DRC independence anniversary renews debate over unmet promises

The Democratic Republic of the Congo marked 66 years since independence with many Congolese questioning whether the country has achieved the security and self-reliance promised in 1960. Al Jazeera reported that the anniversary comes as violence in the east, poverty and dependence on outside assistance continue to shape daily life.

Belgium’s King Baudouin I formally declared Congo’s independence on June 30, 1960, during a ceremony at the Palais de la Nation in Kinshasa, then called Leopoldville, according to Al Jazeera. The event ended more than seven decades of Belgian colonial rule and drew public celebrations in the capital.

Akramm Tumsifu, a researcher on DRC history in the Great Lakes region, told Al Jazeera that Belgian authorities did not intend to relinquish control so soon. He said many in Belgium had expected independence to come around the 1980s and wanted continued access to Congo’s natural wealth.

Tumsifu described Baudouin’s address at the ceremony as paternalistic and said it showed Belgium’s wish to keep influence after the transfer of power. In the speech, Baudouin credited Belgium with bringing order and unity to the Congo Basin, a framing that Congolese historians interviewed by Al Jazeera said ignored the brutality of colonial rule.

Dany Kayeye, a historian based in Goma, told Al Jazeera that Joseph Kasavubu, who became Congo’s first president, chose a restrained diplomatic tone toward Belgian officials. Kayeye said the moment required a stronger public challenge to colonial power.

That challenge came from Patrice Émery Lumumba, Congo’s first prime minister and a central figure in the independence movement, according to Al Jazeera. Kayeye said Lumumba had not been scheduled to speak, but delivered an address that became a defining anti-colonial statement.

Lumumba used the speech to describe forced suffering, racial discrimination, political repression and exile endured by Congolese under Belgian rule, Al Jazeera reported. Tumsifu said the address angered Belgian officials and exposed the strained relationship that would follow independence.

Eastern conflict shapes the anniversary

In Bunia, children’s rights activist David Kalume told Al Jazeera that independence should mean a state able to control its territory and meet its people’s needs. He said that standard has not been met while war continues in eastern DRC and parts of the country remain outside full government control.

Kalume said armed violence, economic insecurity, poverty and discrimination make independence feel incomplete. He also told Al Jazeera that people in the east feel neglected by authorities in Kinshasa.

Noé Kabiona, a father of seven in Bunia who was born in 1963, told Al Jazeera that the country’s failures are visible in education and employment. He said Congolese scholars often seek careers abroad because they find too few opportunities at home.

Al Jazeera reported that his comments come against the background of decades of conflict in eastern DRC, where communities have been displaced and insecurity has persisted. Kabiona said he still believes the country can recover if Congolese leaders and citizens recognize the country’s value.

Kabiona also criticized DRC’s reliance on foreign assistance, telling Al Jazeera that the country often seeks financial help from the United States, Canada and others. He said the response to an Ebola outbreak should have been handled domestically.

Colonial legacy and leadership gaps

Muyisa Christophe, a pro-democracy and good governance activist with the Filimbi civic movement, told Al Jazeera that Congo’s early post-independence problems were linked partly to a shortage of trained officials in 1960. He said the country had too few educated political leaders ready to govern.

Christophe described the 66 years since independence as a long transition marked by weak preparation, insecurity, economic problems, secessions and rebellions. He said the country needs to draw lessons from that history and set priorities for recovery.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.