"We will show the world what black people can do when they work in freedom, and we shall make of Congo the pride of Africa” - Patrice Lumumba
- Cynthia McKinney, PhD, former US Congresswoman:"Yes, President Eisenhower authorized this targeted assassination and the CIA set aside $100,000 to get it done: Patrice Lumumba, first democratically elected leader of Congo."
- Myra Bronstein:"Eisenhower was a Military Industrial Strength Hypocrite On January 17, 1961 two significant events preceded the inauguration of John F. Kennedy to occur three days later: 1 -President Dwight Eisenhower spoke on TV to warn the country: “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”
Source: Telesutv.net / The Dawn / January 18, 2015.
- Kabanga Nakhubayila:"I am inspired. ..Great speech."
- Kennedy Oketch:"We are blessed to have great brains in Africa as Lumumba's."
- Emmanuel wekesa:"What a coherent and wonderful speech!!!!! I liked it... Amazing clarity and integrity".
- Osei Bonsu Dickson, Barrister :"I had the good fortune of attending PLO Lumumba's lecture here in the city of Accra, on the 28th of August, 2015 made possible by the PAV Ansah Foundation - and it was a moment to behold. Prof. Lumumba's kicked-off a dramatic debate from Nairobi, Darelsalam, Abuju, to Accra in those who have had the opporunity to hear his deep thoughts, critical activism, and pan-Africanism. And maybe, just maybe he is stirring deep reflections over questions which maybe we should have been asking ourselves 25 years ago/OBD".
- zita seshie (Talk Africa):"Great Speech. I am overwhelmed as an African. Its time for Self Reflection on what it means to be African. Africa Must Rise!"
- Joel Shilenge:"What a talk by Plo lumumba, i wish that one day all African leaders can look into issues that are affecting African communities."
- vcp wats:"Dear Prof. Lumumba, thank you for the great speech, it is indeed very refreshing to know that there are still Africans like you out there that dream, recognize and speak about the unharnessed potential of our great continent and what we have done so far to destroy our legacy, our image, our generation and next generation’s future. We remain the laughing stock of the free world.
Our minds have indeed been conquered absolutely. From inter country wars, to corruption at unprecedented levels, overall lack of leadership that will ensure that Africa continues to remain in the dark. Violence and the taking of life in the name of the quest for the riches is now common place from creating child soldiers to fight in the incessant wars all over Africa to the raping and maiming of our women and children all in the quest for diamonds, money and power.
A significant number of countries in Africa are now classed as terrorist countries, how did we get here? Things have gone horribly wrong for Africa as a continent and it is perhaps time that we call (or rather beckon) unto our founding founders who dreamt of a great united continent that will compete and takes its rightful place on the world stage from Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Amílcar Cabral, Nnamdi Azikiwe to recently deceased Nelson Mandela etc to ask for guidance, direction at this time of dire need.
The fact that in most African countries we seek only to explore and exploit our natural resources, destroy our environment and ignore the the fact that we need to develop other products and services to export and compete with the rest of the free world. As is common knowledge countries such as the Asian Tiger countries Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan experienced exceptionally high growth rates (in excess of 7 percent a year) and rapid industrialization in the 1960’s around the same time that a significant number of African countries gained their independence.
The rapid growth of these four Asian tiger economies referred to as "the Asian Miracle" is primarily attributed to export oriented and strong development policies. Even a non expert economist can work out that to grow a country’s economy requires systematic and purposeful effort to develop export oriented services/products under effective and responsible leadership which has eluded most African countries. Perhaps our governments need to implement schemes and projects that will leverage the high level of intellect readily abundant in our countries, harness, develop and guide such talent into producing exportable goods and services.
It is probably not down to only our government to fix everything. It is also down to each and every one us, me, you and every one. It is also about attitude and the belief that as a continent we can be great again and seek to make that happen in every little way we can individually, as it all adds up. There is a reason why the current CEO's of Microsoft, Google, PepsiCo, Adobe etc to mention a few are all first generation Indians (all born in India) and all actually studied up to their first degree level in India but head American based multinational firms.
Together these CEO's preside over companies with combined fortunes of well over 1 trillion dollars. Are Indians as a people more intelligent than Africans? The Indians demonstrate an uncanny ability to work together, support/propel each other, I guess because they realise that in whatever position they find themselves, it is their duty to ensure that they support the next person which ultimately has enhanced the growth of the Indian nation, their support and communal structure is an amazing one. We need to emulate them....... May Africa continue to nurture people like you sir, so that there are more collective voices emphasising the same things that you have been saying. V C Waturuocha"
- Frank Ile:"An inspirational speech that calls for a re-positioning of our focus. African countries must look inwards for solutions to the very numerous challenges it faces and facing. Africa must rise to the occasion!"
In 1958, Patrice Lumumba decidedly started the struggle for the decolonization of Congo using the scarce possibilities of social action that weren’t repressed by the Belgian colonial authorities. So, he created the Congolese National Movement, which supported the creation of an independent and secular State, with unitary political structures that could help overcome the tribal differences and create a national sentiment.
After the independence of Belgium in 1960, Congo held elections and Patrice Lumumba, leader of the independentists struggle, won the presidency with a nationalist and leftist programme.
Lumumba could not prevent that the withdrawal of the Belgian army gave way to political conflict with military pronouncements, attacks on white-skinned population and generalized disturbances.
The rebellion was especially serious in the mining region of Katanga, which declared itself independent under the leadership of Tschombé. Lumumba denounced that this secession had been promoted by the Belgian government to defend the interests of the mining company that operated in that region.
Lumumba asked the UN for help, and the international organism responded by sending a small contingent of blue helmets who were incapable of restoring peace and order. Therefore, he resorted to the Soviet Union, and this was seen as a direct threat by Western powers.
The then President of the U.S., Eisenhower, then gave the order of eliminating Lumumba.
And for that, he sent CIA agent Frank Carlucci, who would then be Secretary of Defence under the administration of Ronald Reagan.
A coup d’Etat overthrew Lumumba in September 1960. He was tortured and shot by Belgian mercenaries, who dissolved his body in acid and disseminated his remains so that he could not be recognized.
Until very recently, in November 2001, the Belgian Parliament did not acknowledge the government’s responsibility in the murder of Patrice Lumumba.
He was murdered because of the great political and ideological struggle that he carried forward to propose unity as an instrument for the liberation of the African people, of the colonial yokes that were vigent by the time he began his struggle and that are still in place, such as the neocolonialism that was then being born and the North-American imperialism that was beginning to enter the African countries to add to the pillagers of the riches of the continent.
The ideas of Patrice Lumumba constituted a threat to the Western potencies that exploit the African people. Half a century later, US authorities acknowledged their implication in the overthrow and murder of the Congolese leader. Seen at a distance, his struggle is the same one that we are fighting today in Our America for a true independence.
http://www.thedawn-news.org/2016/01/20/55-years-ago-the-cia-murdered-patrice-lumumba-congolese-revolutionary-leader/