the Egyptian border.

Please take the time to scroll the tags at least every other day and reblog one or two posts. Keeping eyes on the unfolding situation helps keep the pressure on and politicians are clearly nervous now! YOU can't do anything, but you help create a vital domino effect for hundreds of thousands of people who CAN organize. Relevance is survival. Don't let these people have martyred themselves in vain!

[thecosmicpunk]

A protest for Congo in Paris, France! 🇨🇩

FREE CONGO 🇨🇩

[imjusthereforthegayness]

Don’t stop talking. @amahlamusic

[hexjulia]

i was going to read van reybrouck's congo book at some point after finishing his revolusi but then i read a really long review just tearing it apart and now I 1. wonder what other book i should read on the past few centuries in congo (don't really have an interest in congo specifically atm so not assembling a whole syllabus for myself -- but a trustworthy oversight of recent history would be good to read). 2. if I should toss his Revolusi and find another book on dutch colonialism in indonesia OR if he is more trustworthy when talking about dutch colonialism.

A big part of why his book on Congo seems to paint a dishonest picture is his desire not to make Belgium look too bad. But he's Belgian, not Dutch, so it's possible that's not as much of an issue with this book? Hm.

I wish all negative reviews included lists with suggested alternative reading.

[baby-girl-aaron-dessner]

Full caption:

Macklemore cancels his show in Dubai to boycott the UAE in solidarity with the people of Sudan:

“At the end of the day I have to ask myself what is my intention as an artist? […] Although dismantling systemic oppression might not fully happen during my lifetime, our collective analysis is evolving. That is where it starts. When we realize our individual liberation IS Palestinian liberation. Is Sudanese liberation. Is Congolese liberation.”

He also writes:

“The last 10 months l've been learning what factors/motivators feed genocide and global systemic oppression. I keep getting led back to self interest over collective interest at the root. Capitalism is the glue that holds this ideology together. And if I take the money, while knowing it doesn't sit right with my spirit, how am I any different than the politicians l've been actively protesting against?”

[ursie]

Brennan’s statement on Palestine :

[ ID: Statement from Brennan Lee Mulligan, on Instagram. It consists of three black squares with plain white text. The text reads as follows:

"I'm calling on my government officials to immediately demand a ceasefire and de-escalation in Gaza.

I applaud anyone and everyone calling for peace, with the understanding that real peace only exists if it deeply and honestly accounts for and fully ends violence in all its forms. Real peace addresses and corrects wrong-doing in the past and guards against it in the future. It goes hand in hand with justice and requires truth, restoration, reconciliation, reparation.

Peace cannot co-exist with collective punishment, ethnic cleansing and forced displacement. It cannot co-exist with blockades, embargoes, or with 2.2 million people, half of which are children, trapped with no hope of escape or political recourse. it cannot co-exist with murdered journalists, bombed hospitals, or years of protesters being shot and killed at the border. it cannot co-exist with illegal settlements, segregated roads, and the silent, imperial chill that settles over the gaps in the violence - the unspoken geopolitical consensus that a group of people need to unflinchingly accept permanent subjugation and occupation.

My hear breaks for every Israeli person who lost loved ones during the attacks of October 7th. It breaks for every Ukrainian person who has lost their loved ones. It breaks for every Congolese person who has lost their loved ones. I do not speak on behalf of Palestinians now because some lives are worth more than others. I speak on their behalf because I, and all Americans, have a responsibility to pressure our government because we are responsible for this. Some have said that this situation is complicated. The Unites States government clearly disagrees. It has definitively, categorically, militarily chosen a side, and I do not agree with that decision.

In wiring this, I have been wrestling with what I am sure many people like me wrestle with: There is a powerful narrative surrounding violence in the Middle East that asserts and ever-moving goalpost of self-education and study in order to even be qualified to have an opinion. As someone with a love of research, I have at times in my life fallen into the trap that I am not educated enough clever enough, or aware enough to have a worthwhile perspective, and that three more articles and two more lectures and one more book will do the trick. Unfortunately, democracy doesn't work that way - we, the citizens of any democracy, cannot possibly be experts on every aspect of the policies of our governments, and yet if we do not constantly weigh in an make our voices heard, the entire experiment falls apart. Not only do people constantly doubt themselves and the things they can see with their own two eyes, but old shortcuts for political action can fall apart as well: This specific issue exists along a raw, charged and unique faultline in American Politics. Nobody I grew up with has ever challenged me on my support for abortion rights, LGBT rights, Black Lives Matter, anti-capitalism, anti-fascism, none of it. The people in my country who would despise me for those positions are, for all intents and purposes, strangers to me. But there are people who I've broken bread with and shared honest affection with who will see the words I've written here and incorrectly conclude that I do not wish for the security, dignity and happiness of them and their loved ones, and that breaks my fucking heart. Full-throatedly condemning the actions of the Israeli government while battling rampant anti-semitism at home is an urgent moral necessity, and doing so is made unnecessarily challenging for the average person to navigate by the pointed obfuscations of cynical opportunists, bigots, and demagogues on all sides of the political spectrum who see some advantage in sowing that incredibly dangerous confusion.

So, I'm calling my representatives. I'm having hard conversations with friends and family. I'm here, talking to you. I should have done it sooner. If you're Israeli and hurt by this statement, know that I want freedom, dignity, security and peace for you, and that every ounce of my political awareness believes whole-heartedly that the actions of your government are not only destroying innocent lives, but doing so to the detriment of you and your loved ones' safety. If you're American and feel lost and confused - I understand and empathize. This, the whole country, only works when we get involved. I am constantly haunted by the specter that maybe I missed some crucial piece of information on this, or any, important world event. I'll just have to make my peace with that self-doubt and trust my gut by going with Jewish Voice for Peace, Amnesty International, the Geneva Conventions, the United Nations, etc. And if you're Palestinian and reading this: I unreservedly support your right to life, to freedom, to happiness and human flourishing, to full enfranchisement and equal rights, to opportunity, prosperity and abundance, to the restoration of stolen property and land, and to a Free Palestine." End ID ]

[rockabswing]

making a separate thread for help links 💖 i will add more links as i find them !!

post w/ part two can be found here

PALESTINE

decolonize palestine

one click goes a long way !

petition signatures

post with various petitions and campaigns

who are the israeli settlers ?

URGE CONGRESS TO STAND WITH PALESTINE

USA - contact your representatives through this google doc

USA - contact

USA - contact

text resist to 50409 to send a letter to your representatives to pass HR3103-- a bill that prohibits tax dollars from going to israel !

UK - call for a ceasefire

UK - email your MP

UK - email to call for a ceasefire

australia - contact your rep !

twitter thread of donation links

protest preparation

companies to boycott

longer list of companies to boycott*

news source for updates

another news source

palestinian news source

palestinian journalist to follow

palestinian journalist #2

palestinian who posts updates about his living conditions

palestinian journalist

news from gaza

gaza news source

palestinian tiktoker who shares updates on palestine

free resources - includes 6 textbooks

israel's plan to ethically cleanse gaza

various subtwt charities for palestine

canadian based donation website #1

canadian based donation site #2

canadian based donation site #3 with information

USA based donation site #1

USA based donation site #2

USA based donation site #3

USA based donation site #4

UK donation site #1

UK donation site #2

UK donation site #3

australian donation site #1

australian donation site #2

australian donation site #3

buy an e-sim for a palestinian !

buy hygiene products for afab palestinians

games for gaza

purchase a keffiyeh !

note: it is not guaranteed that donations will get to palestinians due to the blockade. it is still noble to donate, but keep that in mind.

*another note: it is important to focus on the companies that the bds movement has listed. although important to know about, having a more targeted approach will have better results.

CONGO

2022 & 2023 global report of DRC

genocide watch - DRC

video about congo

congo infographic

another video about congo

canada based donation website

another canadian donation website

3rd canadian donation site

USA donation site #1

USA donation site #2

USA donation site #3

USA donation site #4

USA donation site #5

USA donation site #6

UK donation site #1

UK donation site #2

UK donation site #3

UK donation site #4

UK donation site #5

UK donation site #6

UK donation site #7

UK donation site #8

UK donation site #9

australian donation site #1

australian donation site #2

australian donation site #3

congolese donation site

youtube film about congo

another infographic

thread about congo

SUDAN

this site lets you choose which country you're donating from !

canadian donation site #1

canadian donation site #2

canadian donation site #3

USA donation site #1

USA donation site #2

USA donation site #3

USA donation site #4

USA donation site #5

UK donation site #1

UK donation site #2

UK donation site #3

australian donation site #1

australian donation site #2

australian donation site #3

sudanese donation site, but also has USA and canadian sites near the bottom

video about sudan

quick summary about sudan

list of other sudanese charities to donate to

information about sudan

important information about sudan

sudanese journalist

if there is anything that needs to be added, please feel free to add them onto this post !! I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE IT !!!! i made this thread for basic level information about these genocides; this is not to make you an expert in these topics. if anything is inaccurate, please feel free to tell me and i will correct it !

PLEASE ADD INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER GENOCIDES IF YOU KNOW ANY !!!!!

[sinnabum45]

Masterpost of links for Palestine, Sudan, and more!

Google Doc of fundraisers for Palestinian families

Masterpost of vetted and trusted fundraisers

Operation Olive Branch Google Doc + Tiktok link

Mona and her family's GFM + fundraiser to distribute necessities to Palestinian people

Gaza Funds promotes new campaigns every time you reload the page

Care for Gaza helps bring aid to families in Gaza

Help Gaza Children fundraiser to help families afford necessities + Learning about Palestine + Ahmed Abdeen and his family's GFM

Masterpost for donations + petitions + campaigns for Palestine

Fundraisers for Sudan masterpost

Info on the "No Thanks" phone app that tells you what company to boycott

Palestinian GFMs in with very little donations masterpost

Scam donations + tips on how to spot a possible scammer

Mutual Aim is a fundraiser that splits donations to DR Congo, Sudan, and Tigray

Google Doc of resources for Palestine, DR Congo (DRC), Sudan, Tigray, Hawai'i, Haiti, and Yemen

eSims for Gaza masterpost

Spreadsheet of multiple fundraisers for Palestine, Tigray, Sudan, DR Congo, Syria, etc.

More vetted campaigns for Palestinian families

Master post for more fundraisers for Gaza- with more information (for example, fundraising for families, medical aid, direct aid with everyday living expenses, providing tents, etc.)

More vetted fundraisers for families in Gaza

More vetted fundraisers for families in Gaza

More verified families who need more funds in Gaza

Focus Congo is an organization for aiding and educating others about Congolese people

Keep Eyes on Sudan is a website with verified fundraisers and other resources on how you can help. I.e emailing your reps, upcoming protests, etc.

Sudanese gfm list

List of organizations for Palestine

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you have donated to any fundraiser, you can get an art commission from me!

[legalkimchi]

Please learn more than just a Phrase.

I don't expect people to be subject matter experts on issues of global politics.

But false equivalency is rampant in online discourse regarding three major conflicts in the world today. I am using the word conflict in this post, however, when applicable, i will use other words to describe specifics. (Nuance folks... it's a thing)

So i start off with an assumption that most people don't understand the basics of most international events. As an american, i only know some of the stuff that is happening within my own nation. This is not an insult to you, dear reader. Rather, it is a position we all must realize we are in. You do not understand most world issues.

You just don't.

you aren't there. it isn't your life. you don't have the academic background.

I saw a post recently calling for "freedom for Palestine, Sudan, and Congo."

And it bothered me. Not because i am opposed to peace, (how is asking for ceasefire a bad thing?) but rather because i believe simplifying the conflicts with this wording showcases the ignorance of the differences.

Not all conflicts are the same.

In palestine, we have a convoluted mess where two groups claim a territory as home. getting into the in-depth story of this conflict takes time. Foundational elements of it take place thousands of years ago, but the conflict itself is only about 75 years old. So it is a long and short story. Currently, the sovereign state of Israel is engaging in a genocide in Gaza. Asking for freedom for palestinians makes sense. they live in an apartheid state and would like a state of their own. they wish to be free of occupation. you can argue with the details, be pro-israel, or whatever, but that is the basic ask of palestinians. (if you want to get into anti-semetic regional sentiment or the desire of certain groups to eradicate the israeli jewish population or Israel as a nation that's a different topic, not the point of what i'm talking about.)

In the Congo and Sudan, it is a different story.

Let's start with the Congo. First of all, Which Congo?

Let's please understand that there is the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Republic of the Congo is a former french colony. Then there is Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some of us might remember this country as Zaire.

the DRC is the congo we are talking about in the news. This was a former belgian colony and the atrocities committed by the belgians there rival any genocide in human history. i've seen estimates between 5 million and 20 million deaths. some estimates state the population of native congolese were cut in HALF. since the turbulent start of the country after their independence in 1960, the country knew relative peace until the 1990s. Then a mixture of a weak central government and the Rwandan Civil war (which had it's own genocide you may have heard about) spilled over into what was then Zaire. Zaire dissolved, and the DRC took it's place, But the wars have been raging off an on since then. earlier this year, more civil war violence erupted AGAIN. This displaced millions, AGAIN. while the DRC is a bit of an autocratic and repressive regime, the rebel groups are groups with ties with the Rwandan government and the other group with ties to Isis. It's awful all the way down.

Sudan has had an ongoing civil war for over 20 years. I remember this because i helped lead some anti-genocide protests regarding Darfur when i was in college 20 years ago. I've been following this conflict for nearly my entire adult life. you may have heard about this with regards to the Save Darfur coalition regarding the genocide in Darfur. Well, that genocide has continued (albeit with less intensity) for 20 years. the civil war lasted until 2021, but restarted in a different form in late 2023. the conflict is now between two different sides of the military government fighting each other.

It is an awful conflict full of awful leaders. Sudan's government suffered a revolution in 2019 from a dictator, only to have that government overthrown in a coup by the current dictator. The Sudanese military is supported by folks like Russia and North Korea. you might see that among the other countries that support sudan, bunch of communist countries, and you might think "hey, maybe al-Burhan is a leftist".

no... no he is not.

He is a military despot. He has no ties to any real ideology. He just runs sudan as a military dictator.

So who is opposing him?

The Rapid Support Forces. and you may be thinking "ok, so they are the good guys? trying to overthrow the dictator?"

No... They are the ones that instigated the Genocide in Darfur.

This is a situation is "no matter who wins, the people of Sudan lose."

So when folks claim these are all the same. Or wonder why folks talk about one and not the other.

there are reasons. These are very different conflicts. Please learn about them. It matters more than spouting some 4 word slogan calling for "freedom."

Find out what the people of these areas actually need. Learn more about what is happening. My description above is incomplete. I may even get some things wrong. I am trying to keep informed, but I am not an expert, nor do i live there. Raise voices from the region and find out if there are ways to help.

[yasyassie]

fuck your pride activism if it only includes cis, white able-bodied and neurotypical queers

fuck your pride activism if you forgot why we celebrate this month and who started it (black and trans working class ppl if you needed a reminder)

fuck your pride activism if you pretend to care about the community but then continue to buy from big companies that donate millions to anti lgbt politicians, perpetuate genocide, exploit other human beings and destroy the environment (but put a rainbow on their logo each june so it's ok)

fuck your pride activism if it continues to support israel and still falls for its pinkwashing and racist bullshit (about it being the only progressive country in the middle east etc)

fuck your pride activism if you exclude palestinian, congolese, sudanese, uyghur, armenian, (and every community suffering from genocide) lgbtq people from your cry for freedom

fuck your pride activism if it doesn't support the liberation of south and central american, caribbean, asian, romani, eastern european, sámi, middle eastern, native american, pacific islander, maori, aboriginal australian, indigenous tribes everywhere, and african people.

fuck your pride activism if you don't support religious queer people and reject their spirituality and connection to their faith as part of their identity

fuck your pride activism if you don't welcome queer inmigrants, war refugees and political refugees

fuck your pride activism if you don't uplift the voices of those who can't, those who are silenced, those who have to hide, those who fear imprisonment or death for being who they are

fuck state homophobia and opressive regimes

fuck homonationalism and the hypocrisy of the west

fuck capitalist and colonial pride

pride is for every single one of us

pride was a riot before it was a celebration and i intend to protest for an intersectional activism each and every day of this month

[thesaltyace]

Link to original video in replies.

[BEGIN TRANSCRIPT]

stitched creator: keep Palestinians' names out of your mouth when you're trying to defend your decision for voting for Kamala--

bigzaiire: I'm starting to see a lot of these videos coming out and I feel like someone really really has to speak on it, so I'm going to. And I'm gonna tell this with all my due respect -- Palestine is not the only country that's dealing with genocide right now.

I am from Congo in case you cannot tell, I'm from Congo, okay? We are also dealing with genocide in Congo. In fact, the genocide in Congo has been going for way longer than the genocide in Palestine. The genocide in Congo has made 8 millions of victims. 8 millions.

And you might wonder, why am I making this video? Well, I am making this video because I'm going to support Vice President Kamala. 100% I'm going to. And I'm going to tell you why I'm going to support Vice President Kamala.

Listen to me. This is one of the Congolese genocide enabler. His name is Dan Getler. This guy is an Israeli billionaire who owns mines in Congo. This guy was sanctioned in 2017 by President Barack Obama for corrupt and illegal mining.

Listen very carefully. He was sanctioned by Obama. Obama is a Democrat. Okay?

This dude got reinstated. Someone gave him his money back. Someone gave him his money back. Do you know who did that?

Donald Trump.

Donald Trump gave him [Israeli billionaire Dan Getler] his money back. It was one of the very last thing he did as a president was to give this guy his money back.

And do you know who sanctioned this guy again?

President Biden.

President Biden sanctioned him again. So currently, this person [Israeli billionaire Dan Getler] does not have his money. All the money, all the illegal money he made in Congo -- he does not have it right now. Because of President Biden.

So one thing I know for sure, one thing I know for sure: Vice President Kamala, she's not going to let this guy get his money back. And another thing that I know for sure is that if Trump gets back in office, Trump is going to reinstate this guy. Trump is going to give him his money back.

How do you think Israel is getting all the money? Because of this guy. He's one of the people who are giving money is Israel. So if you want to stop this guy -- hmm? -- from getting his money back and potentially giving that money to Israel, make sure that Trump does not make it.

Now let's be real for a second. Because I feel like a lot of people don't take this part in consideration. Listen.

A lot of people have lost their jobs for supporting Palestine.

A lot of content creators got their account banned for supporting Palestine.

A lot of people got hurt physically for protesting for Palestine.

A lot of people have ruined their relations with their families and friends simply because they were on the side of Palestine.

So if you're going to tell all these people who have sacrificed so much for your cause that they are wrong for choosing a candidate who's going to preserve their rights in their own country, then I'm sorry to tell you this, but you are being both ungrateful and disingenuous.

[END TRANSCRIPT]

[skyethewolfwizard]

KEEP TALKING ABOUT PALESTINE, KEEP FIGHTING AND BOYCOTTING

KEEP PROTESTING AND DIVESTING

KEEP SHOUTING AND SUPPORTING

KEEP POSTING AND REBLOGGING

DO IT FOR THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, FOR THE WEST PAPUANS, THE SUDANESE, THE CONGOLESE, THE HAITIANS, ALL THE PROSECUTED PEOPLES

KEEP TALKING. KEEP FIGHTING.

NO ONE IS FREE UNTIL WE ARE ALL FREE

do your part. Every little bit contributes to the wave of support that will bring us into a better free world

click

boycott

spread the word

protest

divest

sanction

don't be silent, for that is complicity in the crimes

[emeraldphilo]

i missed this but congolese players didn’t sing the national anthem prior the game but instead decided to do a silent protest to raise awareness to the ongoing conflicts in eastern congo

[thatshirleylee]

brennan's statement on instagram

I'm calling on my government officials to immediately demand a ceasefire and de-escalation in Gaza.

I applaud anyone and everyone calling for peace, with the understanding that real peace only exists if it deeply and honestly accounts for and fully ends violence in all its forms. Real peace addresses and corrects wrong-doing in the past and guards against it in the future. It goes hand in hand with justice and requires truth, restoration, reconciliation, reparation.

Peace cannot co-exist with collective punishment, ethnic cleansing and forced displacement. It cannot co-exist with blockades, embargoes, or with 2.2 million people, half of which are children, trapped with no hope of escape or political recourse. It cannot co-exist with murdered journalists, bombed hospitals, or years of protesters being shot and killed at the border. It cannot co-exist with illegal settlements segregated roads, and the silent, imperial chill that settles over the gaps in the yiolence - the unspoken geopolitical consensus that a group of people need to unflinchingly accept permanent subjugation and occupation.

My heart breaks for every Israeli person who lost loved ones during the attacks of October 7th. It breaks for every Ukrainian person who has lost their loved ones. It breaks for every Congolese person who has lost their loved ones. I do not speak on behalf of Palestinians now because some lives are worth more than others. I speak on their behalf because, as an American, my government is actively championing and financially funding their mass slaughter and forced displacement.I speak on their behalf because l, and all Americans, have a responsibility to pressure our government because we are responsible for this. Some have said that this situation is complicated. The United States government clearly disagrees. It has definitively, categorically, militarily chosen a side, and I do not agree with that decision.

In writing this, I have been wrestling with what I am sure many people like me wrestle with: There is a powerful narrative surrounding violence in the Middle East that asserts an ever-moving goalpost of self-education and study in order to even be qualified to have an opinion. As someone with a love of research, I have at times in my life fallen into the trap that I am not educated enough, clever enough or aware enough to have a worthwhile perspective, and that three more articles and two more lectures and one more book will do the trick. Unfortunately, democracy doesn't work that way - we, the citizens of any democracy, cannot possibly be experts on every aspect of the policies of our governments, and yet if we do not weigh in and make our voices heard, the entire experiment falls apart. Not only do people constantly doubt themselves and the things they can see with their own two eyes, but old shortcuts for political action can fall apart as well: This specific issue exists along a raw, charged and unique faultline in American politics. Nobody I grew up with has ever challenged me on my support for abortion rights, LGBT rights, Black Lives Matter, anti-capitalism, anti-fascism, none of it. The people in my country who would despise me for those positions are, for all intents and purposes, strangers to me. But there are people who l've broken bread with and shared honest affection with who will see the words l've written here and incorrectly conclude that I do not wish for the security, dignity and happiness of them and their loved ones, and that breaks my fucking heart. Full-throatedly condemning the actions of the Israeli government while battling rampant anti-semitism at home is an urgent moral necessity, and doing so is made unnecessarily challenging for the average person to navigate by the pointed obfuscations of cynical opportunists, bigots, and demagogues on all sides of the political spectrum who see some advantage in sowing that incredibly dangerous confusion.

So, I'm calling my representatives. I'm having hard conversations with friends and family. I'm here, talking to you. I should have done it sooner. If you're Israeli and hurt by this statement, know that I want freedom, dignity, security and peace for you, and that every ounce of my political awareness believes whole-heartedly that the actions of your government are not only destroying innocent lives, but doing so to the detriment of you and your loved ones' safety. If you're American and feel lost and confused - I understand and empathize. This, the whole country, only works when we get involved. I am constantly haunted by the specter that maybe I have missed some crucial piece of information on this, or any, important world event: I'Il just have to make my peace with that self-doubt and trust my gut by going with Jewish Voice for Peace, Amnesty International, the Geneva Conventions, the United Nations, etc. And if you're Palestinian and reading this: I unreservedly support your right to life, to freedom, to happiness and human flourishing, to full enfranchisement and equal rights, to opportunity, prosperity and abundance, to the restoration of stolen property and land, and to a Free Palestine.

[archivio-disattivato]

Patrice Lumumba was the first elected Prime Minister of the Congo. He ascended to power in the Congo on June 30, 1960, the date of Congo’ s independence from Belgium. Within ten weeks of being elected, Lumumba’s government was deposed in a coup. He was subsequently imprisoned and assassinated on January 17, 1961 by Western powers (United States, Belgium, France, England and the United Nations) in cahoots with local leaders such as Moise Tshombe and Joseph Desire Mobutu.

Lumumba is a member of the Tetela ethnic group. He was born on July 2, 1925, in Katako-Kombe in the Sunkuru district of the Kasai Province. Growing up, Lumumba attended a Protestant Missionary school as well as a Catholic missionary school and became a part of the educated elite called évolués. Lumumba contributed to the Congolese press through poems and other writings. His occupations included a postal clerk in Kinshasa and an accountant in Kisangani. Lumumba’s organizational involvement were varied. He served as head of a trade union of government employees, he was active in the Belgian Liberal Party and in 1958, Lumumba founded the Congolese National Movement (MNC in French). Also in 1958, he was invited to the first All-African People’s Conference in Accra, Ghana, organized by Kwame Nkrumah. He met nationalists and pan-africanists from various African countries and became a member of the permanent organization set up by the conference.

Lumumba’s party won national elections in May of 1960 which led to his ascendancy to Prime Minister on June 30, 1960. Read more on Lumumba>>

Lumumba’s Independence Day Speech Lumumba’s Last Letter to his Wife

Reading List Congo My Country by Patrice Lumumba Patrice Lumumba: Fighter for Africa’s Freedom by Patrice Lumumba The Assassination of Lumumba by Ludo De Witte Rise and Fall of Patrice Lumumba by Thomas Kanza Lumumba Speaks: The Speeches and Writings of Patrice Lumumba, 1958-1961 Translated by Helen R. Lane. Ed. Jean Van Lierde