The Congo Crisis: A Test of International Peace and Security
In July 1960, just days after the proclamation of independence of the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), the United Nations Secretary-General faced a grave situation caused by riots, rebellion, and acts of violence against Europeans who were shocked and caught off guard by the tragic events unfolding in the country.
The International Community's Response
To safeguard international peace and security, and at the request of the Congolese government, the Secretary-General agreed to send a peacekeeping force to the country. Tunisia, along with about thirty other non-aligned countries, was approached to participate in this noble mission, despite the challenges it posed:
- The young Tunisian army was only four years old.
- The Tunisian army was largely deployed along the Tunisian-Algerian border due to the Algerian war of independence.
- The young Tunisian officers, belonging to the first promotion, had very little experience.
The Congo: A Country Rich in Resources
The Congo, located in the heart of Africa, is one of the largest countries on the continent. The massive Congo River, which gave the country its name, runs from east to west, and the country is extraordinarily rich in soil, land, forests, and mineral resources, including copper, cobalt, uranium, and diamonds. These resources have made the Congo a country of interest to all major powers, both Western and Eastern.
A History of Colonization and Neglect
The Congo was a property of King Leopold II of Belgium from 1876, and it was only due to external pressure, particularly from Great Britain, that Belgium assumed formal responsibility for the colony in 1908. However, nothing was done to emancipate the inhabitants of the country, whose population was estimated to be around 15 million in 1960 and is now between 30 and 40 million. The sense of nationality was absent, which is not surprising given that the country has over 200 different tribes.
The Legacy of Colonization
The colonizer did nothing to develop the country, and as a result, the level of the population was reflected in its elite, which was virtually non-existent. Very few Congolese people gave their children an education, usually outside the country's borders, and the majority of the population was illiterate. Not only was education or cultural training never a concern for the colonizer, but it also encouraged tribalism, a destructive and divisive phenomenon.
The Road to Independence
In the 1920s, in the major cities of the country, some groups of literate individuals began to unite. This emerging elite did not openly challenge the colonial system, and their grievances were mainly focused on the unequal treatment of educated Congolese. The country experienced serious crises, including a mutiny of the public force in Luluabourg in 1944 and riots in Matadi in 1945. However, the Belgian colonizer did nothing to prepare and train a Congolese leadership to exercise effective power, even at the local level.
The Path to Chaos
The urban population doubled in a few years, and by 1956, 22% of the population lived in urban centers. This situation overturned all the data. Education also experienced rapid expansion from 1949, and the enrollment rate, which was 12% in 1940, reached 37% in 1954. However, higher education was non-existent, and secondary education for Congolese began to organize in 1956, but the school dropout rate was enormous: one student out of twelve completed primary school, and among them, only one out of six accessed secondary school.
The Struggle for Independence
A public debate in Belgium on the political evolution of the Congo proposed a plan for the emancipation of the Congo in thirty years. This plan had a catalyzing effect in the Congo, particularly in the urban environment of Léopoldville. A manifesto was published in Léopoldville, advocating for the independence of the Congo and rejecting the thirty-year term as abusive. This idea gained momentum in 1959, after the bloody riots in Léopoldville, which resulted in 49 deaths and 290 injuries.
The International Community's Involvement
On January 13, 1959, a message from the King of Belgium recognized the right of the Congolese to independence, asking that it be done without reckless haste. The Belgian government called on Congolese political leaders to a round table conference in Brussels in January 1960. It was at this conference that the date of independence was set for June 30, 1960. Unfortunately, the Congo was not destined to experience a gradual and peaceful transition, during which an accelerated training program could have prepared a elite of civil administrators capable of taking charge of their country's destiny.
The Aftermath of Independence
The elections gave a strong position to the so-called "extremist" parties, particularly the MNC of Patrice Lumumba and its direct allies. The supporters of the presidential candidates from all tendencies and most political parties, which had proliferated very quickly, disrupted public order; forms of violence and abuse against Europeans justified the Belgian military intervention in Katanga and Kassaï, triggering a catastrophic escalation of events:
- The proclamation of the secession of Katanga by Moïse Tshombé,
- The rupture of relations between Belgium and the central Congolese authorities,
- And serious threats of foreign intervention and risks to international peace.
The United Nations' Intervention
The new Republic, with Joseph Kasavubu as president and Patrice Lumumba as prime minister, quickly experienced troubles. Within forty-eight hours, tribal riots broke out in the capital and various parts of the country. The public force, consisting of 25,000 men, mutinied in many places, chased away its white officers, and began to pillage and destroy European properties. It mistreated and killed many of the 100,000 Belgians who had stayed to ensure administration or take care of their businesses.
The Tunisian Contingent
In response to the catastrophic situation, the United Nations Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld, decided to send a peacekeeping force to the Congo. Tunisia, along with other non-aligned countries, was approached to participate in this mission. The Tunisian representative to the United Nations, the late Mongi Slim, made it a point of honor to ensure that the Tunisian contingent was the first to set foot in the Congo. (To be continued)
