The Congo independence and its post-mayhem (1960-1963)‎

الملخص EN

The independence of the Belgian Congo in 1960 marked the beginning of a new period of hope that was quickly hampered by a series of events.

These events were known as the Public Army Mutiny, the Katanga and Kasai Secessions and the Kasavubu-Lumumba political rivalry and dispute in 1960 and the Patrice Lumumba assassination in 1961.

The objective of this paper is to discuss the context and process of these events in the light of the conclusions that some historians in this field have reached.

The main outcome of this paper is that the Congo Kinshasa independence and unity were difficult to maintain owing to the separatist intentions of a number of the Congolese independence leaders, and the political and economic interests of foreign countries, mainly Belgium, the United States of America and the Soviet Union in the Congo Kinshasa.