in the Belgian Congo. He founded the Conakat political party, which advocated an independent but loosely federal Congo. He took part in talks that led to Congolese independence in 1960, but then declared the province of Katanga independent of the rest of the country. He maintained his position as self‐styled President of Katanga (1960–63) with the help of white mercenaries and the support of the Belgian mining company, Union Minière. Briefly Prime Minister of the Congo Republic (1964–65), he was accused of the murder of Lumumba, and of corruptly rigging the elections of 1965, and fled the country when General Mobutu seized power. In 1967 he was kidnapped and taken to Algeria, where he died in prison.