| On June 30th, an independent Republic of the Congo was created with Joseph Kasavubu as President and Patrice Lumumba as Premier. A civil war broke out when Moise Tshombe declared the Kantaga province independent. The Congo government appealed to the U.N. for aid and troops were dispatched. Kasavubu tried dismissing Lumumba, who had asked for assistance from the Soviet bloc. When Lumumba refused to be relieved, Col. Joseph Mobutu commander of the Congo military took over the government. Lumumba was captured and killed. The secession in Kantaga finally came to an end in 1964 when government forces took Albertville. |
