The Pan Africanist Congress and the Congo Alliance, 1963–1964

Abstract

This article examines the Pan Africanist Congress’ (PAC) participation in the so-called Congo Alliance and its operations in what is today the Democratic Republic of Congo between 1963 and 1964. The alliance represented an attractive opportunity for the PAC to receive much needed political, financial, and military support to set up and maintain its operations in exile. It also held out the chance to establish regional connections with other liberation movements that could assist the PAC in the launch of its armed struggle. However, the PAC’s inefficient logistical organisation, lack of leadership on the ground, and growing factionalism, combined with the Congolese government’s instability and inadequate commitment, made the PAC’s Congo operations a short-lived affair. This article outlines the formation and demise of the PAC’s Congo mission. Although brief and ending in failure, the PAC’s participation in the Congo Alliance is nonetheless symbolic of the early exile experiences of southern African liberation movements – particularly the benefits of establishing working alliances, the importance of transnational networks in maintaining operations, and the overall difficulties of life in exile.