Albert Kalonji

Albert Kalonji (also Kalondji ) ( born June 16, 1929 in Hemptinne, Kasai - Occidental) is a politician of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Political career

Kalonji is derived from the former province of Kasai and belongs to the Bantu people of the youwill. He attended a mission school and at the end of the 1950s the leadership of the youwill in the Belgian Congo.

Towards the end of Belgian rule, he founded, together with Patrice Lumumba Mouvement National Congolais the party (MNC ). Because the question of whether the independent Congo should get a federal or zentralisisches character, Kalonji is triggered in July 1959 by Lumumba's MNC and agreed to an alliance with Joseph Kasavubu ABAKO in January 1960. His became known as Kalonji MNC group later lost a few supporters, including the future Prime Minister Cyrille Adoula who criticized that the party was too fixated on tribal interests rather than the state as a whole.

Even before the official independence of the Congo on 30 June 1960 announced South Kasai its secession from the general government. The wealth of the province was the largest production of industrial diamonds that have been funded by the Belgian Forminière.

Diamonds Emperor

On August 8, 1960, South Kasai formally declared under the name of budget autonomous du Sud - Kasai for independent with Kalonji as President and Joseph Ngalula as head of government. Capital was Bakawanga. Kalonjis father was awarded on 12 April 1961 by a paramount chief of the Assembly of Notables title of Mulopwe. This thanked immediately in favor of his son, who now called himself Albert I.. In Europe, he was also known as Emperor diamonds. The motto of his policy towards his subjects was débrouillez -vous ( Help yourself ).

Shortly before, in February, he had entered into an alliance against Lumumba with the President of Katanga, Moise Tshombe and Kasavubu Prime Minister Joseph Ileo.

On the death of Lumumba and the version is represented that he had originally should not be brought to Tshombe after Elizabethville but according to Bakawanga Kalonji, who wanted there to celebrate his murder. Only the fact that at the airfield were UN troops present, have led to the onward journey to Elizabethville. According to other accounts, it had Kalonji considered at the last minute otherwise and let yourself block the airfield. During the year 1961, the central government strengthened its position with respect to the fallen provinces, including through the deployment of UN troops. After Tshombe had arranged with the central government was captured after heavy losses fighting and imprisoned Kalonji of the year 1961/1962 Kalonjis territory. He was placed in a military camp in Lépoldville. On September 7, 1962, he escaped from prison, his attempt to establish his rule in South Kasai again failed within one month. The province was later divided into the two provinces of Kasai Oriental and Kasai Occidental -.

More career

Kalonji first left the Congo and went to Geneva. In 1964 he took over the government of Tshombe the Ministry of Agriculture

In 2005 he published a book about his view of the events of that time and took a trip to the USA to introduce it there.