Patrice Lumumba Biography

Patrice Lumumba was the first democratically elected Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo. He was a Congolese independence leader who founded the mainstream Mouvement national congolais (MNC) party and played a pivotal role in Congo’s struggle for independence from Belgium. He had been a writer and civic organizer before he became active in politics. Born into the family of a farmer in Belgian Congo, he was a member of the small Batetela ethnic group. After completing his schooling he started working as a postal clerk and as a travelling beer salesman. Eventually he grew interested in politics and joined the Liberal Party of Belgium, where he primarily worked on distributing the party literature. His participation in political activities intensified over time and he helped found the broad-based Mouvement national congolais (MNC) and later became the organization's president. In spite of the fact that he hailed from a small ethnic group while his political rivals came from powerful and large ethnic groups, he succeeded in establishing himself as a popular politician. A passionate nationalist, he called for Congo’s independence from Belgium and became a major figure in Congo’s independence movement. He became the country’s first democratically elected Prime Minister in June 1960. His administration, however, did not last long, and his political career came to an abrupt end when he was assassinated in 1961