War is Economics by Other Means

 "Siege of Jadotville” directed by Richie Smyth, written by Kevin Brodbin, 2016

Jadotville is a town in the mineral rich (read uranium, copper, cobalt, etc.) area of the southern Congo called Katanga. In 1961 Belgian army officers and Moise Tshombe, with help from the U.S. CIA, executed leftist nationalist Patrice Lumumba, who had wanted to nationalize mines in the Congo. Lumumba had been voted into office as president of the Congo. Tshombe joined a reactionary military coup by Mobuto Sese Seko to protect the private ownership of the mining industry in Katanga – mostly run by Belgian (of course) French and US firms.

Irish UN troops dig in.

Tshombe next tried to sever Katanga from the Congo. What is not remembered is that the UN under Dag Hammarskjold considered the Katanga secessionist rebellion an undemocratic usurpation of power and sent 'peace keepers' to Katanga's Elizabethville to separate the two civil sides. A contingent of 150 Irish soldiers were sent to a mining area and small cluster of buildings called Jadotville, south of Elizabethville, as part of that effort.

The UN occupied Tshombe's positions in Elizabethville. In response Jadotville was attacked by the combined forces of French, Belgian and South African foreign mercenaries and Tshombe's army, probably numbering over 3,000-5,000 men. The 150 Irish had never been in a fight and were all greenhorns. They did well.

They dig an extensive trench and foxhole system for defense.  When they are finally attacked, an Irish UN sniper kills the white-suited Belgian boss. Other Irish riflemen cut down the attackers while one forces two armed jeeps to overturn and crash. Another crew uses their small mortar to destroy the Katangese cannon and mortars. They spread out their ammo so it is not destroyed by a mortar round.  They use dynamite bombs to blast scores of attackers. The arrogant French mercenary commander has to order many attacks and retreats.

At first the UN command ignores them.  Then reinforcements are blocked and the Irish begin to run out of ammunition. A Katangese jet bombs and strafes them. The wounded pile up. A UN helicopter carrying some of the Irish wounded is shot down. And then UN president Dag Hammarskjold's plane, which was coming to deal with the situation, is shot down by a Katangese jet, killing him. The Irish soldiers hold out for 5 days. They're nearly out of ammunition. Should they surrender? They have no choice and end up in a Katangese jail for a month.

The UN ignores what the Irish company went through for political reasons after they are released.  They were even made fun of for surrendering.  From what I could tell, none died, though a number were wounded.

It is all here: the usual officious UN negotiator; the nasty Tshombe; the heroic leader of the Irish contingent; the experienced but treacherous French mercenary; the useless UN military general.

This is an historical battle film with a progressive political subtext. It tells a story few know, involving some key historical figures, killed by assassination, the favorite tactic of the right. In the end it is a demonstration of the viciousness of capital and imperialism in defense of their control of minerals anywhere in the world. And their need for locals to do their dirty work.  It is sort of the continuation of the bloody colonialism of Belgian King Leopold.

Prior blog reviews on this subject, use blog search box, upper left: “The Dream of the Celt,” “Secret History of the American Empire,” “Economic Hit Men,” “Washington Bullets,” “Modern Slavery,” “Last Train to Zona Verde,” “Land Grabbing,” “Black Panther.”

The Cultural Marxist

May 4, 2021