Toppling Lumumba: Canada’s Dark Role in the Congo

[Judi Lynn]

Toppling Lumumba: Canada’s Dark Role in the Congo
July 14, 2016
by Yves Engler

56 years ago today the United Nations launched a peacekeeping force that contributed to one of the worst post-independence imperial crimes in Africa. The Organisation des Nations Unies au Congo (ONUC) delivered a major blow to Congolese aspirations by undermining elected Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. Canada played a significant role in ONUC and Lumumba’s assassination, which should be studied by progressives demanding Ottawa increase its participation in UN “peacekeeping”.

After seven decades of brutal rule, Belgium organized a hasty independence in the hopes of maintaining control over the Congo’s vast natural resources. When Lumumba was elected to pursue a genuine de-colonization, Brussels instigated a secessionist movement in the eastern part of country. In response, the Congolese Prime Minister asked the UN for a peacekeeping force to protect the territorial integrity of the newly independent country. Washington, however, saw the UN mission as a way to undermine Lumumba.

Siding with Washington, Ottawa promoted ONUC and UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold’s controversial anti-Lumumba position. 1,900 Canadian troops participated in the UN mission between 1960 and 1964, making this country’s military one of its more active members. There were almost always more Canadian officers at ONUC headquarters then those of any other nationality and the Canadians were concentrated in militarily important logistical positions including chief operations officer and chief signals officer.

Canada’s strategic role wasn’t simply by chance. Ottawa pushed to have Canada’s intelligence gathering signals detachments oversee UN intelligence and for Quebec Colonel Jean Berthiaume to remain at UN headquarters to “maintain both Canadian and Western influence.” (A report from the Canadian Directorate of Military Intelligence noted, “Lumumba’s immediate advisers… have referred to Lt. Col. Berthiaume as an ‘imperialist tool’.”)

More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/07/14/toppling-lumumba-canadas-dark-role-in-the-congo/

[center]

Patrice Émery Lumumba

[applegrove]

1. Did not know that. Shame on us.

[TexasProgresive]

2. We will never know what the Congo

Could've been had the N. American and European PTB had not destroyed Lumumba's dream of Pan Africa. Greed won and the world lost.

[milestogo]

3. Let's not forget the role of the CIA

which is elaborated in this presentation:

[Judi Lynn]

4. I've gone part of the way into this video, and wanted to tell you it's excellent. Thank you. n/t

[milestogo]

5. Lumumba was killed 3 days before JFK was inaugurated president in 1961.

That was no coincidence.