Congolese Round Table Conference

Patrice Lumumba of the MNC at the Round Table Conference in Brussels, 26 January 1960.

The Belgian-Congolese Round Table Conference (French: Table ronde belgo-congolaise) was a meeting organized in two parts[1] in 1960 in Brussels (January 20 – February 20[2] and April 26 – May 16 [3]) between on the one side representatives of the Congolese political class and chiefs (French: chefs coutumiers) and on the other side Belgian political and business leaders.[2] The round table meetings led to the adoption of sixteen resolutions on the future of Belgian Congo and its institutional reforms. With a broad consensus, the date for independence was set on June 30, 1960.

History

The idea for a round table conference was first formulated in 1959 by the Congolese Labour Party (PTC, French: Parti Travailliste Congolais).[4] It gathered support from the Bakongo Alliance (ABAKO) and the Belgian Socialist Party (PSB).[4] The idea of a bilateral conference aimed at organizing the independence of the Belgian colony was in turn adopted by the minister of Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi, August de Schryver, who was also the leader of the Christian Social Party, Belgium's largest political party at the time.[5] Several factors contributed to this idea taking shape, including:

The outside of the Hotel Plaza in Brussels where the conference took place.

The creation of a large scale Belgian-Congolese dialogue was also compatible with a speech from Belgian King Baudouin broadcast on January 13, 1959. Where he expressed the desire to "lead the Congolese populations, without harmful procrastination, but also without thoughtless haste, toward independence, in prosperity, and in peace."[10]

On January 3, 1960 the Belgian government announced it was convening a round table conference with the goal of helping the Congolese transition from colonial rule to independence.[3] The official opening of negotiations was 17 days later, January 20, with a speech of Prime minister Gaston Eyskens.[11]

Participants

Congolese delegation

Joseph Kasa-Vubu, future President of the Congo, who participated in the Round Table talks

The following notable Congolese political movements and representatives were present:[5]

Besides a certain number of chefs coutumiers who were also invited to reduce the proportion of key independence figures[11] in the Congolese delegation, it is also worth noting the presence of then journalist, and Patrice Lumumba's secretary, Joseph Mobutu,[11] who would later come to seize power during a coup in 1965.

Belgian delegation

On the Belgian side, among others, the following people were present:[11]

Étienne Davignon, future vice-president of the European Commission, was also at the conference attached to the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Results

At the end of the conference, the following notable resolutions were adopted:[1]

See also

References

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