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Still one of the most difficult images ever captured. pic.twitter.com/B4QJjhCOGZ
— Dr. Strangelove (@DocStrangelove2) August 19, 2024
The image of Swedish Major Erik Bonde is a powerful symbol of courage and endurance under difficult circumstances. Filmed in Congo on January 15, 1961, Bond survives an ambush with two gunshot wounds.
Major Bond was a member of the Swedish UN Mission in Congo during the Congo Crisis. It was probably shot by the Baluba warriors who were using many of the old full-barreled rifles/muskets of the time (not as powerful as more modern rifles). After providing first aid, he returned to the fight against the “invisible enemy” who were shooting at them from the jungle.
During the Congo crisis, the UN Secretary-General was the Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld, who was highly respected both in Sweden and internationally (he was often praised by the likes of Kennedy and Eisenhower). Sweden was therefore particularly interested in the conflict that Hammarskjöld had worked so tirelessly to end.
In total, the Swedish army sent nine battalions to the Congo between 1960 and 1964. During the initial stages of the crisis, when white Congolese people were the target of unrest, Dag Hammarskjöld considered it important to have white UN troops in the country.
He therefore requested a battalion each from Sweden and Ireland, with the ulterior motive that it would be easier to gain the trust of white people than soldiers from African countries.
The first Swedish battalion arrived in Congo directly from Gaza on July 22, 1960. In the first few days, the Swedes patrolled Leopoldville and guarded the city’s Kinshasa airport.
Image credit: X/Swedish Major Erik Bonde in Congo
As with other UN forces, the Swedes had a hard time knowing who was a true friend and who was a true foe, and the battles they got into didn’t always have obvious rational reasons.
In August, the Swedes moved to Elisabethville in Katanga, where they encountered their first combat and suffered their first losses while securing the transportation of prisoners by rail.
The Congo crisis became the most serious international mission faced by the Swedish Armed Forces during the Cold War and the first time in 140 years that Swedish troops were forced to fight. During the Congo period, 40 Swedish soldiers were injured and 19 died.
Back in 2004, it was reported that the bodies of two murdered Swedes were eaten by local residents, allegedly because Africans believed cannibalism was a way to absorb the victim’s strength.
The incident was so sensitive to the UN and the Congolese government that it was covered up. Between 1960 and 1964, 6,334 Swedes served in the Congo.
Background of the conflict
The Congo Crisis of 1960 was one of the most significant and tragic events in African history, exacerbating political instability, conflict and great power intervention in Africa’s post-colonial period.
Historical background
Belgium colonized Congo in the late 19th century, and during Belgian rule, the local people suffered brutal exploitation and repression. Congo became an independent country on June 30, 1960, but the transition from colonial rule to independence was extremely difficult. The country was ill-prepared for self-government and lacked educated personnel and the political infrastructure needed to govern the country.
Political crisis
After independence, Patrice Lumumba became the first prime minister of the Republic of Congo and Joseph Kasavubu became president. Soon after independence, the country found itself in a political crisis. In July 1960, the army mutinied over the retention of Belgian officers and unpaid wages, leading to violence and looting.
Katanga split
The crisis escalated further in July 1960 when the wealthy Katanga region, under the leadership of Moïse Tshombe, declared independence from the Congo. The secession was supported by Belgian mining interests, who continued to support Tshombe’s government militarily. This was further complicated by the fact that Katanga was a key region because of its rich mineral resources, especially copper.
The role of the United Nations and international powers
In response to the crisis, the United Nations sent peacekeeping forces to intervene to prevent the conflict from spreading and stabilize the country. However, Lumumba, who sought Soviet support to quell the Katanga secession, became a target for the United States and Western allies who were worried about the spread of communism in Africa.
Lumumba was removed from his post as prime minister in September 1960 and soon afterwards, in December of that year, he was arrested and transferred to Katanga, where he was killed under suspicious circumstances in January 1961. His death further exacerbated the crisis and deepened divisions within the country.
result
The Congolese crisis lasted until 1965, during which time there were many clashes, changes of government and foreign intervention. The crisis ended with the rise of General Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, who took control of the country with the help of the West and ruled Congo (renamed Zaire) until 1997. Mobutu’s dictatorship left a deep mark on the country’s political and economic development.
The 1960 Congo Crisis marked the beginning of a series of problems in Central Africa, including political instability, military intervention, and long-term dictatorship, which had a lasting impact on the history and development of the region.
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