Patrice Lumumba
1925–1961 · Congolese (Onalua / Léopoldville/Kinshasa) · African Independence, Cold War
Known for: First PM of independent Congo—assassinated with CIA and Belgian complicity 67 days after taking office
Lumumba was the first democratically elected PM of the Congo—and was murdered 67 days later. He was overthrown in a CIA-backed coup, arrested, and assassinated with Belgian complicity. His body was dissolved in acid.
He was 35 when he died. His speech at independence—in front of the Belgian king—condemned colonialism in terms so raw that the Belgian delegation walked out. It remains one of the most powerful speeches in African history.
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