Katanga - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

History

According to the legends the first inhabitants would be Pygmies. Since the 17th century, the territory was controlled by the ethnos groups Luba and Lunda. The inhabitants used Croisettes of copper like currency since the 10th century. It is a currency of exchange hardly less invaluable than the ivory. The copper smelting was reserved for a sect male called " eaters of cuivre". The symbol par excellence of Katanga is copper. Its oldest representation is the small cross of this metal. The production of copper was seasonal (dry season for the harvest of malachite then, in October, cast iron in a ground furnace). The quantity of copper extracted from this way is estimated at + 15 tons per annum. Casting was made in a sand mould in the shape of cross.

Then, one stretched it in copper wire various thicknesses. At the end of the 19th century, a tradesman of Tanzania, Me Siri, founded a transitory kingdom which will last until its death, at the time of the taking possession of the territory by the Belgians in 1891. Me siri had been delivered to the draft of the slaves and exchanged its subjects with tradesmen souaheli, Arabic, Portuguese or Mbundu against rifles. Under Belgian control starting from 1884, the mineral resources were intensely exploited by european companies and Belgians in particular (primarily the mining Union of High Katanga ). As the draft of the blacks had depopulated the area the colonial administation off-set tens of thousands of Lubas (of Katanga North or Kasai), of Angolan, of Rhodésiens, of Ruandais as hard-working forced for the mines (the forced labor was abandoned a few years after the second world war). The province known the arrival of a few tens of thousands of colonists. With the construction of the Railroad BCK connecting the province to Port-Francqui Katanga experienced a specific development and became a large pillar of the Congolese economy.

Following the independence of the Democratic republic of Congo in June 1960, Katanga made secession of the government of Patrice Lumumba in July and declared its independence under the impulse of Moïse Tshombe and the mediums of business pro-Westerners. Lumumba was relieved in September 1960 at the time of a coup d'etat orchestrated by Joseph Mobutu. Tshombe then calls upon mercenaries, with of which Tony of Saint-Paul, ex Sous-lieutenant of the French Army, and Bob Denard; of end 1960 at January 1963, they will be the " affreux".
The military forces under the aegis of the the United Nations conducted a two year old campaign to reinstate Katanga in Congo, concluded by a national plan of conciliation in January 1963.

In 1966 the government nationalized the Mining Union of High Katanga , under the name of Gécamines . In 1971, Katanga taken the name of Shaba (Copper in Swahili). During Years 1970, several insurrections were subdued by the central government with the assistance of foreign countries. In 1978 for example, on May 13rd, 4.000 rebels from Angola occupied the town of Kolwezi, the principal mining center of the province. The national army was unable to hold the shock. Some 700 Africans and 280 Europeans found death during this invasion. Zaire required the assistance of the the United States of America, of the France, the Morocco and the Belgium to restore the order. The 2.800 European nationals remainder were saved by the 2nd regiment foreign parachutists leads by colonel Erulin. However there is always the rumor with Kolwezi that in fact the Zairean secret services shot at Europeans in order to utilize the armies Belgian and French.

In 1993 after the collapse of the Soviet block, the international community makes pressure on Mobutu so that it democratizes the country. Following a broad national consultation initiated by the President, a National conference known as sovereign was organized. At the conclusion of this Conference chaired by Mgr Laurent Mossengo, Etienne Tshisekedi]], a luba of Kasai, are elected Prime Minister. This election caused fatal confrontations between Katangais " of origine" and Kasaiens living in Katanga.Du side katangais, the inspirer of the movement was the Governor Gabriel Kyungu wa Kumwanza (Luba of Katanga. This situation generated solid masses displacement of Kasaiens and their job loss. For one long period, the two communities are remained in an antagonism which was fustigated by the civil society and in particular the Episcopal conference of the Catholic church of Katanga.

The province took again the name of Katanga in 1997, after the exile of Mobutu.

Demography

The population of Katanga is of 8.167.240 in 2003, with 49,7% men and 50,3% women, and a growth rate of 3,9% per annum. 61,5% of the inhabitants have less than 20 years, and 52% less than 15 years.

The various ethnos groups of the province are generally mixed, because of the various migrations during the last centuries (conquests, industralisation). The dominant groups are the Luba S, Arunds (gathering the Lunda S, Tchokwé S, the Luena S, the Ndemba S, the Minungu S), the Sanga S and the Lamba S. the ethnic minorities are the Bambote, the Bayazi, the Ndembo S and the Kalwena S.

See too

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