Moïse-Kapenda Tshombé becomes the Prime Minister of the Congo

On 10 July 1964 MoÁ¯se-Kapenda Tshombé, leader of the Confederation of Tribal Associations of Katanga, became the Prime Minister of the Congo (now known as Democratic Republic of Congo).  In 1951 Tshombé was elected to the advisory provisional council of Katanga and towards the end of the 1950s he became president of the Belgian-supported Conakat, the strongest political party in Katanga. During the Brussels-Congo Conference held in 1960, Tshombe pressed for a loose federation of independent states in Congo. Following the general elections of 1960 Conakat gained sovereignty of the Katanga provincial legislature and in August 1960 he was elected President of Katanga. Tshombé maintained a large mercenary army to fight against United Nations (UN) troops and in 1961 he was charged by a UN investigation commission for involvement with the murder of Patrice Lumumba in Katanga. Amid his differences with the central government Tshombéwent to exile in Europe in 1963. Following his return in 1964, he became the Prime Minister of the Congo - heserved only one year before he was dismissed by President Kasavubu. Following the accusation of treason against the government in 1966, Tshombé went into exile in Spain. In June 1967 the plane in which he was flying was hijacked to Algeria, where he was first jailed and then kept incommunicado until his death in 1969.