A FEW WEEKS ago troops statonca al Lugumodsil. in Shaba province, threatened to desert because they had received wages or provisions. So the Zaire army shipped in 1,560 sandwiches from a nearby hotel.
The episode shows — in a small way - why the Mobutu dictatorship has been unable to sort out its problems: a fall in copper exports and prices, corruption at all levels of the state machine and demoralisation in the armed forces. Mobutu's only reliable troops -apart from the pygmy bowmen — are the paratroops. The Americans hinted that he might send the paratroops to the front after the failure of other regiments — aid consignments included large supplies of parachutes! But Mobutu could not send them for fear of leaving himself unprotected.
Mobutu has iong been imperialism's man. With the CIA he played a part in handing over radical nationalist Patrice Lumumba to be murdered by Moise Ishombe's Katangan SCCeSSIOnISLS Katangans were backed by th Belgains as a means of keeping the mineral rich province in imperialist hands.
With Lumumba out of the way and Mobutu in power, secession was no longer needed. Belgian companies have a free hand in the copper mines of Kolwezi and a 40 per cent share in Gecamines, the state mining company.
It is ironic that the imperialist intervention should now centre on ine neca to keep zaire intact and prevent Katangan secession. The irony is sharpenea wnen you con sider Mobutu's backing for FLEC, ine rront tor me siberanon orlic Cabinda Enclave. FLEC is a tatty nghi-wing bunen, acvotca to the secession of an oil-rich province of Angola.
Mobutu could only consolidate his rule by repression - and that is how he has continued in power. The atrocities of Uganda's Amin lar regime hardly merits a comment.
Imperialist interest in Zaire continues to rest on its phenomena. mineral wealth - copper, cobalt, industrial diamonds other raw materials. To that has been added the need to prevent the construcuon or a Tee Det across southern Africa — in other words to stop the progress of the liberation movements. ing Ior Ine rNLA and rLEC In Angola and his commitment of euuar trooDs olring ine civ wal last year show his willingness to tall in line with that scheme But a fall in copper exports in the early 1970s has weakened the regime. Mobutu's "Zaireanisation' Doncy was mednt to Dlay orl ont section of imperialism another. Many Belgian companies were 'nationalised' while both US and French imperialism lowed to gain a foothold. But the fall in copper prices meant that a number of projects for the development of the mining industries went by the board.
At the same time the advances of the MPLA in Angola closed down the Benguela railway which used to carry an overwhelming proportion of the mineral exports from Shaba province (the former Katanga). Increased shipping costs added to the regime's economic problems.
The Ludumbashi episode and tne unrenabiy or tne troop: suggests that the crisis has penetratea to une neart or une repressive machinery.
Congo Nationa Liberation Froni (FNLC) in Shaba brought this to a head - hence the need to draft ir imperialist troops.
The FNLC was formed out of the Katangan secesionist movement of the early '60s. The Belgian backed 'gendarmes" fled to Angola where they cooperated Portuguese in putting down the liberation movements. But when ine veLA made gansacc fall of the Portuguese dictatorship brutality and economic crisis has made sure that Mobutu and his mercenaries will get little help from the people of Zaire.
and many ment?
Mobutu's back- and throughout the world.
movements in the against LIONS OL ENCH OWIL were algeoisie took over the scene.
student organisation. movement sprung up. lt political situation in the country.
uprising of the those aspects of life that characteristically between the inree main with the the Indians.
groups as a black person.
unclear how much • What is your opinion of the rise of ine Diack consciousness miove This is a very important question for revolutionaries in South Africa black power/consciousness movement, urst or all, was born al a time when the traditionally known country nal either been beaten into submission and their leaderships imprisoned or been driven into exile. This left a vacuum where the people did not have any independent organisa-