Jason Sendwe

Jason Sendwe
Jason Sendwe at the first session of the Belgo-Congolese Round Table Conference in 1960
Deputy Prime Minister of Congo-Léopoldville
In office 2 August 1961 – December 1962
President	Joseph Kasa-Vubu
Prime Minister	Cyrille Adoula
Personal details
Born	Belgian Congo
Died	July 1964 Democratic Republic of the Congo
Political party	Association Générale des Baluba de Katanga (1957–1964)

Jason Sendwe (died July 1964) was a Congolese politician and a leader of the Association Générale des Baluba de Katanga (BALUBAKAT) party. Drawing on substantial popularity in northern Katanga Province, he posed a great political threat to Tshombe's secessionist State of Katanga from 1960–1963. He also served as deputy prime minister from 1961–1962.

Jason Sendwe grew up as a Methodist in Élisabethville, Belgian Congo. He was childhood friends with Moïse Tshombe. He later became a medical assistant.

In 1957 Sendwe founded and became president of the Association Générale des Baluba de Katanga (BALUBAKAT) party to represent the interests of the Baluba people people of the Katanga Province and organize for upcoming municipal elections. He initially shared the xenophobic stances of Tshombe's Confédération des associations tribales du Katanga (CONAKAT) party, but soon grew concerned that its hostility toward immigrants would extend to incoming Baluba. Sendwe was also concerned with Tshombe's close connections to the Belgians.

In the national election for the Republic of the Congo's independence in May 1960 Sendwe earned a seat in Parliament as a representative from Élisabethville with 20,282 preferential votes. Though CONAKAT held a slight electoral majority and controlled the provincial government, Sendwe was appointed by Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba to be the state commissioner for Katanga. In July Tshombe led the province into secession but actively sought Sendwe's support, hoping to build a coalition that would bring him in as vice-president of an independent Katanga. Sendwe rejected the idea, rupturing relations between them.