International commercial rivalries &amp; the zai&apos;rian copper nationalisation of 1967

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Review of African Political Economy

Volume 24, Issue 72

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International commercial rivalries & the zai'rian copper nationalisation of 1967

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Author(s): David Gibbs ^a

Publication date (Print): June 1997

Journal: Review of African Political Economy

Publisher: Review of African Political Economy

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Abstract

Research on the international relations of the African continent has generally eschewed the phenomenon of rivalry among the advanced capitalist powers for commercial and political influence south of the Sahara. Most studies of Africa's international relations, especially from a critical perspective, have tended to emphasize the unityof the northern, capitalist powers in opposing challenges from third world countries. During the 1970s, research emphasized the efforts of multinational corporations and their home governments to prevent or undermine efforts at economic nationalism in third world countries. While such studies did recognize the potential for somewhat varied responses to rationalistic ‘threats’, there was a widespread assumption that the rich nations would exhibit a significant degree of unity in preserving international property rights and the free flow of capital. More recently, critical studies have emphasized the salience of the international financial community and the International Monetary Fund in reestablishing political and economic hegemony over peripheral areas, including Africa (Mohan & Zack‐Williams, 1995).

Such approaches tend to overlook the phenomenon of conflict and competition among these powers. This article will examine the historical basis of international rivalries in Zaïre, focusing on the rise of General Mobutu's regime, primarily during the late 1960s. During this period, the United States was seeking to expand its commercial and political influence in Zaïre, generally at the expense of established European interests. The principal protagonist of the US was the former colonial power, Belgium. In essence, it will be argued, inter‐capitalist rivalries in Zaïre were an inevitable outgrowth of decolonization. The European powers had always used colonialism as a method to maintain exclusive or quasi‐exclusive trading and investment opportunities for home country interests and to exclude potential interlopers ‐ such as the United States. During the 1960s, the US viewed the circumstances of decolonization as an opportunity for political and commercial expansion, sometimes at the expense of European interests. European‐US conflicts, some of which continue to the present day, were the result. Historical conflicts such as these are highly relevant to understanding present‐day international relations in Central Africa when once again, rivalries among the western powers ‐ this time between the US and France ‐ are apparent.

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Journal ID (publisher-id): crea20

Journal ID (archive): CREA

Title: Review of African Political Economy

Publisher: Review of African Political Economy

ISSN (Print): 0305-6244

ISSN (Electronic): 1740-1720

Publication date (Print): June 1997

Volume: 24

Issue: 72

Pages: 171-184

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^a University of Arizona

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Publisher ID: 8704251 Coden ID: Review of African Political Economy, Vol. 24, No. 72, June 1997, pp. 171-184

DOI: 10.1080/03056249708704251

SO-VID: ee599cae-0a1f-4af3-b4f7-37b06ceeb381

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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Figures: 0, Tables: 0, References: 23, Pages: 14

Bibliography

Chomé J. . 1966. . ‘Nouvel Episode au Congo‐Kinshasa: La Dictature du General Mobutu Pourrait Favoriser l'lmplantation des Interets Americains’. . Le Monde Diplomalique . , August;
CIA. . 1967. . “‘Memorandum for the Director: A Worrisome Contingency in the Congo’. ”.
Cruise O'Brien C. . 1966. . To Katanga and Back . , New York : : Universal Library. .
1982. . ‘Maurice Tempelsman's African Connection’. . Fortune . , 15 November;
Gerard‐Libois J. . 1966. . Katanga Secession . , Madison : : University of Wisconsin Press. .
Gibbs D N. . 1995. . ‘Political Parties and International Relations: The United States and the Decolonization of Subsaharan Africa’. . International History Review . , Vol. 17((2))
1996. . ‘Misrepresenting the Congo Crisis’. . African Affairs . , Vol. 95:: 380
Hempstone S. . 1962. . Rebels, Mercenaries, and Dividends: The Katanga Story . , New York : : Praeger. .
Huybrechts A. . Du Congo au Zaïre . , Brussels : : CRISP. .
James A. . 1996. . Britain and the Congo Crisis . , London : : MacMillan. .
Kalb M. . 1982. . The Congo Cables . , New York : : MacMillan. .
E W Lefever ( 1963 ), interview notes: ‘Conversation with Messrs. Larry Devlin and [name deleted by the author] of the CIA’ , 28 October 1963 (in Ernest W. Lefever Papers, Hoover Institution Archives, Stanford University , Box 8)
Mahoney R. . 1983. . JFK: Ordeal in Africa . , New York : : OUP. .
Mohan G and Zack‐Williams A. . 1995. . ‘Imperialism in the Post‐cold War Era’. . ROAPE . , Vol. 66:
Neher, L (1971), letter to Sheldon Vance, 25 March 1971. Released to the author under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
E Pachter ( 1987 ), ‘Our Man in Kinshasa: US Relations with Mobutu, 1970–1983, Patron‐Client Relations in the International Sphere’ , Ph.D. thesis, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University
Radmann R. . 1978. . ‘The Nationalization of Zaire's Copper: From Union Miniere to GECAMINES’. . Africa Today . , Vol. 25:: 4
Rodman K. . 1988. . Sanctity Versus Sovereignty: The United States and the Nationalisation of Natural Resources Investments . , New York : : Columbia University Press. .
United Nations. . 3 December. 1996 . “‘IRIN Emergency Update no. 47 on Eastern Zaire’. ”. 3 December. ,
US Government. . 4 January. 1967b . Memorandum, from Armistead Lee to Mr. Brown . 4 January. ,
US Senate. . 1975. . Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders . , Washington : : Government Printing Office. .
Weissman S. . 1974. . American Foreign Policy in the Congo . , Ithaca : : Cornell University Press. .
Young C and Turner T. . 1985. . The Rise and Decline of the Zaïrian State . , Madison : : University of Wisconsin Press. .

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Chomé J. . 1966. . ‘Nouvel Episode au Congo‐Kinshasa: La Dictature du General Mobutu Pourrait Favoriser l'lmplantation des Interets Americains’. . Le Monde Diplomalique . , August;

[2] CIA. . 1967. . “‘Memorandum for the Director: A Worrisome Contingency in the Congo’. ”.

[3] Cruise O'Brien C. . 1966. . To Katanga and Back . , New York : : Universal Library. .

[4] 1982. . ‘Maurice Tempelsman's African Connection’. . Fortune . , 15 November;

[5] Gerard‐Libois J. . 1966. . Katanga Secession . , Madison : : University of Wisconsin Press. .

[6] Gibbs D N. . 1995. . ‘Political Parties and International Relations: The United States and the Decolonization of Subsaharan Africa’. . International History Review . , Vol. 17((2))

[7] 1996. . ‘Misrepresenting the Congo Crisis’. . African Affairs . , Vol. 95:: 380

[8] Hempstone S. . 1962. . Rebels, Mercenaries, and Dividends: The Katanga Story . , New York : : Praeger. .

[9] Huybrechts A. . Du Congo au Zaïre . , Brussels : : CRISP. .

[10] James A. . 1996. . Britain and the Congo Crisis . , London : : MacMillan. .

[11] Kalb M. . 1982. . The Congo Cables . , New York : : MacMillan. .

[12] E W Lefever ( 1963 ), interview notes: ‘Conversation with Messrs. Larry Devlin and [name deleted by the author] of the CIA’ , 28 October 1963 (in Ernest W. Lefever Papers, Hoover Institution Archives, Stanford University , Box 8)

[13] Mahoney R. . 1983. . JFK: Ordeal in Africa . , New York : : OUP. .

[14] Mohan G and Zack‐Williams A. . 1995. . ‘Imperialism in the Post‐cold War Era’. . ROAPE . , Vol. 66:

[15] Neher, L (1971), letter to Sheldon Vance, 25 March 1971. Released to the author under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

[16] E Pachter ( 1987 ), ‘Our Man in Kinshasa: US Relations with Mobutu, 1970–1983, Patron‐Client Relations in the International Sphere’ , Ph.D. thesis, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University

[17] Radmann R. . 1978. . ‘The Nationalization of Zaire's Copper: From Union Miniere to GECAMINES’. . Africa Today . , Vol. 25:: 4

[18] Rodman K. . 1988. . Sanctity Versus Sovereignty: The United States and the Nationalisation of Natural Resources Investments . , New York : : Columbia University Press. .

[19] United Nations. . 3 December. 1996 . “‘IRIN Emergency Update no. 47 on Eastern Zaire’. ”. 3 December. ,

[20] US Government. . 4 January. 1967b . Memorandum, from Armistead Lee to Mr. Brown . 4 January. ,

[21] US Senate. . 1975. . Alleged Assassination Plots Involving Foreign Leaders . , Washington : : Government Printing Office. .

[22] Weissman S. . 1974. . American Foreign Policy in the Congo . , Ithaca : : Cornell University Press. .

[23] Young C and Turner T. . 1985. . The Rise and Decline of the Zaïrian State . , Madison : : University of Wisconsin Press. .