ium ▁ ▁The ▁Cong ol ese ▁had ▁been ▁ag it ating ▁heavily ▁for ▁independence , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁Pat rice ▁L um um ba ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁for ▁inc iting ▁a ▁ri ot ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁Rec ogn izing ▁that ▁the ▁Congo ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁become ▁independent , ▁Belg ium ▁fre ed ▁L um um ba ▁and ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁attend ▁a ▁conference ▁in ▁Br uss els ▁from ▁ 1 8 – 2 7 ▁January . ▁At ▁the ▁conference , ▁ 3 0 ▁June ▁was ▁established ▁as ▁independence ▁day ▁for ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁Congo . ▁L um um ba ▁won ▁a ▁large ▁pl ur ality ▁in ▁the ▁May ▁elections ▁and ▁became ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁June . ▁The ▁spirit ▁of ▁the ▁occasion ▁inspired ▁the ▁celebrated ▁Cong ol ese ▁music ian ▁Le ▁Grand ▁K all é ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁song ▁" Ind ép endance ▁Cha ▁Cha ", ▁which ▁became ▁a ▁pan - A fr ican ▁hit . ▁ ▁The ▁country ▁was ▁soon ▁em bro iled ▁in ▁tur mo il , ▁and ▁L um um ba ▁was ▁de posed ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁September . ▁He ▁was ▁subsequently ▁tort ured ▁and ▁executed . ▁The ▁subsequent ▁period ▁of ▁inst ability ▁is ▁sometimes ▁called ▁the ▁Congo ▁Cris is . ▁ ▁The ▁events ▁in ▁the ▁Congo ▁led ▁the ▁London ▁Daily ▁Express — which ▁had ▁consist ently ▁fav oured ▁colonial ism — to ▁den ounce ▁the ▁" Year ▁of ▁Africa " ▁and