PATRICE EMERY LUMUMBA

After a long struggle,when most African countries gain their independence in the late 1950,early 1960. Most of theses nations Leaders were Socialist Leaders. They chose this system in order to build and organize their nations in unity and harmony because they believed that ''Socialism'' was what Capitalism was not. A system that represented their identity,tradition, values... the unity that they once had.that it would protect their new found independence and sovereignty.a path, a doctrine that could contribute to their people benefit.
Who were these Socialist Leaders? what did they stood up for? why most of them were murdered? and by whom?Those are the questions that we will try to answer in this new topic" African Socialist Leaders''

We will start counting them one by one, starting with who many consider as the greatest leader Africa has ever had. The only African leader whom, only 10 weeks in office changed the history of Africa and became a symbol, not only for African freedom fighters, but for the world as well.



Patrice Émery Lumumba: (2 JULY 1925-17 JANUARY 1961)

was an anti-colonial African leader who would become the first legally elected prime Minister of the Republic Of Congo (known today as The Democratic Republic Of Congo). After he helped the country to win its independence from Belgium in June 1960. But his government would be overthrown, deposed by a popular coup during the Congo's crisis Only ten weeks later. He was imprisoned a lot of times and murdered in controversial circumstance til this day, the real truth about the plot of his death, whom were involve in Lumumba's assassination is still unknown. Some Rumours affirm that the coup was organized by Colonel Joseph Mobutu, endorsed by the CIA and the Belgium Government,even if these last keep refusing the accusation of taking part of his physical elimination.
In my opinion , no Leader in the world have been murdered the way He was: after killing him, his enemies, cut his body and put it in acid. all that was left was some teeth and the skull.
He is considered by many as the greatest African Leader of all time. He never declared himself as a Socialist, but his ideology was socialist. his vision was for not only the Congolese people to unite but for the African people to unite as a whole and that is how he saw Africa. united and not divided. He was considered by Malcolm X as : '' the greatest black man who ever walked the African continent''
and he became today a symbol of struggle, and freedom not only for the African people but for the world as well, where he has inspired millions of people.
But why was He murdered? why was he a threat for capitalism?
they killed him for the same reason they had assassinated most of our revolutionary leaders. they murdered most of them only for the fact of wanting our people to unite and take the destiny of our continent in our own hands in order to determine our future.
The West called him a Communist , when Lumumba Himself denied of being a Communist. He even declared once that he was neutral between having to identify his vision with the EAST and WEST. All he did was comparing Communism and Colonization as facing the same situation of that time. something very sad was when he was arrested for the last time before dieing, the US was the first country he had asked for help. even the United Nation who could have saved him, let him die saying that he had escaped from the protection that they had sent for him at his residence. There was nothing else they could do for him.
His enemies though that by killing him they would erase his vision but it was the opposite. they made him an Prophet, a legend by killing him, because Lumumba's name was bigger than himself. They feared him more when he was dead than when he was alive. His legacy lives on. There are millions of Lumumba's not only in Africa but all around the world inspired by this Martyr who became the symbol of Freedom and Unity.

LUMUMBA'S MISTAKES:

Lumumba as most of our African martyrs made mistakes. In some decision they made,they had no choice but in others they had.
1. eye believe that Lumumba's first mistake was to name Mobutu , Chief of the army.
2. His Second mistake he made it some days after being elected prime minister.that fateful decision he made, raising the pay of all government employees except for the army. at that point he really needed the army, he had to win their trust and support, because a government with no support of it army won't even last a week( we've seen the example in Ghana, when the army deposed the government of President Kwame' Nkrumak, while he was abroad, In Burkina Faso when the army lead by Capt. Thomas Sankara and Capt.Blaise Compaore' led the coup and overthrew the government. In Libya, in 1969 the coup led by Capt.Mohmar Kadafi and some officers, they overthrew King Idris al-Mahdim while he was outside the country for some medical treatment, and proclaimed a republic.)
If Lumumba had gain trust in the army, eye believe that on July 5m there wouldn't be mutiny among soldiers ,who were also rebelling against their Belgians officers for treating them with no respect. this would lead to a general breakdown, which allowed Colonel Mobutu to take advantage of the situation, taking over because Lumumba lost the control of the whole situation.
3. He was surrounded by bad people, alienating his colleagues and supporters.
4. He failed to promote development in the country.

LUMUMBA'S WRITINGS:

Lumumba did not really have time to write about his vision because not only he did not get to live long,( He was only 36 years old when he was assassinated), but he was subsequently imprisoned, he would sometimes write some notes from his cell and throw them outside so that his followers could collect and publish them.most time it was in his speeches.
but he got to write books such as :
Congo, My Country, 1962, New York: Praeger (Books That Matter)
Lumumba Speaks: The Speeches and Writings of Patrice Lumumba, 1958-1961 [Collection of Speeches, Little, Brown and Company, 1972] Translated by Helen R. Lane. Ed. Jean Van Lierde

WRITINGS ABOUT LUMUMBA:

A lot of authors wrote about Lumumba :
Aimé Césaire, Une Saison au Congo (1966); Eng. trans. by Ralph Manheim, A Season in the Congo (1969). A poetic drama about the career and death of Lumumba.

W. A. E Skurnik, African Political Thought: Lumumba, Nkrumah, Touré (Social Science Foundation and Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver. Monograph series in world affairs, v. 5, no. 3-4), 1968, Denver: University of Denver, ASIN B0006CNYSW

Ludo De Witte, The Assassination of Lumumba, Trans. by Ann Wright and Renée Fenby, 2002 (Orig. 2001), London; New York: Verso, ISBN 1-85984-410-3

Thomas R. Kanza, Conflict in the Congo: The Rise and Fall of Lumumba (Penguin African library), 1972, New York: Penguin, ISBN 0-14-041030-9

Robin McKown, Lumumba: A Biography, 1969, London: Doubleday, ISBN 0-385-07776-9
G. Heinz, Lumumba: The Last Fifty Days, 1980, New York: Grove Press, ASIN B0006C07TQ
Panaf, Patrice Lumumba (Panaf Great Lives), 1973, New York: St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0-901787-31-0

Kwame Nkrumah, Challenge of the Congo, 1967, New York: International Publishers

Tributes To Lumumba:

In 1966 Patrice Lumumba's image was rehabilitated by the Mobutu regime and he was proclaimed a national hero and martyr in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By a presidential decree, the Brouwez House, site of Lumumba's brutal torture on the night of his murder, became a place of pilgrimage in the Congo.[29] Plans made to erect a spire in Lumumba's memory did not proceed but the anniversary of Lumumba's death was commemorated yearly until 1974, upon the unveiling of Mobutism.
A major transportation artery in Kinshasa, the Lumumba Boulevard, is named in his honor. The boulevard goes past an interchange with a giant tower, the Tour de l'Echangeur (the main landmark of Kinshasa) in honor of the martyr prime minister. On the tower's plaza, the first Kabila regime erected a tall statue of Lumumba with a raised hand, greeting people coming from Kinshasa International Airport.
In Bamako, Mali, Lumumba Square is a large central plaza with a life-size statue of Lumumba, a park with fountains, and a flag display. Around Lumumba Square are various businesses, embassies and Bamako's largest bank.
Streets were also named after him in Haiti, Tanzania, Ghana, Budapest, Hungary (between 1961 and 1990); Belgrade, Serbia; Bata and Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Tehran, Iran; Algiers, Algeria (Rue Patrice Lumumba);[30] Santiago de Cuba, Cuba (since 1960, formerly Avenida de Bélgica); Łódź, Poland; Kiev, Ukraine; Rabat, Morocco; Maputo, Mozambique; Leipzig, Germany; Lusaka, Zambia ("Lumumba Street").
The Peoples' Friendship University of the USSR was renamed "Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University" in 1961, but it was later renamed "The Peoples' Friendship University of Russia" in the post-Soviet landscape in 1992.[31]
In Belgrade, Serbia, "The Patris Lumumba Hall of Residence" at Belgrade University was built in 1961 and continues to carry Lumumba's name.[32]
In Kampala, Uganda, "Lumumba Hall" of Residence at Makerere University continues to carry his name.
"Lumumba" is a popular choice for children's names throughout Africa.[33]
American stand-up comedian Patrice Oneal is named after Lumumba.
Argentinian Reggae Band, was named "Lumumba". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumumba_%28band%29
In 1964 Malcolm X labelled Patrice Lumumba, "the greatest black man who ever walked the African continent".

we attached a documentary video about LUMUMBA from www.youtube.com


we also would like to thank the wikipedia.org site to have given us a lot of information to elaborate this topic about Patrice Lumumba.
NB: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrice_Lumumba

Sully A. ''AN AFRIKA'N APART.....''