The 1952 Union Minière Strike: Congo's Corporate War

In 1952, a strike at the Union Minière du Haut-Katanga mines in the Belgian Congo escalated into a brutal crackdown, exposing the lie of corporate paternalism. Lucas and Luna explore the clash between black workers demanding equal pay and the mining giant backed by the colonial state. They trace the strike's roots in the Katanga Mining Decree of 1926, the role of Force Publique commander General Émile Janssens, and the aftermath that radicalised a generation of évolués, including future prime minister Patrice Lumumba. The episode features the key figures of the strike: strike leader Albert Kabongo, white foremen, and the governor of Katanga. It also covers the role of the Bwana Mitumba (white mine bosses) and the use of the chicotte — the infamous whip of hippo hide. The strike ultimately failed, but it was a dress rehearsal for the independence movement a decade later. #UnionMinière #Katanga #1952Strike #BelgianCongo #AlbertKabongo #ForcePublique #Évolués #PatriceLumumba #Chicotte #BwanaMitumba #ColonialLabor #CorporateColonialism #ÉmileJanssens #Lubumbashi #Élisabethville #Decolonization #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo