Congolese President Patrice Lumumba was assassinated in 1961.

A police unit, under orders from a Belgium officer, assassinated Lumumba after a military coup overthrew his government.

Lumumba's assassination happened seven months after the Congo gained independence. According to NBC News, his killing led to widening chasm in US and African relations. The CIA had been involved, according to a later inquiry.

Today, Lumumba is an icon for many African nationalists, and a reminder of Western "treachery", according to the Irish Times.