5 articles of Congo
A Killing in Congo
Kevin Whitelaw
After Lumumba’s assassination in Katanga, people “pointed their fingers at CIA”, which was somehow unsurprising. For several decades, no evidence or proof was found that could possibly indict CIA for the murder. However, recently, a Belgian sociologist, Luco de Witte, claimed that Belgium, Congo’s previous motherland, was the “mastermind” of the assassination. Belgian officials and authorities still investigate the case, but some announce de Witte’s theory correct. After thorough inspection, it was proved that Belgian agents were part of Lumumba’s assassination. However, nobody really knows if the American CIA had actually taken act in the murder (most likely, since President Eisenhower was anxious about Lumumba’s communist-like rule in Congo).
Mobutu's legacy: Show over substance
Michela Wrong
During Mobutu Sese Seko’s reign over Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo), it all seemed as if his reign was an ultimate heaven for the people there. However, when further researched and investigated, all of his works are, literally, a fake:
“By the end Mobutu boasted a weapon-less army which always fled rather than fought, a currency without value, an administration without morals and a civil service which, as the saying goes, pretended to work while the government pretended to pay them.”
As the author, Michela Wrong, wrote a book, she found out that Mobutu was able to “get away” with so many wrongdoings for a long time only with the help of various people, including, but not limited to, rich companies, couple of agents of the CIA, and even Arab slave traders.
President 'ordered murder' of Congo leader
Martin Kettle
After 40 years of Lumumba’s assassination, evidences and scripts of the CIA involved in the murder case appeared into light. Robert Johnson, the minute-taker, concisely remembers the meeting and the scene when US President Eisenhower told CIA director, Allen Dulles, to “eliminate” Patrice Lumumba.
“There was a stunning 15 seconds silence and the meeting continued,” recalled Johnson.
Lumumbra’s assassination put him as a serious factor of the African independence conflict. Belgium, Congo’s before colonialist nation, tried to chain-link the mountains of evidences with the United States, yet no direct contact could be made.
An Assassination’s Long Shadow
Adam Hochschild
Recently, an African nation, called Congo, celebrates its 50th anniversary of Patrice Lumumbra, a 35-year old Congolese, who was the ever first leader after Congo’s independence from the colonialist, Belgium. Unfortunately, he was assassinated by the suspicious CIA agents, personally ordered by US President Eisenhower several decades ago. Just couple of weeks before Lumumbra’s death, he managed to escape the prison he was held in with some of his supporters. Successfully obtained a boat, Lumumbra and his men rowed to the other side of the river, which was unfortunately already crowded with soldiers, some of them from the CIA. Lumumbra, the great leader of Congo, was killed afterwards.
Millions of people, especially in Congo, cry for him, yet the civil war is still continuing on, even today. The blood that has been spilled up to now reaches nearly a million people, many of them killed by other nations, such as US, Belgium, etc.
Congo Holds First Multiparty Election in 46 Years
Jeffrey Gettleman
Jules Mabuisi, a 80-year old Congolese man, has been yearning for this moment for a very long time: voting for a new leader. One of the most expensive and the most complicated voting sessions for the United Nations, it took several weeks for the voting to even begin. Over 9,700 candidates for 500 national assembly seats, 33 for the president, the ballots take very heavy weights in this polling. Yet, boycotting and cheating are not uncommon in the voting session; the largest opposition parties “distort” the polling ballots, various soldiers force the nation’s citizens to vote for a particular, mostly infamous candidate. Therefore, Mr. Mabuisi has voted for Mr. Bemba, whose followers were already crushed by the police, that was unfortunately controlled by opposition parties.
“This is a democracy,” claims Mr. Mabuisi while walking away with his polling ticket.
Kevin Whitelaw
After Lumumba’s assassination in Katanga, people “pointed their fingers at CIA”, which was somehow unsurprising. For several decades, no evidence or proof was found that could possibly indict CIA for the murder. However, recently, a Belgian sociologist, Luco de Witte, claimed that Belgium, Congo’s previous motherland, was the “mastermind” of the assassination. Belgian officials and authorities still investigate the case, but some announce de Witte’s theory correct. After thorough inspection, it was proved that Belgian agents were part of Lumumba’s assassination. However, nobody really knows if the American CIA had actually taken act in the murder (most likely, since President Eisenhower was anxious about Lumumba’s communist-like rule in Congo).
Mobutu's legacy: Show over substance
Michela Wrong
During Mobutu Sese Seko’s reign over Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo), it all seemed as if his reign was an ultimate heaven for the people there. However, when further researched and investigated, all of his works are, literally, a fake:
“By the end Mobutu boasted a weapon-less army which always fled rather than fought, a currency without value, an administration without morals and a civil service which, as the saying goes, pretended to work while the government pretended to pay them.”
As the author, Michela Wrong, wrote a book, she found out that Mobutu was able to “get away” with so many wrongdoings for a long time only with the help of various people, including, but not limited to, rich companies, couple of agents of the CIA, and even Arab slave traders.
President 'ordered murder' of Congo leader
Martin Kettle
After 40 years of Lumumba’s assassination, evidences and scripts of the CIA involved in the murder case appeared into light. Robert Johnson, the minute-taker, concisely remembers the meeting and the scene when US President Eisenhower told CIA director, Allen Dulles, to “eliminate” Patrice Lumumba.
“There was a stunning 15 seconds silence and the meeting continued,” recalled Johnson.
Lumumbra’s assassination put him as a serious factor of the African independence conflict. Belgium, Congo’s before colonialist nation, tried to chain-link the mountains of evidences with the United States, yet no direct contact could be made.
An Assassination’s Long Shadow
Adam Hochschild
Recently, an African nation, called Congo, celebrates its 50th anniversary of Patrice Lumumbra, a 35-year old Congolese, who was the ever first leader after Congo’s independence from the colonialist, Belgium. Unfortunately, he was assassinated by the suspicious CIA agents, personally ordered by US President Eisenhower several decades ago. Just couple of weeks before Lumumbra’s death, he managed to escape the prison he was held in with some of his supporters. Successfully obtained a boat, Lumumbra and his men rowed to the other side of the river, which was unfortunately already crowded with soldiers, some of them from the CIA. Lumumbra, the great leader of Congo, was killed afterwards.
Millions of people, especially in Congo, cry for him, yet the civil war is still continuing on, even today. The blood that has been spilled up to now reaches nearly a million people, many of them killed by other nations, such as US, Belgium, etc.
Congo Holds First Multiparty Election in 46 Years
Jeffrey Gettleman
Jules Mabuisi, a 80-year old Congolese man, has been yearning for this moment for a very long time: voting for a new leader. One of the most expensive and the most complicated voting sessions for the United Nations, it took several weeks for the voting to even begin. Over 9,700 candidates for 500 national assembly seats, 33 for the president, the ballots take very heavy weights in this polling. Yet, boycotting and cheating are not uncommon in the voting session; the largest opposition parties “distort” the polling ballots, various soldiers force the nation’s citizens to vote for a particular, mostly infamous candidate. Therefore, Mr. Mabuisi has voted for Mr. Bemba, whose followers were already crushed by the police, that was unfortunately controlled by opposition parties.
“This is a democracy,” claims Mr. Mabuisi while walking away with his polling ticket.