Congo Crisis

Over a period from 1960-1965, the first Republic of the Congo experienced a period of serious crisis. There was a terrible war for power that displayed senseless violence and the desperation to rule. There were many internal conflicts among the people. The country eventually gained independence from Belgium. For many countries this would be a time for celebration. Unfortunately for the people of the Congo this became a time to forget. Almost immediately after independence and the general elections

In June of 1960, at the height of the Cold War, Congo received its independence from King Leopold II’s Belgium. Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of Congo, was instrumental in the Congolese bid for independence, and played a similar role in the early stages of postcolonial Congo, known as the “Congo Crisis”. In the new Congolese nation, Lumumba was faced with the challenge of unifying a large African nation with difficulties arising from Cold war influences and geopolitical tensions. As

Security Council Ian Augsburger Crisis in DR Congo United Kingdom Position Paper Background The Dominican Republic of Congo, a rich land, estimated to be worth 24 trillion dollars in its natural resources is ranked one of the lowest on the Human Development Index, 176th out of 187 countries. How? The D.R. Congo’s fluctuating economy directly correlates with its immense war history. Dating past its independence, the D.R. Congo encountered its first struggle beginning in the 1880s

unable to maintain political or economic stability. Independence In 1960, the Congo gained independence from Belgium under a nationalist government headed by Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Kasa-Vubu. Their dedication to Congolese nationalism was not shared nationwide however, and shortly after the new government was formed, army garrisons in Katanga and South Kasai rebelled. The resulting conflict, known as the Congo Crisis, would become particularly notable for the heavy military intervention of the

Lumumba’s alliance with the Soviet Union fractured the Congo government. Kasa-Vubu dismissed Lumumba from service on 5 September 1960, citing as his excuse, a massacre conducted in South Kasai. At the same time, Joseph Mobutu took control of the military and began recruiting supporters. Though he dismissed Lumumba, Kasa-Vubu did not have a majority within the government and fighting ensued. Mobuto saw his opportunity to successfully implement a coup and have both Lumumba and Kasa-Vubu replaced. Mobuto

The United Nations Operation in the Republic of the Congo (ONUC) is best summarized by Walter Dorn as, “the largest, most complex, and most expensive UN peacekeeping mission during the Cold War” (“The UN’s First ‘Air Force’”). The ONUC was established on July 14, 1960 and ended in June 1964. The initial mandate by the Security Council called for “the withdrawal of Belgian forces from the Republic of the Congo,” however, quickly became the first peacemaking operation to use “all necessary measures”

The involvement of the Soviet Union in Congo caused a numerous amount of problems. The Congo was facing political and social instability because of the Belgian troops that were present and taking control over the land at the time. This all led to the United States getting involved, they supported the United Nations order to remove Belgian troops. The United States were supporting the UN but wanted to have a stable, pro-western regime through vote buying and financial support for pro-Western candidates

of vigorous political discussion at issues of society in Belgian Congo. The whole turning point of their advocacy for independence was during January 4-6 in 1959. In January 4, a riot broke out in Leopoldville due to the fact that an Abako meeting had been banned. This abrupt disorder for two days as European shops were broken and burned with over 40 people

Biographical Connection: Barbara Kingsolver was born on April 8, 1955 in Annapolis, Maryland and during her seventh and eight years of life she spent in the Republic of Congo where her parents worked there as healthcare officials. During her time there, she kept a diary documenting how different and curious everything was compared to Maryland. She was mostly fascinated how these people could live so peacefully and happily without certain necessities that she considered necessary, such as running

promoting campaigns to end genocide and crimes against humanity at conflict zones. This video focuses on the humanitarian crisis in Eastern Congo and it relation with the electronic device's supply chain. Conflict Mineral is the denomination for the mineral that came from conflict zones. Eastern Congo is one of the principal origins of conflict mineral. The humanitarian crisis in Eastern Congo is caused by arms groups that control the production of different minerals. The most important of them are Gold ore