Issue and Opponent: The issue was the oppression of the Congo under colonization and occupation by the Belgian government. This was led by many, including the Alliance des Bakango party (ABAKO) and the Parti Solidaire Africain.
Dilemma Action: The assumption underlying this action was that the people of a country should have a say in its rules. No other country should dictate laws and extract profits from another. After a riot in which 34 Africans were killed, the ABAKO party wasn’t allowed to assemble, increasing tensions. During the earlier years of the 50s, the Belgian government in the Congo increasingly focused on paperwork, documentation, and resolving problematic situations. Essentially, those in power ignored such incidents and didn’t report them to save their jobs. After the ABAKO party was banned, more people “tested” the government, refusing to show up for the census,’ responding slowly to administrators, or talking back and fighting with Europeans. Because of restraints, there was little reaction to these incidents, giving the people more power. In 1959, the Belgian government held elections for Congolese representatives loyal to the Belgian government to gain formal power, allowing Congolese men to vote. The Parti Solidaire and ABAKO organized a successful election boycott. The tactic used here was political non-cooperation through the boycott of the election. Belgium could either punish the Congolese for not participating in elections or acknowledge the puppet government was not elected by the Congolese.
Outcomes: The Belgian government first attempted to arrest those who boycotted the election, but it was too widely practiced to enforce. In the Bas-Congo region, only 5.7% of the population voted. In the Kuyilu district, only 1.2% of the population voted. In other districts, the voting percentage varied from 30-60%. In 1960, Belgium invited 96 Congolese to a meeting. Belgium proposed a 4-year pullout, to which the Congolese demanded independence immediately. Political turmoil within the Congo ensued after free elections were set, but the military rebelled, taking power over the government. This action was part of a bigger campaign for Congolese independence and general freedom from colonization.