Patrice Emery Lumumba Biography

 Patrice Emery Lumumba Biography

Patrice Emery Lumumba biography, Patrice Emery Lumumba was a Congolese politician and an independent leader. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo now Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo from June until September 1960.

Patrice Emery Lumumba Biography

 He played a very big role in the transformation of his native country from a colony of Belgium into an independent republic. A Pan-Africanist and African nationalist, Lumumba was also the leader of the Mouvement National Congolais (MNC) party from 1958 until he was assassinated.

 Lumumba was born as Elias Okit’Asombo on July 2nd, 1925 to the family of Francois Tonga Otetshima and Julienne Yamato Lomendja. He was born in Onalua in the Katakokembe region of the Kasai Province of the then Belgian Congo (now DR Congo).

As a member of the Tetela ethnic group, his original surname which is Okit’Asombo means ‘’heir of the cursed’’ broken down as Okita (heir, successor) and combo (cursed or bewitched people who will die quickly).

 Lumumba had three brothers and a half-brother namely Charles Lokonga, Emile Kaleme, Louis Onema Pene, and Tolenga Jean. He was raised in a Catholic family; educated at a Protestant primary school, and a Catholic missionary school.

 He later proceeded to the government post office training school, where he passed the one-year course with distinction. Lumumba was known to speak many languages. This includes his native Tetela, French, Swahili, Lingala, and Tshibula. Outside his regular studies, he had an interest in the Enlightenment ideals of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Moliere, and Victor Hugo.

He was a poet and many of his works had anti-imperialist themes. In his early days, he worked as a traveling beer salesman in Leopoldville. He also worked at Stanleyville Post Office as a postal clerk for eleven years.

He turned to the Soviet Union after the US and the UN refused to help. That move led to differences with President Kasa-Vubu, Chief-of-staff Joseph-Desire Mobutu; a matter that eventually led to his death.

 Lumumba’s move to get support from the Soviet Union instigated the differences between his government, the United State as well as Belgium. He was subsequently imprisoned by state authorities under Mobutu (the ex-chief-of defense staff who became the state dictator) and executed by a firing squad under the command of the Katangan authorities.

 Lumumba was killed along with two others; Molo and Okito. They were all lined up against a tree and shot one at a time. The execution is thought to have occurred on 17 January 1961.

Apart from the local and Katangan authorities supported by Belgium, the United States was also alleged to be involved in his death. No statement was released until three weeks later, despite rumors that Lumumba was dead.

His death was formally announced over the Katangan radio three days after it was rumored that he fled the prison with two others. It was alleged that he was killed by angry villagers three days after escaping from Katey Prison Farm.

His death was marked by street protests in several European regions such as Belgrade and in London. In New York City, a show at the United Nations Security Council transformed rough and poured out over into the roads.

Lumumba can be described as a man of strong character. As a result of his short career in government, and controversial death, a consensus has not been reached on his political legacy.

 He is widely remembered for his assassination, this has made him a symbol. The ideological legacy of Lumumba is known as Lumumbism. His death also leads to the radicalization of the American civil rights movement in The 1960s.

 In 1964, Malcolm X proclaimed Lumumba as ''the best individual of color whoever strolled the African landmass''. He is also seen as a martyr for the wider Pan-African Movement. What's your take on Lumumba as an African Politician? Let's know in the comment section.

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