Declaration
Independence of the Congo, 1960
Belgium transferred sovereignty over the Belgian Congo at a ceremony in Léopoldville on 30 June 1960, with Joseph Kasa-Vubu as President and Patrice Lumumba as Prime Minister of the newly independent Republic of the Congo.
What happened
At a ceremony at the Palais de la Nation in Léopoldville on 30 June 1960, Belgium transferred sovereignty over the Belgian Congo, with Joseph Kasa-Vubu becoming President and Patrice Lumumba becoming Prime Minister of the newly independent Republic of the Congo. In his speech at the ceremony, Lumumba said: "Men and women of the Congo, victorious independence fighters, I salute you in the name of the Congolese Government," and told the assembled crowd that "independence was won in struggle, a persevering and inspired struggle carried on from day to day," adding, "it was filled with tears, fire and blood. We are deeply proud of our struggle, because it was just and noble."[1]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: At a ceremony at the Palais de la Nation in Léopoldville on 30 June 1960, Belgium transferred sovereignty over the Belgian Congo, with Joseph Kasa-Vubu becoming President and Patrice Lumumba becoming Prime Minister. In his speech, Lumumba said: "Men and women of the Congo, victorious independence fighters, I salute you in the name of the Congolese Government," and that "independence was won in struggle, a persevering and inspired struggle carried on from day to day," which "was filled with tears, fire and blood. We are deeply proud of our struggle, because it was just and noble."
- Lumumba, Patrice, Speech at the Ceremony of the Proclamation of the Congo's Independence (Marxists Internet Archive, 30 June 1960) link, speech text. Government perspective or primary official source Source record