State of Katanga
| State of Katanga | ||||||||||
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État du Katanga Inchi ya Katanga |
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| Unrecognized state | ||||||||||
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Motto "Force, espoir et Paix dans la Prosperite" (French) "Power, Hope and Peace in Prosperity" |
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Anthem La Katangaise "The Katangese" |
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 1961 territorial control in Congo. Katanga shown in green.
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| Capital | Élisabethville | |||||||||
| Languages |
French Kongo Swahili · Tshiluba |
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| Religion | Christianity, Baluba religion, Bantu religion | |||||||||
| Government | Republic | |||||||||
| President | Moise Tshombe | |||||||||
| Historical era | Congo Crisis | |||||||||
| • | Congolese independence | 30 June 1960 | ||||||||
| • | Secession | 11 July 1960 | ||||||||
| • | Kasai secessiona | 8 August 1960 | ||||||||
| • | Defeated | 15 January 1963 | ||||||||
| Currency | Katangese franc | |||||||||
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| a. | Until 30 December 1961. | |||||||||
The Republic of Katanga was a breakaway state that proclaimed its independence from the Republic of Congo-Léopoldville on 11 July 1960 under Moise Tshombe, leader of the local CONAKAT (Confédération des associations tribales du Katanga) party. The new Katangese government did not enjoy full support throughout the province, especially in the northern Baluba areas. The state is now Katanga Province, part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The declaration of independence was made with the support of Belgian business interests and over 6,000 Belgian troops. Tshombe was known to be close to the Belgian industrial companies which mined Katanga's rich resources of copper, gold and uranium. Katanga was one of the richest and most developed areas of the Congo. Without Katanga, Congo would lose a large part of its mineral assets and consequently government income. The view of the Congolese central government and a large section of international opinion was that this was an attempt to create a Belgian-controlled puppet state run for the benefit of the mining interests. Belgium did not officially recognise the new state, despite providing it with military assistance. A military force designated the Katanga Gendarmerie, raised by the Tshombe government, was initially organised and trained by Belgian Army officers and subsequently by European mercenaries.
Shortly after the chaotic dissolution of the Belgian Congo, President Moise Tshombe proclaimed Katanga, one of the territory's wealthiest provinces which had accounted for nearly fifty per cent of Congolese revenues, an independent and autonomous nation. According to Tshombe and his officials at the time, this action was taken to secede from chaos and because the current regime under Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba was seeking help from a communist source. The Katangese government went on to appeal for Belgian military aid to support their unilateral declaration of independence. Tshombe was also seeking support and recognition from the United States for his cause, as he felt that they shared a common concern for possible exploitation of the Congo Crisis by the Soviet Union.
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Wikipedia