, 1960
Simba rebellion In January 1964, a new conflict broke out as Congolese rebels calling themselves "Simba" (
Swahili for "lion") rebelled against the government. They were led by Mulele, Gaston Soumialot and
Christophe Gbenye, former members of
Antoine Gizenga's
Parti Solidaire Africain (PSA). During the
Simba rebellion, Mulele, who had previously undergone training in the
Eastern Bloc as well as China, led a
Maoist faction in the
Kwilu Province. This came to be known as the
Kwilu rebellion. Mulele was an avowed Maoist, and for this reason his insurgency was supported by communist China. By the end of April 1964, Mulele's rebellion had been rendered somewhat less dangerous by the government. The
Soviet Union, with an embassy in the national capital of Leopoldville, did not support Mulele's Kwilu revolt and had no part in its preparation: lack of support from the Soviets was in the first place responsible for Mulele turning to China as his patron. Nonetheless, by August the Simba insurgents had captured
Stanleyville and set up a rebel government there. However, the Congolese central government requested foreign intervention, and the troops fighting under the command of Soumialot and Gbenye were routed in November 1964, after intense drives by central government troops officered by foreign
mercenaries. The landing of Belgian paratroopers in Stanleyville also proved instrumental in the rebels' defeat, as did key military assistance from the United States. On 24 November 1964, five
United States Air Force C-130 transports dropped 350 Belgian paratroopers of the
Paracommando Regiment onto the airfield at Stanleyville to rescue 2,000 European civilians being held hostage by the Simbas. This move made the United States very unpopular in Africa at the time. After the rebellion's defeat, Mulele fled into exile in
Congo-Brazzaville.
Ideology and Maoism When the Kwilu rebellion broke out in 1964, the revolt was led by Mulele in a way reminiscent of the Chinese communist revolutionary codes. Mulele required his fighters to adhere to a very strict moral code, emphasising self-discipline and respect for civilians. The tribal peasant fighters proved difficult to control and many disregarded Mulele's orders. The eight instructions on conduct Mulele issued to his guerrilla fighters showed the great influence Maoist writings regarding "people's war" had on the Kwilu insurgency. Mulele's code of conduct was as follows: • Respect all men, even bad ones. • Buy the goods of villagers in all honesty and without stealing. • Return borrowed things in good time and without trouble. • Pay for things which you have broken and in good spirit. • Do not harm or hurt others. • Do not destroy or trample on other people's land. • Respect women and do not amuse yourselves with them as you would like to. • Do not make your prisoners of war suffer. The attempt to adapt Maoist Chinese practice to African conditions also extended to Mulele's use of the peasants as the mainstay of his revolution. ==Death==