Patrice Lumumba: A True African Hero Of Pan-Africanism (2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961)
Posted: December 13, 2011 - 15:52


By Olajide Jatto

“If you have nothing to die for, you have nothing to live for”

Not sure where I heard it or if those are even the exact words, but the above line is one of the many sayings that live in my head.

Many times when I see myself pushing enthusiastically for what I want and making big sacrifices that can have long-term effects, this line comes to my head.

And history has a long list of people who have laid down their lives for what they believe. Stephen around 34AD, Bhai Dhayala in 1675, Maximilian Kolbe in 1941 and on and on. People of ilk. Men of men. Human beings of class and repute. And recently I came across another. Patrice Lumumba.

Lumumba was the first prime minister of the DRC. Like many other African states, the rich nation of the Democratic republic of Congo had been under colonial rule of the Belgian nation. And like so many other colonial authorities, Belgium was not in a hurry to let this country so rich in natural resources out of its grasp.

DRC was under Belgian rule. The indigenes were oppressed. But somehow in 1960, there was an election where Lumumba’s party won control of the parliament. He was appointed prime minister at the age of 34. But did he step up to the plate or what?

Now let’s get something straight, the country had a vast reserve of natural resources. The colonial powers certainly wouldn’t let him have all the control where they had no say whatsoever in the expending of the reserves. How can a black man rule over his own country without their supervision? No way! How can this young country have control over its own affairs? Lumumba wouldn’t play ball and they wouldn’t let that happen. Or maybe they’ll just wait and see how ‘sensible’ this new kid on the block would be.

Well, any lingering doubts as to whether Patrice would be a puppet were erased at the very celebrations to mark the independence of the country. Some Belgian dude had gone on the podium to give a speech about how magnanimous Belgium had been to the DRC. He had spoken in glowing terms about how the independence was all a part of the grand plan of the Belgian nation. It was all lies of course. Everyone knew he was lying, but they all kept quiet in the name of diplomacy. No one wanted to spoil the celebration. No one except our young prime minister. He walked up to the microphone without being scheduled to and just spoke.  He spoke nothing but the truth. The truth about Belgian oppression. The persecution of the native African indigenes. He spoke of how the independence of the Congolese nation was not a magnanimous act but a struggle. Young Patrice spoke his mind. He spoke the truth and his fate was sealed.

No way would they have this smart, intelligent boy running the show without them. Patrice had to go.

But Lumumba was popular. The people loved him. He was intelligent. He gave rousing speeches and there was no way they could turn the Congolese people against him. So they had to use the Congolese politicians. They had to turn to the greedy ones. The ones who didn’t care what the average person thought.

They instigated a secession movement from the southern part of the country. The Katanga province led by one Moise Tshombe declared a republic. And the whole world watched as Lumumba desperately sought help to put his country back together. At least he was just some black kid who was prime minister over a country a couple of weeks old. Who cared what he thought. There was this particular occasion when he visited the United States and the president wouldn’t even receive him talk less of listening to what he has to say. The only country willing to lend a helping hand was the USSR. And again, Lumumba’s fate was sealed a second time. There was no way the US would let their cold war enemy have such a rich country on the African continent.
The CIA and the Belgians set out to ‘work’. The UN did nothing meaningful to help the poor Lumumba. UN resolutions were carefully grafted, in my opinion with the US pulling the background strings, to frustrate all his efforts.
One thing stands out in my mind. Through it all, the youthful prime minister remained graceful. The western media made him look evil. He was painted as ‘anti-western’ when all he wanted was to have one independent country. With every move made to frustrate his efforts, he never lost the affection of his people.

His government was toppled by his onetime chief of Army staff, Joseph Mobutu (later Sese Seko Mobutu). He was finally captured on the first of December 1960. He was humiliated in front of the world press. He was tied with ropes and made to sit on the floor of an open van. They had him. They had his body, but his soul was unbroken.

Lumumba was killed on the 17th of January that following year. He was shot. His body was exhumed by the Belgians and cut to pieces. Burnt. And dipped in acid. Let me say that again. The illegally deposed prime minister of a country was killed, cut to pieces, burnt and decimated with acid by a foreign power. If that’s not a crime against humanity then the holocaust was nothing more than a civil disturbance!

Lumumba lost his life and on the long run we all know what Mobutu did to the country of Zaire as he later called it.
In the death of Lumumba, Africa lost a hero. We lost someone who could stand up to the powers that be harmed with nothing but the truth and sheer will. We had lost someone who wasn’t going to sit in his revolving chair being fed grapes by pretty girls while his people died and suffered for lack of basic amenities. We had lost someone who saw true and good human values and was going to stick up for them even when it seemed fool hardy. Lumumba’s death marked the end of a life spent showing us we don’t have to lick the feet of those more powerful than ourselves even if they are more threaten us with fire and brimstone.

Patrice is no longer with us but what he stood for lives on!

Well done sir and like you said all those years back when in the dungeons of the evil ogres “Congo has a bright future!” I guess we can look forward to a bright future for our dear green continent. You’ve shown us it’s possible to get to where we want.

In the words of Malcolm X “Lumumba is the greatest black person to ever walk on the African continent!” Maybe some will disagree, but I’m sure no one will disagree Lumumba was some hero and a shining light even in this dark times.



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Great Lumumber

Submitted by Anatoly Ilyanovich Dobrynin (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 21:06.
Thank you for remind us of the great Lumumba and how the Western barbarians killed him. Note also that the same Western vultures are at it again with Africom and NATO prawling and scavenging for resources on the African continent. Greed knows no limit

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Patrice Lumumba lives

Submitted by Dapo Akinyemi (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 19:26.
The colonial masters have used divide and rule tactics to deal with us time and time again . It is indeed very unfortunate . However we must continue to move against their dictates . Kudos to Sen David Mark who said on air recently concerning same sex marriage that America can go to hell with their financial assistance . We need to come out with more of such positions in handling issues with these colonial bastards

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He will forever be great!

Submitted by Mikky (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 18:59.
He was great in life just as he is in death. He was a Pan-Africanist to the core. A lover of his people. Today we remember Patrice even after 50 years but who knows about Mobutu Sese Seko? The Bible is true "the memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot." While the memory of Patrice Lumumba lives on and is blessed, the name of Mobutu Sese Seko will rot. Aluta Continua! Victori Acerta!

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That Mobutu.

Submitted by Koboko-Dem! (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 18:51.
Oh! Patrice,  Oh! Great Patrice! Rest in peace, Patrice, you are forever with us. May your killers and their descendants know no peace, amen.

It is said that the first genocide of the 20th century occurred in The Congo - before the Armenian genocide - while under colonial rule by the Belgians,  It is now an established fact.

It is also said that it is not good to talk bad of the dead,  I'll make an exception in Mobutu's case: may he rot in hell! This Mobutu, along with a few other African military, power-drunk, coup d'etat-loving men(you know them), with empty heads, are squarely to blame for Africa's underdevelopment and the loss of millions of African lives. And all this coming after what King Leopold (google the "bombaclot," or better still visit: http://www.yale.edu/gsp/colonial/belgian_congo/index.html) did to the Congolese

Mobutu's soul will NEVER, EVER rest in peace, God willing! Gaskiya speaking.

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If only all African leaders could be like Lumumba

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 18:20.
Lumumba has written his name in history and set an example which African leaders in their uncontrollable greed have refused to follow. What these fools have failed to understand is that the white man would only do business with a black man when it suits him. When the black guy is no longer useful to him he would be given the boot, like they did to Mobutu Sese Seko. There is a wonderful film on Patrice Lumumba on this youtube link


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrbCOol_VVE

Please watch it and learn. Learn that the West will never do what is in our best interests. It is up to us to do that for our childrens sake.

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Lumumba Never Forgotten

Submitted by M.B.O (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 17:35.
I must state the ideals, Lumumba stood, fought and died for still surround us till this very day. The honest truth is we are not free and we are still our own greatest enemy. The neo-colonialist powers are still using the same tactics, its is impossible for them to succeed without infiltrating our ranks through the soul-less and GOD-less amongst us. The true struggle for freedom continues. Apart from Nigeria, the DRC is one of the most blessed countries on earth. As the saying goes if Nigeria fixes itself the rest of the continent will be liberated to a degree, the West know that so its in their best interest to make sure we have misplaced priorities. Covertly sponsor groups like MEND, MASSOB, Boko Haram. F5Divide and rule then conquer. We are just 150m but India is 1.2b with more religions and tribes so the problem isnt size our multi-culturalism. WE must UNITE rise above our differences and tackle the corrupt amongst us, else we will continue suffering and smiling.

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Re: Patrice Lumumba

Submitted by Niyi Aborisade (not verified) on December 13, 2011 - 16:57.
The writer of the above piece has done a great Job.

Lumumba was great indeed and his spirit will never die. We should not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

It shows that African independence was only on paper and we are tied to the apron of our colonial masters. They dictate to us what they want, like they are telling Nigerians not to make their own laws otherwise they will withhold their aids.

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http://saharareporters.com/article/patrice-lumumba-true-african-hero-pan-africanism-2-july-1925-%E2%80%93-17-january-1961

^

One of my worthy Ancestors.

You shall not be forgotten.

Sankara + Lumumba + Omowale Malcom X 

We lost them too young. 

[flash=640,480]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4TcSkSuQAM[/flash]

Of course, for years CIA had been murdering those African leaders,
they believed  are against their interest 
The murder of Gaddafi recently comes to mind 

Having read about the Great Patrick Lumumba and being reminded about his predicaments by this posting i feel like crying, may his innocent soul continue to rest in peace amen.

50 years ago: UN endorses coup against Lumumba



Patrice Lumumba



On November 22, 1960, the United Nations General Assembly voted to recognize the delegation of Congolese President Joseph Kasavubu and military strongman Joseph Mobutu, refusing to sit delegates of the popularly elected government of the deposed Patrice Lumumba.


Lumumba’s party had won more seats than any other in the May 1960 Congolese elections, and had therefore been given the right to form the first government after formal independence from Belgium in June. However, the US and Belgium immediately began to maneuver against Lumumba, precipitating the secession of mineral-rich Katanga province, the attempted dismissal of Lumumba by Kasavubu (which technically failed after Lumumba won a parliamentary vote of confidence), and ultimately the September coup organized by army chief of staff Mobutu with CIA backing.

Reflecting the combined clout of the US and the former colonial powers, the vote carried by a wide margin, 53 to 24, with 19 abstentions, revealing the UN to be little more than a “thieves’ kitchen,” as Lenin had aptly called its predecessor, the League of Nations.

At the time of the UN vote, Lumumba was under house arrest. He escaped on November 27, and attempted to head east to his political stronghold of Stanleyville.

The Assassination of Patrice Lumumba

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5027192261852823192

Afro_Blue:

The Assassination of Patrice Lumumba

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5027192261852823192

Wow!
Thanks for the video.
Its really heartbreaking, Patrice was a man that came before his time! 
You all now can see why Africa will never be free.

An outstanding African and one of my personal heroes. We can all see what the CIA and the imperialists did to this noble man guilty of nothing other than fighting for what is best for his people. This is why I laughed recently when some self-hating so-called Nigerians were fervently and blindly defending a call for American military intervention with Boko Haram.
Anyone who thinks America is substantially different today to the Nation that colluded to execute Lumumba, and many other Africans, because their behind-the-scene imperialist domination was threatened, is a fool. That some Africans are in the USA, doing well is not proof of the benevolence of America, historically , in my opinion, one of the most murderously self-serving nation on earth. We still saw a chilling display of this only recently when George Bush formented outright lies , that really should see him behind bars for war crimes, to destroy a Nation i.e Iraq.

One of my best day was the day I was able to tie up what happened in Zaire. From what I inferred from Malcolm X speech, the story of Mobutu in Zaire and the Memoir's page of Daily Sun newspapers I came to know the roles this man played and his fate.

This write gave a detailed story and I am grateful to the poster.

Can we as African's understand the message here. Can we see the root cause of the problems in Nigeria and the whole of Africa from this story. It happened to Congo because they were the richest country in Africa then. Today, Nigeria is the Congo of Africa and that is why we will never have true leaders until we fight enough for it.

The stooges that have destroyed our land, including the present one at Aso Rock are all Western stooges in the likes of Mobutu.

DRC CONGO,HAVE NOT KNOWN PEACE SINCE,THE MURDER OF PRIME MINISTER LUMUMBA.

The west has been screwing over the Congo since King Leopold brought hell in 1880s. Then They killed Lumumba and supported Mobutu. Then they killed kabila in 2001 and support the current puppet.