Abstract: | The political personality of Patrice Lumumba (1925-1961) has always been controversial among scholars and others. To some people in the Congo (now Zaire), he was a hero, a saviour and a martyr. To others, he was a villain who plunged the newly independent country into chaos. Some see him as the first Head of State who exposed the United Nations Organization's weakness in solving international issues. Others see him as an ardent nationalist who rejected tribal alliances and worked tirelessly for a United Congo. To others again, he was a radical politician who threatened Western interests in the Congo. These perceptions are discussed in this study of the changing political personality of Lumumba. Notes, ref., sum. also in French and German. |