Belgian authorities held major municipal elections in cities, including Léopoldville, on 8 December 1957. ABAKO performed strongly in Léopoldville, showing that mass, party-based politics could mobilize large numbers of Congolese voters. These results helped push political demands beyond limited “evolué” (elite) circles and toward broader independence organizing.
Patrice Lumumba and other leaders launched the Mouvement National Congolais (MNC) in October 1958. Unlike many parties organized around specific regions or ethnic groups, the MNC aimed to operate nationwide and promoted Congolese unity. Its creation raised the political stakes by linking independence to a national program rather than a local one.
In Katanga, leaders formed CONAKAT in 1958 to advance a strongly regional political program. The party emphasized Katanga’s interests and became a major counterweight to parties calling for a strong unitary (single, centralized) Congolese state. This early split between national and regional visions would shape independence negotiations.
Delegates from the Belgian Congo attended the first All-African Peoples’ Conference in Accra in December 1958. The meeting brought together anti-colonial parties and trade union leaders from across Africa and encouraged coordination across colonies. For Congolese activists, it strengthened international connections and sharpened arguments for rapid independence.
In 1959, internal conflict split the MNC into rival wings associated with Patrice Lumumba and Albert Kalonji. The split reflected deeper disagreements over whether the future Congo should be tightly unified or more federal (with strong regional powers). This weakened a single nationalist front even as it broadened political competition.
On 4 January 1959, unrest erupted in Léopoldville after colonial authorities blocked an ABAKO gathering. The violence and the harsh response demonstrated that the colonial government was losing control of public order in the capital. The riots became a clear signal that gradual reforms were unlikely to contain demands for independence.
On 13 January 1959, King Baudouin addressed Belgium by radio and said Belgium would work toward full independence for the Belgian Congo. While it did not set a date, the speech marked a major change in official policy language after the Léopoldville violence. Congolese parties interpreted it as confirmation that independence was now negotiable.
The Parti Solidaire Africain (PSA) was formally established on 1 February 1959, as new nationalist parties expanded quickly after the 1959 unrest. PSA leaders, including Antoine Gizenga and Cléophas Kamitatu, built support in parts of southwestern Congo and argued for major political and social change. The party added strength to the push for faster, broader decolonization than Belgium had planned.
In late October 1959, serious unrest broke out in Stanleyville (now Kisangani) and Patrice Lumumba was arrested in the aftermath. His detention became a major political issue for nationalist parties as negotiations approached. Pressure to include leading figures like Lumumba helped shape who could credibly speak for Congo in Brussels.
ABAKO, PSA, and MNC-Kalonji cooperated as a “Cartel” and met at Kisantu in late December 1959. The congress adopted positions demanding immediate and full independence and discussed how elections could produce a Congolese-led government. This coordination showed parties trying to build bargaining power before talks with Belgium.
The Political Round Table in Brussels ran from 20 January to 20 February 1960, bringing Belgian leaders together with Congolese parties and traditional chiefs. Delegates quickly agreed on immediate independence and fixed the date for 30 June 1960, even though many practical details were unresolved. Lumumba was released and arrived in Brussels during the talks, reinforcing the conference’s link to mass nationalist politics.
General elections were held on 22 May 1960 to form the institutions that would govern after independence. Lumumba’s MNC-L emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly, while other major parties (including PSA and ABAKO) also won significant seats. The results set the stage for coalition bargaining and the final transfer of power.
On 30 June 1960, the Belgian Congo became independent as the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Léopoldville). At the official ceremony, Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba delivered a speech emphasizing that independence was won through struggle rather than granted as a gift. The moment marked the movement’s immediate political goal—ending colonial rule—while highlighting unresolved tensions about the country’s direction.
Decolonization Political Movements and Parties in the Congo (1957–1960)