How did the Democratic Republic of the Congo gain its independence?
- 1950 - United / called for independence
- 1959 - Protests began in Leopoldville
- 1960 - Parts of colony open in rebellion
- STOPPED:
- Tax pay
- Following colonial laws
- Recognizing the authority of the colonial officials
- Within a year of 1960 - Congo gained indpendence
- Six months later;
- Prime Minister: Patrice-Emery Lumumba
- President: Joseph Kasa-Vubu
The Democratic Republic of Congo
How did imperialism negatively impact the country?
- The colonizing power of the Congo was Belgium
- They were under Belgian rule for over seventy-five years
- The Central Question of the Democratic Republic of Congo is: How did colonialism affect the people of the Congo?
- Laws prevented Africans from traveling freely across borders and practicing non-European religions.
- Rape, mutilation, murder, and physical punishments were commonplace for minor offenses.
- They were forced to collect ivory and rubber.
- Many Africans were recruited to work in mines and labored under harsh conditions.
How did Imperialism positively impact the country?
- Europeans brought more trade
- Provided primary education and social services - colleges
- Eventually granted their independence
- Population was diverse
- Discoveries of precious metals and minerals
How did Africans answer this question?
What has happened to the country since independence?
Many forms of resistance
- armed groups of resistance
- desertion of jobs
- Migration
-avoiding tax collectors by crossing into neighboring colonies
- withdrawing to remote regions tat were no yet under colonial control
- New states emerged in the 1960s.
- Congo's natural resources = root of conflict.
- Violence in surrounding countries contributes to violence in Congo.
- "Conflict Minerals" such as tin, are smuggled out of Congo and sold for violent purposes.
- MUCH political instability & violence.
What issues does the country face today?
- About 5.4 million people died due to civil wars
- Coup attempts and violence started due to a corrupt government
- Rebel armies and government forces clash, displacing citizens
- Poor living conditions of the Congolese people
How can these issues be related to imperialism?The Belgians left Congo very quickly in 1960 leaving them all the political power and no financial power. While in disarray, the US helped kill the Prime Minister in favor of a dictator who would subsidize resources. This corruption is still felt financially in Congo today.
- Family kept dictator's fortune.
- Left country with 12 billion USD in debt.
- Income per capita is $110 while debt per capita is 236.
Corruption which occurred after independence from imperialism set Congo up for failure.
How did some Europeans answer this question?
- Europeans claimed that the abuses in Congo were far worse than any other Colony.
- By 1958, Europeans had 42 percent of the colony's income.
- The Europeans racially segregated the country, such as hospitals reserved for only Europeans.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
By: Aachel, Ashley, Holly, Anatasiya, Kaitlyn, Akanksha, Priyanka, Ashrith, Henry, and Syed