Kasavubu, Joseph

Joseph Kasavubu was born in the city of Chela ^[1] (other data is in the village of Kuma-Disy near Leopoldville ^[3] ) in a family of the Bacongo working people. He was educated in schools under Catholic missions, in a theological seminary, in 1940 received a teacher diploma ^[2] and then worked as a teacher in high school for two years. Having abandoned the career of a teacher in 1941, he joined the Belgian company Agrifer ^[2] , worked as an accountant in other private companies. In 1942 he joined the financial service of the colonial administration ^[2] , where he held the position of inspector. Since the mid-1940s, Kasavubu has been a member of the governing bodies of various local public organizations. In 1955, he became one of the authors of the ABACO Manifesto and leader of ABAKO ( French Alliance des Bakongo , the Bacongo Alliance ) ^[2] , a Congolese cultural and political organization that was one of the main opponents of the Belgian colonial administration. Kasavubu was committed to the exclusivity of the Bakongo people, preserving their traditions and strengthening the role of traditional leaders. He put forward the idea of ​​the revival of the medieval state of Congo . In January 1959 , after mass demonstrations in the capital, along with other leaders of the national opposition, he was accused by the Belgian colonial authorities of organizing rebellion and sentenced to several months in prison, but was soon released. In December 1959, he participated in a conference of political parties of the Congo, demanding immediate independence of the country, and was elected chairman of the conference. By 1960, he was mayor of Dandal, a district of Leopoldville. At the beginning of 1960, he was one of the leading representatives of the Congo at the Brussels Round Table Conference , which decided to declare the independence of the Congo. At the conference, he opposed the creation of a centralized state. In the parliamentary elections of May 11–25, 1960, the Kasavubu party won only 12 seats, losing to the party of Patrice Lumumba. An attempt to create a government coalition led by Kasavubu failed ^{[3] [4]} , but on June 24, 1960, he was elected by Parliament as the first president of the independent Republic of Congo ^{[1] [3]} . Immediately after independence was declared on June 30, 1960, the country was plunged into a civil war , the center of which was the Katanga province, rich in mineral resources. The situation was aggravated by the conflict between conservative President Kasavubu and his Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba , who had left-wing nationalist views. The open confrontation of the two first persons of the state caused paralysis of the central government. Ultimately, on September 5, 1960, Kasavubu and Lumumba announced each other's resignation.

Uncertainty continued until September 14 , when Army Commander Joseph Mobutu openly sided with Casavubu. Lumumba, who formed a parallel government in Stanleyville in northern Congo, was soon captured by separatist forces operating in the southern province of Katanga, and was shot dead in January 1961 . Meanwhile, the Gizenga government in Stanleyville on March 21, 1961 officially stripped Kasavub of his presidency for violating the constitution. ^[4]

Over the next years, Kasavubu approved a number of governments operating in an ongoing civil war, and was eventually forced to appoint Moise Chomba , the former leader of the separatist movement in Katanga, after he announced an amnesty to members of the separatist movement on November 26, 1962. ^[5] .

On November 25, 1965, Joseph Mobutu re-seized power, having deposed President Casavubu this time and was later proclaimed head of state, remaining them for the next 30-plus years. Kasavubu was exiled to his farm near Boma in Lower Congo, where, deprived of funds and medical assistance, he died 3 and a half years later, on March 24, 1969. Later, a mausoleum was built on his grave and a monument was unveiled ^[1] .

• Vinogradov Yu.N. Kasavubu, Joseph // Gl.red. A.M. Vasiliev Africa. Encyclopedia. - M .: Russian Academy of Sciences. Institute of Africa. Publishing house "Encyclopedia". INFRA-M Publishing House, 2010.- T. 2 . - S. 31 .
• Vinogradov Yu.N. Kasavubu, Joseph // Africa. Encyclopedic reference book. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1986.- T. 1 . - S. 633 .
• Kasavubu, Joseph // Soviet Historical Encyclopedia . - M .: State Scientific Publishing House "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1965. - T. 7 . - S. 83 .
• Kasavubu, Joseph // Big Russian Encyclopedia . - M .: Great Russian Encyclopedia , 2009 .-- T. 13 . - S. 263 .
• Joseph Kasavubu (People and Events) // New Time . - M. , 1960. - No. 30 . - S. 30 .

• La photo de Joseph Kasa-Vubu, Charles Kisolokele, et J. Diangenda (French) . Mbokamosika. Date of treatment November 16, 2012. Archived November 20, 2012.
• Joseph Kasavubu (Spanish) . Biografías y Vidas. Date of treatment November 16, 2012. Archived November 20, 2012.