There was a time before Vietnam and the Middle East terrorism
when the world’s attention was riveted on Africa and the former
Belgian colony of the Congo in particular. Independence six
months before had brought widespread riots, a military rebellion,
vast destruction, the departure of the European settlers and
hundreds of deaths. Since that time comparable scenes seemingly
have become commonplace, but in those days past it was all quite
new.
International journalism reacted first by flooding the capital —
then called Leopoldville — with the top line of their
correspondents. Six months later, in December, most of the first
rank media had moved on or simply left to spend the holidays at
home. The Congo had become old news.
In addition to the wire service reporters and permanently
assigned newspapermen, the once bustling city of Leopoldville was
host to tens of diplomatic personnel. Augmenting the presence of
these foreign government officials was a newly arrived sizable
contingent of United Nations soldiers along with a few civilian
staffers.
A small contingent of Belgian civilians had filtered back. With
them came a number of business types of varied hue seeking
whatever was left over from the carcass of one of the jewels of
colonial crowns. Intelligence operators from the several echelons
of the Cold War moved about seeking whatever advantages their
sponsoring countries hoped to gain from the new African
battleground.
To this topsy-turvy world came the unstoppable force of —
Christmas. The holiday had been introduced in the Congo at the
turn-of-the-century by Christian missionaries and priests. “Père
Noël,” as Santa Claus is known in French-speaking regions,
carried a special and very much needed message that year.
Somehow the shops that hadn’t been smashed or abandoned during
the riots pulled themselves together enough to have goods shipped
across the Congo River from the twin colonial city of Brazzaville
of the former French Congo.
Swathes of colorful cloth and white cotton imitation snow
combined with smiling portraits of “Père Noël” decked the fronts
of the reopened shops. Some truly aggressive entrepreneurs had
arranged for a few bundles of evergreen trees to be flown in from
the mountains of North Kivu for the Europeans. Christian
Congolese in their dusty townships trimmed their own makeshift
trees with colored paper and cards of saints
The diplomatic missions arranged for traditional foods of their
several nations to be flown in from Europe. The few restaurants
that were open adorned themselves in holiday trimming and menus
for special feasts.
“Joyeux Noël” became the accepted greeting in every work place,
in each of the three hotels still operating, and even among the
English-speaking Ghanaian troops and Nigerian police who
patrolled the streets. Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Père Noël
for this short while ruled Leopoldville. But the real change was
the friendliness shown toward each other by the Congolese and the
few Europeans.
The Congolese workers at the main post office’s telex facility
initiated their principal clients, the foreign correspondents,
into the tradition of gift giving appropriate to the season. This
meant some rather substantial tips being doled out in place of
the modest gratuities that were part of everyday filings. One
particularly efficient telex operator kept a carefully typed
record of all his gifts. Christmas presents carried a promise of
excellent service in the New Year. It was not that much different
from other great capitals.
At the American Embassy it was reported that somebody dressed as
Santa Claus had given out presents to local children until the
gifts ran out. It was hard to confirm this act of enlightened
diplomacy, but it was well known that members of several
embassies had banded together in a traveling troupe of carolers.
Eggnog made of dried milk, water, and brandy lubricated their
voices. The Marines guarding the U.S. Embassy were ceremoniously
serenaded and responded with one of their rare smiles and a
friendly salute.
Perhaps the most telling comment on the celebration of Christmas
in the Congo in 1960 was made by the correspondent of the Soviet
news service, TASS — who, by the way, was one of their best
intelligence officers. In his movie-like accented English,
Fedyashin said, “This is fun. It’s good to have Christmas.”
For that brief time the tension and turmoil lost its bite and
peace on earth had a special meaning in the Congo. Joyeux
Noël, tout le monde!
