La main qui donne est celle qui dirige!
- Oumou Haidara
- Feb 22, 2021
- 5 min read
La main qui donne est celle qui dirige/the hand that gives is the one that directs.
Salam/ Hello beautiful people!
I want to preface the blog by saying that information is there for you to learn from. Having information gives the ability to make informed decisions. You have the right to investigate and take advantage of your resources. Start partaking in individual research on everything you are exposed to. I am only giving a summary of Mr. Lumumba’s life as it relates to his contribution to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s independence, his political career and the everlasting impact his actions have had on African Nationalism.
Today I’ll be talking about Patrice Emery Lumumba. Mr. Lumumba was born on July 2nd 1925 and he expectedly assassinated on January 17th 1961. During his thirty-six years of living; he chose to fight for the freedom (not the liberation) of the Democratic Republic of Congo inhabitants. Before we continue, there are certain words that should not be used interchangeably or used synonymously because it loses its meaning. Liberation and freedom should not be used synonymously. I don’t know about you guys but, when I hear the word liberation, I automatically think of a movement seeking equality and/or equity. Whereas, freedom is associated with power. Freedom is something that can not be commanded or directed which is why the Black Diaspora/ people of African descent have to stop thinking that diplomacy will solve the mistreatment and dehumanization we go through.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo “gained its independence” from Belgium on June 30th 1960. The words gained its independence will always be in quotes if you’re reading any type of writings published by me because the term independence as it relates to the continent of Africa is insulting and laughable at once. How can a country be considered independent when it is dependent on its “former” colony? How can a country be independent when the independence of the country in question was negotiated? Can independence be negotiated? One thing that Mr. Lumumba always preached was that a country’s independence where no blood was shed should be questioned. As the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mr. Lumumba was faced with an uprising amongst the army known as the Congo crisis in history books. The Congo crisis was a result of a revolt within the army which in turn led to violence erupting between Black Congolese inhabitants and Belgium citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo. You might be asking yourself why the differentiation in naming one group citizens and the other inhabitants. The answer to that is quite simple. Language matters. A citizen of a country is granted full rights and responsibilities as a member of a nation. An inhabitant is a person or animal that occupies a place. The mere fact that independence was negotiated gave Belgium the authority to do what it is still doing today. The fifty-four respective countries within the African continent have experienced continual rape of its resources by the same perpetrators. Mr. Lumumba recognized early on. He knew the Congo crisis could turn catastrophic for Congolese inhabitants. This is where Soviet Union and communism comes in.
Mr. Lumumba contacted the United Nations and the United States for aid to alleviate the conflict at hand. He was met with silence on some occasions and the promise of help on others. Being the leader that he is, Mr. Lumumba contacted the Soviet Union for assistance. The Soviet Union swiftly sent military personnel. This caused tension between Mobutu (commander of the army at the time) and Lumumba with President Joseph Kasa-Vubu complicity on the side of Mobutu. All this tension was caused due to imperialist greed and capitalism on Americas’ end and who knows what the Soviet Union wanted. Mr. Lumumba was labeled a communist for simply asking for help. Being that Belgium and United States were allies in the cold war against Russia, Lumumba was deemed a traitor through rumors that spread like cool breeze on a hot day. The elitist and imperialist need for world dominance by United States and Belgium, the temporary want of power by Mobutu, the lack of leadership and complicit behaviour of President Kasa-Vubu, the mental damage caused by colonialism to some Congolese inhabitants led to the assassination of Mr. Lumumba in Katanga. The video of Mr. Lumumba’s arrest lives in my mind rent free. He knew his faith but he carried himself with dignity and integrity.
What I would like to briefly discuss is the “traitor” mentality that some people of African descent carry. We are the most divisive group of people on this planet. Two of my favorite quotes are from Madiba (Nelson Mandela). The first says, “Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.” The second quote says, “Principle matters to me. It matters to me because principles don’t change based on who I’m speaking to. They stay the same in spite of who I’m speaking to.” The first quote is something that President Kasa-Vubu failed to do. Mr. Lumumba was rising to that occasion to stop a civil war from breaking out in the country that he loved so deeply. The second quote is a reference to the betrayal he experienced from Mobutu and people in positions of power from the president to Belgium and CIA who had no business interfering to begin with. My grandmother always told me to be scared of people who have no ethical limits or boundaries that won’t go below. Mobutu’s betrayal, President Kasa-Vubu’s silent approval and America’s interference is a perfect example of that.
When will we stop scarifying each other’s lives for temporary controlled power? Power that is supervised that the very people who prey on that want to continuously cause harm to you and your people? I leave you with a quote from a letter written by Mr. Lumumba to his wife Pauletta before his assassination that says, “Do not weep for me, my companion; I know that my country, now suffering so much, ‘will be able to defend its independence and its freedom. Long live the Congo! Long live Africa!” Don’t be complicit by staying silent. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the reason why we use the cell phones the way we do. The country is worth trillions. Stop separating yourself by country and unionizing yourself by continent. Every person of African descent coming across this blog should be concerned. The same thing done to this country is happening to yours. You can’t fight something you do not know about so research. When you’re done researching, promise yourself that you will no longer settle for mediocrity as it pertains for the independence of the African continent.
I’d recommend you watch the documentary of Lumumba which will be linked below. There’s a video in the recommended field entitled “The Lumumba assassination and CIA Accountability” which I HIGHLY recommend.
I hope that you enjoyed this summary. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Follow me on IG @oumou_haidaraa to keep the discussion going and what African leader you’d like me to discuss next!
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