SUMMARY

The Katanga conflict concerned territorial control over the mineral-rich Katanga region in the DR Congo (Zaire. It originated in 1960 when the State of Katanga, led by Moise Tschombe and supported by Belgium, seceded from the newly independent state. The secession was defeated by 1963 following intervention by a UN force (ONUC). Since then, separatist claims have persisted in different forms.

In its latest phase, the conflict was characterized by low-intensity but recurring activity by Kata Katanga. The group conducted sporadic attacks against government forces and symbolic targets, particularly around Lubumbashi and in rural areas between Manono, Mitwaba, and Pweto. Although militarily limited, at least one clash has been reported annually in recent years, indicating a persistent, unresolved incompatibility.

IN DEPTH

Origins of the Katanga secession (1960–1963)

The DR Congo (Zaire became independent from Belgium on 30 June 1960. Shortly thereafter, on 11 July 1960, the mineral-rich province of Katanga declared independence under Moïse Tshombe forming the State of Katanga. The secession was supported by Belgian political, military, and economic interests, reflecting the strategic importance of Katanga’s copper and cobalt resources.

The incompatibility concerned territorial control over Katanga. The central government rejected the secession, leading to armed conflict. The crisis unfolded in a context of political fragmentation involving Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, President Joseph Kasa-Vubu, and army chief Mobutu Sese Seko. Patrice Lumumba was captured and transferred to Katanga, where he was killed in January 1961.

UN intervention and end of secession

After the Katangese declaration of Independence, Patrice Lumumba appealed for UN assistance to quell the violence in the country. UN deployed their first forces already on 15 July 1960 under the mission name ONUC (UN Operation in the Congo, Opération des Nations Unies au Congo). The mission was to restore and maintain law and order to prevent unilateral intervention and to secure economic viability and political stability. The resolution of July 14 provided the Congolese Central Government with military assistance until its own National security forces was able in the opinion of the Government to meet their tasks in full it also called Belgium to withdraw their forces. The resolution July 22 further called upon Belgium to withdraw immediately its troops from Katanga, it declared that the entry of ONUC was necessary but that it in no way should be used to influence the outcome of any internal conflict. By August 1960 ONUC had replaced Belgian troops but did not retake Katanga. UN clashed with the Katangan gendarmerie. On 13 September 1961 ONUC launched Operation Morthor in an aim to round up foreign mercenaries and political advisers and to arrest Katangan officials. The operation quickly escalated into open warfare. On 17 September 1961 then UN Secretary General Hammarskjöld’s died in a plane crash while seeking a Katangan settlement. The new Secretary-General, U Thant, adopted a firmer, more proactive stance for the ONUC forces with a more forceful operational mandate. Resolution 169 on 24 November 1961, strongly deprecating the secessionist activities of Katanga and authorizing ONUC to use “the requisite measure of force” to remove foreign mercenaries and “to take all necessary measures to prevent the entry or return of such elements. New clashes occurred 5-18 December 1961 On 21 December Tshombe of Katanga and Premier Cyrille Adoula of the central Government concluded the Kitona Accord an agreement to end the secession of Katanga and restore the province to a unified Congo. One year later, on 24 December 1962, Katangan forces downed an UN helicopter and simultaneously attacked several UN positions. In response UN forces launched Operation Grandslam on 28 December and seized downtown Élisabethville. Congolese National Armed Forces (ANC) was incorporated into UN forces. On 15 January 1963, Moïse Tshombe formally ended the secession and the province was reintegrated into the Congo. ONUC began to disband in February 1963.

Local conflict dynamics North versus South

The conflict was also marked by internal divisions within Katanga. Northern groups, particularly among the Luba population, opposed the secession and aligned with the central government. This contributed to significant inter-communal violence between Luba and Lunda groups, as well as competing political projects such as the short-lived Lualaba state. Ethnic violence, clashes and riots between the north and south led to thousands of deaths.

Persistence of separatism

Despite the end of the secession, Katangan separatism persisted. Structural factors such as weak state presence, contested control over natural resources, and the legacy of armed mobilization have contributed to recurring instability in the region.

Kata Katanga and recent developments

In its latest form, the incompatibility was represented by Kata Katanga a loose network of militias advocating for an independent Katanga. The group was associated with Gédéon Kyungu Mutanga, a former Mayi Mayi commander active during the Second Congo War. After escaping from prison in 2011, he reconstituted his forces in Katanga. Some analysts argued that this remobilization was supported by General Numbi and Jean-Claude Masangu, figures close to the Kabila government, to have a backup plan in case Kabila lost against Tshisekedi in the 2011 elections.

After minor attacks in 2011 and 2012, the conflict became notably active in 2013 when Kata Katanga attacked government forces and symbolic targets including Lubumbashi and its airport. On 23 March 2013, a group of Kata Katanga, including women and children armed with machetes and covered with charms and amulets, marched up to Lubumbashi and raised the old flag of independent Katanga on the statue of Moise Tshombe in the main square of the city. After a battle with security forces, the group continued into a UN compound where they surrendered. In the aftermath, government military operations against the group intensified.

The group primarily operated in rural areas, particularly in the triangle between Manono, Mitwaba, and Pweto, where it attacked villages and targeted civilians. In 2014, government forces overran key strongholds, pushing the group southwards towards Lubumbashi and the Kundelungu and Upemba national parks. In 2015, the movement established a political wing, the Independentists Movement for African Revolutionaries (MIRA).

In 2016, Kata Katanga increased its attacks on security forces before Gédéon Kyungu Mutanga surrendered to the authorities on 11 October and was placed under house arrest. This was followed by a temporary decline in activity.

From 2019 onwards, the group resumed operations, with repeated low-level incursions in Lubumbashi. Some former combatants abandoned disarmament processes, citing lack of reintegration support. In 2020, coordinated incursions took place in Lubumbashi and surrounding towns, during which Gédéon Kyungu Mutanga escaped from house arrest. Further clashes occurred later that year, including incidents where the Katangan flag was again raised in urban areas. The group continued to target military positions, including attacks on bases in Lubumbashi and an attempted takeover of Mitwaba in January 2022, which was repelled by government forces.

In subsequent years, Kata Katanga continued sporadic, low-level attacks. Reported incidents included small-scale attacks on military positions and efforts to secure supplies, such as an attack on a military position in Kasungeshi in January 2025.