Patrice Lumumba: Congo’s First Prime Minister (1925–1961)

Early Life and Political Awakening

• Born July 2, 1925 in Onalua, Belgian Congo
• Educated at Protestant and Catholic missionary schools
• Worked as postal clerk and beer salesman
• Joined Liberal Party of Belgium (Congolese branch) in 1955

Road to Independence

Political Formation:

• Founded Mouvement National Congolais (MNC) in 1958
• Attended All-African Peoples’ Conference in Ghana (1958)
• Imprisoned by Belgians for 6 months (1959–1960)

Independence Achievements:

• Led Congo to independence June 30, 1960
• Became first democratically elected Prime Minister
• Delivered famous independence day speech denouncing colonialism

Leadership Challenges

Domestic Policies:

• Attempted to maintain national unity
• Faced Katanga secession crisis (Moïse Tshombe)
• Dealt with army mutiny just 5 days after independence

International Relations:

• Cold War tensions:
  • Refused to align exclusively with East or West
  • Accepted Soviet aid after Western powers withdrew support
• UN intervention requested July 1960

Overthrow and Assassination

• Deposed in coup September 1960
• Arrested and tortured by Mobutu’s forces
• Transferred to Katanga province
• Executed January 17, 1961 (aged 35)
• Body dissolved in acid to prevent memorialization

Legacy and Honors

• Remembered as anti-colonial martyr
• Named national hero in Congo (1966)
• University in Moscow bears his name
• Statue erected in Kinshasa (2002)
• Belgium officially acknowledged moral responsibility for his death (2002)

Key Statistics

Event	Date/Data
Independence Day	June 30, 1960
Time as PM	10 weeks
UN Resolution	July 14, 1960
Age at death	35 years