Patrice Lumumba

"Lumumba" redirects here. For other uses, see Lumumba (disambiguation).

Patrice Lumumba
Photograph of Patrice Lumumba in 1960
Lumumba in 1960
1st Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In office
24 June – 5 September 1960[a]
PresidentJoseph Kasa-Vubu
DeputyAntoine Gizenga
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byJoseph Iléo
1st Minister of National Defense
In office
24 June 1960 – 5 September 1960
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byFerdinand Kazadi[b]
Personal details
Born
Élias Okit'Asombo

(1925-07-02)2 July 1925
Katakokombe, Congo-Kasaï, Belgian Congo[c]
Died17 January 1961(1961-01-17) (aged 35)
near Élisabethville, State of Katanga[d]
Manner of deathAssassination by firing squad
Political partyMNC
Spouse
​
(m. 1951)​
Children

Patrice Émery Lumumba[e] (/lʊˈmʊmbə/ ⓘ;[3] 2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961), born Isaïe Tasumbu Tawosa,[4] was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic of the Congo) from June until September 1960, following the May 1960 election. He was the leader of the Congolese National Movement (MNC) from 1958 until his assassination in 1961. Ideologically an African nationalist and pan-Africanist, he played a significant role in the transformation of the Congo from a colony of Belgium into an independent republic.

Shortly after Congolese independence in June 1960, a mutiny broke out in the army, marking the beginning of the Congo Crisis. After a coup, Lumumba attempted to escape to Stanleyville to join his supporters who had established a new anti-Mobutu state called the Free Republic of the Congo. Lumumba was captured en route by state authorities under Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, sent to the State of Katanga and, with the help of Belgian partisans, tortured and executed by the separatist Katangan authorities of Moïse Tshombe. He was seen as a martyr for the pan-African movement. In 2002, Belgium formally apologised for its role in the execution.


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  1. ^ a b c Zeilig 2015, Section: Wives, lovers and children.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference britannica was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Lumumba". Collins English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 16 October 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  4. ^ Mulumba 2019, p. 251.