The People's Republic of the Congo was a short-lived rival government proclaimed by the Simba rebels in the city of Stanleyville during the Simba rebellion.
By August 1964, Simba rebels had captured Stanleyville where a 1,500-man ANC force fled leaving behind weapons and vehicles which the Simba rebels captured. The attack consisted of a charge, led by shamans, with forty Simba warriors. No shots were fired by the Simba rebels.[1] Following the conquest of Stanleyville, the rebels proclaimed a "People's Republic of the Congo" (République populaire du Congo) while portraying the existing Congolese government as Western puppet regime.[2]
Aftermath
Orientale province
On 6 March 1966 government forces recaptured Ponthierville (modern Ubundu) which has been under rebel control since August 1964.[3] One day later 200 rebels with Chinese made rifles were captured near Poko.[4] On 13 April government captured Bondo and Opala in the north, followed by Bafwasende on 5 May.[5] In June 1966 government forces entered Batama.
On 27 May 1967 while being chased by government forces general Simba leader Gaston Ngalo had killed a European nun he was holding hostage since 1964, Winnie Davies. Father Alphonse Strijbosh managed to escape, he was the last European hostage in rebel hands.[6]
On 8 January 1969 Gaston Ngalo was captured and subsequently executed in Kisangani.[7]
The remaining Simba rebels were mainly concentrated along the Pende-Mende-Wamaza-Kongolo road, where they still enjoyed substantial local support. On 14 July, this area was designated as the area for Operation South's Phase Four to contain and eliminate the last insurgents. However, this phase was never carried out due to the outbreak of the Stanleyville mutinies.
The republic operated a radio station (Radio Stanleyville, later renamed Radio Uhuru). News was broadcast in the four national languages: Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba, and Swahili. It also had an official newspaper, "Le Martyr" (The Martyr).[8]
References
Stapleton, Tim (2017). "Refugee-warriors and other people's wars in post-colonial Africa: the experience of Rwandese and South African military exiles (1960–94)". In Falola, Toyin; Mbah, Emmanuel (eds.). Dissent, Protest and Dispute in Africa. New York City: Routledge. pp.241–259. ISBN978-1-138-22003-4.
↑Kinder, Hermann; Hilgemann, Werner (1978). The Anchor Atlas of World History. Vol.2. Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor Books. p.268. ISBN978-0-385-06178-0.
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