On 16^th January 2001, Laurent Desire Kabila, President of Congo, was assassinated by one of his security guard. Congo has been at a long drawn war sponsored by US imperialists through ruling establishments of Rwanda and Uganda. The people of Congo mourned his death with a show of anger, firmness and yet calmness. According to reports nearly 2 million people came out on to the streets of the capital Kinshasha to bid farewell to the slain leader.

Congo, a large country in the heart of Africa with a population of 55 million, has long been a victim of imperialist aggression and subversion. At stake have been no less that the world’s largest war material resources including gold and diamonds, as well as rare metals such as wolfram and nickel. It is noteworthy that five American-British corporations have controlled mining regions since the reign of Mobutu.

Congo, earlier a Belgian colony, saw the end of direct colonial rule on June 30, 1960 and Patrice Lumumba was elected President. This was obviously not to the liking of imperialist powers. After only eight months in power, Patrice Lumumba was killed by the mercenaries in a CIA plot and Mobutu was installed in power by imperialists. Mulele, who continued the resistance after murder of Lumumba, was savagely murdered.

Long reign of Mobutu was marked by dominance of imperialist powers in all spheres of life. It is noteworthy that five American-British companies have controlled mining regions since the reign of Mobutu. Gradually the people’s resistance against Mobutu grew and in the backdrop of growing contradiction between US and French imperialists in Central Africa, Mobutu was overthrown. Towards the end of Mobutu’s rule, US imperialists, realizing that the end of Mobutu was close and hoping to install their own men in power, supported the ouster of Mobutu. US hoped that with the help of its allies, the govts. of Rwanda and Uganda, it would be able to control Kabila.

Soon after Kabila came to power a giant US multinational corporation Bechtel presented a “development plan” which had two important aspects: “respect for international financial community” and “exploitation of natural resources of Congo.” Kabila’s govt. did not accept this plan and instead prepared an alternate plan promising that Congo could produce 20 times as much food as required for a country where the average person does not get more than a meal a day. This envisaged large-scale investment in agriculture.

US imperialists were not to take this “disobedience”. On August 2, 1998 the Rwandan and Ugandan forces backed by US imperialism launched war against Congo taking the excuse of “genocide” of Rwandan Hutus in Eastern Congo. This war has continued for the last two and a half years. Nearly 200,000 have perished in combat and nearly 15 lakhs have been claimed to have died in Eastern Congo due to the consequences of war, of hunger and diseases. What US imperialists thought to be a short swift war has turned out to be long war in which the forces sponsored by them have been on the losing side. Govts. of Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia have been supporting Kabila govt.

UN Security Council through a resolution on April 9, 1999 asked the “forces which had not been invited into Congo” to withdraw. US vetoed this resolution. It is obvious that Rwanda and Uganda could not continue their aggression against much larger Congo but for the support from USA. As was observed in Belgian paper Solidaire, “Without the support of the United States, France and Belgium, two small countries which produce nothing more than tea, coffee, and bananas, would have never dared to attack a huge country of 55 million inhabitants and immeasurable extractive wealth”.

With their war against Congo not succeeding, imperialists have hatched the conspiracy to liquidate the leader of Congo. The security guard who killed Kabila could enter the Marble Palace armed, without being on duty and could enter the President’s chamber unchecked, showing the good degree of organization. The assassin was shot dead on the spot and the chief of security too was killed. All these point to a well-entrenched conspiracy.

It was natural that the Congo Govt., caught unaware, took time to ensure that matters did not escalate into conflict within the Army and the population on tribal lines. Imperialist powers have since long been utilizing tribal and ethnic divisions in African countries to impose their will and rule over these countries. Media of the imperialist countries planted inspired stories about different personalities being behind the assassination with the motive to foment trouble. Imperialists had hoped that tribal conflicts would break out in Congo after assassination of Kabila and create the conditions for their intervention. They also hoped that the new administration may be more amenable to their manoeuvreing.

But the Congolese maintained a determined calm to frustrate the imperialist designs. However, imperialists will not be deterred from making troubles in Congo and the people of Congo have to be vigilant against these designs. At the heart continues to be the control of the vast resources of the region, which the imperialists, particularly US imperialism, want to anyhow control.