Why did independence for belgian congo present with so many difficulties?
The time frame was 6 months between demands for independence and the event. The Congolese were completely unprepared in terms of skills, training, education and experience. The Congo is a massive artificial country containing hundreds of ethnic groups. There were no political parties in existence. The army contained no black officiers and there were a handful of graduates in the country. A large percentage of the population was illiterate and could not really comprehend the process and what was happening. The country was run by Belgian expats who’s departure would result in administrative collapse. The country was wealthy but the money was belgian and the businesses etc were belgian run.
