Tom

Today is Independence Day in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This day is the National Day of DR Congo and marks independence from Belgium in June 1960.

As the various European powers vied for control of the African continent in the late 19th century, the Congo region came under the gaze of King Leopold II of Belgium. Leopold personally acquired the ‘rights’ to the Congo territory at the Conference of Berlin in 1885 and named the land the Congo Free State.

After years of abuse of the local population, the Belgian parliament took control of the free state in 1908, creating the Belgian Congo. The Belgian Congo gained its independence from Belgium on June 30th 1960 as the Republic of Congo.

Belgium had made no effort to train or educate Congolese and, as a result, at independence the government was primarily composed of Belgian nationals. The first prime minister of the newly independent Congo was Patrice Lumumba who pushed for the Africanization of the government, even at some expense of efficiency, to make the country truly independent. Under Belgian leadership, a mutiny broke out in the army. Lumumba appealed to both Belgium and the United States for support to suppress the Katangan secessionists but both refused. He then turned to the Soviet Union for support. In response the CIA and the Belgian and UK secret services plotted to assassinate him and he was murdered in the presence of Belgian officials and his body destroyed.

In 2002, Belgium formally apologised for its role in the execution. In 2022, a gold-capped tooth, all that remained of his body, was repatriated to the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Belgium.

ENJOY THE HEAT!

Today is the birthday, in 1943, of American vocalist Florence Ballard, The Supremes (1964 US & UK No.1 single ‘Baby Love’ plus 11 other US No.1 singles). Ballard sang on 16 top forty singles with the group, including ten No.1 hits. She died February 21st 1976. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aax5EDQMOq4