Patrice Lumumba’s Last Letter to His Wife: A Legacy of Courage

As the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Patrice Lumumba fought hard for his country's independence from Belgian colonial rule. In 1961, shortly before his execution, he wrote a heartfelt letter to his wife from prison, expressing his struggle, his unwavering belief in the future of the Congo, and his hope for African liberation. This letter, written under very difficult circumstances, became a symbol of endurance and courage.

My dear wife,

I am writing these words to you, not knowing whether they will ever reach you, or whether I shall be alive when you read them.

Throughout my struggle for the independence of our country, I have never doubted the victory of our sacred cause, to which I and my comrades have dedicated all our lives.

But the only thing we ever wanted for our country is the right to a worthy life, to dignity without pretence, and to independence without restrictions.

This was never the desire of the Belgian colonialists and their Western allies. They received, directly or indirectly, open or concealed, support from some highly placed officials of the United Nations—the body upon which we placed all our hope when we appealed for help.

They seduced some of our compatriots, bought others, and did everything to distort the truth and smear our independence.

Alive or dead, free or in jail, it is not about me personally. The main thing is the Congo, our unhappy people, whose independence is being trampled upon. That is why they have imprisoned us and why they keep us far away from the people. But my faith remains indestructible.

I know and feel deep in my heart that sooner or later my people will rid themselves of their internal and external enemies, that they will rise up as one to say 'No' to colonialism, to brazen, dying colonialism, and win back their dignity in a clean land.

We are not alone. Africa, Asia, and the free peoples and peoples fighting for their freedom across the world will always stand side by side with the millions of Congolese who will never give up the fight.

To my sons, whom I am leaving behind and may not see again, I want to say: the future of the Congo is splendid. I expect from you, as from every Congolese, to take up the sacred task of restoring our independence and our sovereignty.

Without dignity, there is no freedom. Without justice, there is no dignity. And without independence, there are no free men.

Cruelty, insults, and torture can never force me to ask for mercy, because I would rather die with my head high, with indestructible faith and profound belief in our country’s destiny, than live in humiliation and renounce the principles that are sacred to me.

The day will come when history will speak, but it will not be the history that will be taught in Brussels, Paris, Washington, or the United Nations.

It will be the history written in the lands freed from colonialism and its puppets. Africa will write its own history. A history of glory and dignity.

Do not weep for me. I know that my tormented country will defend its freedom and its independence.

Long live the Congo! Long live Africa!

Thysville Prison, 1961

Patrice Lumumba

Who was Patrice Lumumba?

Patrice Lumumba was the first legitimately elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after independence from Belgium in 1960. A spokesman for Pan-Africanism and Congolese independence, Lumumba played an important role in the fight against the colonial state. His refusal to submit to Western imperial interests made him an aggressor, and in 1961, after a foreign-backed coup, Lumumba was assassinated. Today, he is remembered as a martyr and symbol of Africa's struggle for freedom, dignity, and independence.