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| CONAKAT | |
|---|---|
| Name | CONAKAT |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Dissolved | 1965 |
| Founder | Moïse Tshombe |
| Headquarters | Lubumbashi |
| Country | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Position | Right-wing to regionalist |
| Colors | Yellow, Blue |
CONAKAT was a regionalist political movement formed in 1958 in the Katanga region of the Belgian Congo that transformed into a dominant force in southern Congolese politics during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Led by prominent figures from Katanga's European and African elite, the movement played a central role in the 1960 secession of State of Katanga and in subsequent political realignments in the newly independent Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). CONAKAT's trajectory intersected with actors and events such as Moïse Tshombe, Élisabethville, United Nations Operation in the Congo, and the wider decolonization crises involving Belgium, France, and United Kingdom diplomatic interests.
CONAKAT emerged in the late colonial period as an association of personalities from Katanga Province, including business leaders, miners, and local chiefs who sought to protect regional autonomy amid pan-African movements such as Mouvement National Congolais and Alliance des Bakongo. Founders drew support from urban centers like Lubumbashi and Kolwezi and from companies such as Union Minière du Haut Katanga. The party consolidated power during the independence transition of 1960, when tensions between provincial leaders and central authorities escalated into the secession of State of Katanga under Moïse Tshombe. During the secession, CONAKAT officials engaged with foreign governments including Belgium and actors like Katanga Gendarmerie, while confronting the United Nations mission mandated in Resolution 143 (1960) and later Operation Morthor. Following the reintegration of Katanga in 1963 and the fall of Tshombe, CONAKAT adapted to the changing political environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo by participating in coalition politics alongside parties such as Parti Solidaire Africain and Union des Populations Congolaises.
CONAKAT articulated a regionalist, pro-business, and anti-centralization platform emphasizing the autonomy of Katanga Province and the protection of mining interests tied to corporations like Union Minière du Haut Katanga and Tanganyika Concessions. Its leadership espoused conservative stances on property rights and favored close economic links with Western states including Belgium, France, and United States. In debates with national parties such as Mouvement National Congolais and Parti National du Progrès, CONAKAT promoted provincial administrative decentralization, negotiated resource control arrangements with multinational firms, and supported policies that maintained concessions for European settlers in urban enclaves like Élisabethville. Internationally, CONAKAT's posture brought it into contact with actors such as Katangese Gendarmerie commanders, mercenaries associated with figures like Mike Hoare, and diplomatic envoys from United Kingdom and France.
CONAKAT's structure combined paramilitary, municipal, and party organs centered in Lubumbashi with branches in mining towns like Kolwezi and Likasi. Leadership was dominated by a central committee headed by Moïse Tshombe, assisted by local notables, corporate managers from Union Minière, and traditional chiefs from Lunda and Tshiluba areas. The party operated through municipal councils, youth wings, and urban caucuses that coordinated with the Katanga government during the secession period. Informal networks linked CONAKAT to business entities such as Société Générale de Belgique affiliates and to transnational contacts like Belgian Special Services and expatriate mercenary groups; these networks affected recruitment, propaganda, and security arrangements. Decision-making combined elected party organs with influential patrons in the mining sector and provincial administration.
In the 1959–1960 pre-independence elections and municipal contests, CONAKAT secured significant representation in Katanga Provincial Assembly and municipal councils in Élisabethville and mining towns, outpacing national movements locally. During the 1960 national electoral period, CONAKAT-aligned candidates won a plurality of seats allocated to Katanga, enabling the party to install provincial executives and influence appointments to the national legislature of the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). After the reintegration of Katanga, CONAKAT's electoral strength waned but remained a force in provincial politics, occasionally forming electoral alliances with parties such as Parti Démocrate Chrétien and Rassemblement des Démocrates Congolais in contests to control provincial councils and parliamentary delegations.
CONAKAT formed tactical alliances with regional and international actors to sustain Katanga's autonomy. Domestically it negotiated with parties like Alliance des Bakongo and Parti Solidaire Africain for legislative compromises, and internationally it courted support from Belgium, France, and private firms including Union Minière. During the secession, the party's government engaged with mercenary leaders such as Bob Denard and Mike Hoare and faced opposition from the United Nations Operation in the Congo, which sought to end the breakaway state. Post-secession, CONAKAT's influence persisted through alliances in provincial administrations and through political figures who later participated in governments formed under leaders like Joseph-Désiré Mobutu.
CONAKAT attracted criticism for alleged collusion with colonial business interests such as Union Minière du Haut Katanga, for its role in facilitating the 1960 secession, and for employing paramilitary forces and mercenaries implicated in human rights abuses during State of Katanga conflicts. International and Congolese critics including members of Mouvement National Congolais and observers from United Nations missions accused the party of obstructing national unity and prioritizing elite economic interests over wider ethnic constituencies such as Luba and Kasaï communities. Controversies extended to post-secession accusations of corruption, electoral manipulation in municipal contests, and ties to foreign intelligence services linked to crises during the early Cold War in Central Africa.
Category:Political parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Category:Secessionist movements