| Résumé/Présentation |
"The Katangese secession from Congo-Léopoldville (1960-63) happened during a particularly tense moment during the Cold War in the Third World. Several scholars have started to broaden their scope away from the restrictions of a neo-colonial framework, without obscuring the role of external involvement (Larmer and Kennes 2014; Brownell 2014; Passemiers 2016). This presentation will look at the international dimension of the Katangese state and argue in favour of a reassessment of the agency of Katangese political elites. Based on the consultation of the Moïse Tshombe Papers, a hitherto neglected archival resource kept at the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, this presentation focuses on the workings of the three most important ‘pseudo-diplomatic’ representations of Katanga, namely in Paris (Dominique Diur), New York (Michel Struelens), and Brussels (Jacques Masangu). The regime of Katanga’s president Tshombe survived for a relatively long period of time, not in the least because it succeeded in establishing an international network which mobilised mercenaries to work for the state, and reached out to extensive lobby structures in France, Belgium, and the United States. Although the Katangese political elites faced a considerable amount of constraints, ranging from (at least de jure) non-recognition by every UN member state, to conflicts with Northern Katangese population groups and the UN mission in Congo (ONUC), they succeeded in instrumentalising international actors for domestic purposes. Thus, this presentation dialogues with the literature that emphasises African agency in international relations, and literature reconsidering the Katangese secession."
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