Siege of Jadotville tonight, along with Wings of Rean as a preshow.
Jadotville is the backdrop to cold war espionage and is a fascinating piece of history.
In the middle of the year 1960, the Congo state declared independence from Belgium as a colony. Patrice Lumumba was declared the first Prime Minister and sort greater autonomy for his country by aligning himself closer to the Soviets. He's the guy mentioned at 3:21 in "Born fe Rebel - Steel Pulse" from T.H.U.G 2.
Belgium did not like this, as they would lose access to the Congo's lucrative mining operations. Patrice would last 2 months before Belgium backed mercenaries would have the state of Katanga break away from the Congo, triggering a crisis. The Mercs would then train the Katangans in warfare, kidnap Patrice and execute him early 1961.
Our movie takes place here. Jadotville is a small mining town in the middle of Katanga that Irish Peacekeepers from the UN would hold while the politicians in New York tried to sort out this mess. 100 Irish troops would fight off a 3,000 strong militia over 8 days of heavy fighting with no losses for the Irish while it's estimated that 300 - 1,000 Katanga militia would die trying to take the town. The U.N Sec-General's plane was also "Shot Down" on his way to the Congo to mediate a peace deal between the Congo and Katanga.
The leader of Katanga, Moise Tshombe, would use extensive British, French, Belgium, Rhodesian and South African mercs while receiving help from the CIA. The leader of the mercs was Roger Faulques. He's a WW2 vet who served with the Marquis, joined the Legion, fought in the first French Indo-China war, shot 4 times and left for dead by his 80% depleted company, found by the Vietminh and traded and then spent 6 years recovering. He's as hard as nails and knows war.
The Irish Peacekeepers would eventually be forced to surrender after running out of ammo and water. They'd spend a month as hostages before being swapped in a prisoner exchange. When they got back to Ireland, they were disgraced and told not to speak of this ever again. It was only in 2005 that a full review of the battle would happen and recognition follow. Belgium would also apologize for the help in the assassination of Patrice in 2004. The CIA or the Americans never apologized.
> Malcolm X declared Patrice "the greatest black man who ever walked the African continent".
Mainly because Patrice was in reality what Malcolm was trying to be, a socialist revolutionary leader.
> Malcolm X detested Tshombe as an "Uncle Tom", and in a 1964 speech in New York called him "the worst African ever born" and "the man who in cold blood, cold blood, committed an international crime – murdered Patrice Lumumba".
Such an interesting time.
https://8chan.tv/view/c2436d74-582d-4619-8d84-d6729acede45/