Katanga declares independence from the DRC

 July 11th, 1960, Katanga, formerly part of Congo-Léopoldville, declares independence under the leadership of Moise Tshombe. Moise Tshombe, a Christian and anti-communist politician, supported by some Europeans, declared the resource-rich province of Katanga independent of the DRC. The U.N. forces found themselves part of a civil war between the central government and Katanga, which was also supported by Rhodesia and South Africa.

Tshombe's accusations that the Congo-Léopoldville central government, under Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, was leaning more toward communism and an overall dictatorial rule, would be the fuel for Katanga's secession. Tshombe kept close ties with Belgium, even asking for Belgian Advisors to help train the Katangese Army. Tshombe wanted Katanga's independence recognized on a global scale and especially recognition from the United Nations. At the same time, Tshombe declared that any military intervention by the UN would be met with force.

Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba successfully requested UN troops to intervene in Katanga and to hopefully quell the attempted succession. On July 14th, 1960, Belgium had to withdraw all of its military troops from the Congo, including the officers sent to Katanga. If Belgium and the UN did not comply with Lumumba's requests, he would threaten to seek military aid from the Soviet Union instead of the UN and especially if the Belgian troops were not gone in 2 days.

Under the UN's Resolution 143 in order for the UN to provide 'military assistance' to the Congolese forces to allow them 'to meet fully their tasks' Belgium withdrew their support from Katanga and the UN forces started to amass. Because the Congolese army had been in disarray, Lumumba wanted to use the UN peacekeepers to subdue Katanga by force. Some of the largest controversy was Belgium's involvement with Katanga. Brussels neither inspired nor engineered Moise Tshombe's scheme of Katangese secession. Though they provided technical, financial, and military aid in order to keep Katanga stable in terms of public order and domestic security.