The Congo Crisis was a period of intense political upheaval and conflict in the Republic of the Congo immediately after its independence from Belgium in 1960.

Independence was granted hastily with little preparation, leading to immediate chaos, including an army mutiny.

The mineral-rich province of Katanga, supported by Belgian mining interests, immediately seceded from the new country.

The first democratically elected Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, appealed to the United Nations for help.

The crisis quickly became a Cold War proxy conflict when Lumumba also sought aid from the Soviet Union.

The United Nations launched a major peacekeeping operation to restore order.

Patrice Lumumba was overthrown in a coup and subsequently assassinated in 1961, an event with suspected Belgian and U.S. involvement.

The country was plagued by civil war and political instability for the next five years.

The crisis ended in 1965 when Mobutu Sese Seko, an army officer, seized power in a coup and established a long-lasting dictatorship.

The Congo Crisis is a prime example of the challenges of decolonization and the destructive impact of Cold War rivalries in Africa.