#PeoplesHistory | On this day in 1961, Congolese revolutionary and independence leader, Patrice Lumumba was assassinated by counter-revolutionary forces, backed by the US and Belgium.

Lumumba was the first Prime Minister of the independent Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Republic of the Congo). He played a significant role in the struggle against colonialism and for the economic and political independence of his nation.

Lumumba was an African nationalist and Pan-Africanist, he led the Congolese National Movement (MNC) party from 1958 until his assassination. With Lumumba’s assassination, neocolonial forces won an important victory in the mineral-rich country, who facilitated the pillaging of the country’s natural resources and labor power by transnational corporations, as well as the brutal repression of all opposition, dynamics that the Congolese people are still resisting, in an effort to build true sovereignty and democracy.

Sekou Odinga, former political prisoner and Black liberation fighter, passed away at age 79. Organizers, including Jalil Muntaqim, Nino Brown, and JD from the Jericho Movement, reflected on his legacy of struggle.

Cuba stands firmly with Palestine!

At the XIX Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Kampala, Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa spoke on Cuba's longstanding ties with the Non-Aligned Movement and the continued importance of its anti-colonial mission.

He stressed that unity among member states is essential for resisting Western capitalist policies that perpetuate inequality and exploitation - the lingering effects of imperialism across the Global South.

Cuba also called on the Non-Aligned Movement to support the Palestinian cause.