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In late 1960, the Belgian monarchy gave Congo her independence. The former "protectorate" had finally belonged to Africans. A popular leader, Patrice Lumumba prepared to govern his Congolese people to "self-determination" and free from European intervention.

Six months later, that dream died with him. Government troops mutined in the capital of Stanleyville (Brazzaville). Lumumba pleaded with the United Nations for intervention. Afterwards, he begged to the United States. They turned him down. In desperation, he allied with the Soviet Union who promptly dispensed money and arms. The American government, the CIA and a well-connected, diamond smuggler conspired to remove Lumumba's government from power. In July, 1961, soldiers kidnapped him and his vice president. For two days, they tortured them both. Immediately afterwards, they shot, and then dismembered them.

The Congo War (1961-1964) ended up with killing 600,000 Africans. Additionally, two dozen foreign hostages died by rampaging Simba rebels. Belgian mercernaries arrived to defeat the militias. To combat the Europeans, a Cuban revolutionary intervened with his squad of 200 men.

In 1965, Che Guevara began his African adventure. He lent his support of military assistant (and future dictator), Laurent Kabila. Congolese and Rwandan revolutionaries had to battle the Belgians and their American allies. A determined foe, a difficult campaign and lack of motivation turned the African mission a "fiasco".

The Cubans struggled to conduct a "people's war". Kabila wasn't an active presence on the front lines. He frustrated Guevara by blowing off important meetings with him. His role was to provide military aid to the guerrillas. Poor African had no "land hunger". Also, the plethora of tribes made it impossible to find strong allies.

Another thing Guevara disliked, was the disorganization of the Congolese movement as a whole. Rebel leaders embezzled money from the Soviet Union for their own self-indulgence. This left, the Africans completely dependent on their Cuban allies.

Guevara wrote about his Congo experience in a diary. In January, 1966, he said that Kabila had the genuine qualities of a mass leader. His boast came true in 1998. But, three years later, political enemies assassinated Kabila.

The African mission failed. Belgian and American mercernaries suppressed Guevara's Cuban and Congolese rebels. In the following year, he invaded Bolivia where death awaited him. His last act in life was being gunned down in battle. Guevara's body was displayed in the capital city of La Paz.

Learn more about this author, Marcus Brooks.
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