The Congo Crisis is said to have lasted from 1958 to 1961 during which Congo underwent some of the most violent times of its history to date. This paper shall attempt to shed light on the series of events that caused the situation to escalate and the subsequent reactions that they caused. Mediation and negotiation attempts made to subdue the situation shall also be considered for the role they played and the outcomes that they yielded. Furthermore, the paper will also elaborate on the short term and long term consequences that came forth and the applicable theories.  It is imperative to highlight at this point that the paper shall make extensive use of (Kriesberg, 2007) in order to develop rationale for any statements given.

The late 1950s saw the development of numerous political and semi-political organizations; each of whom had a different motive for the perusal of independence. By the time the 1960s dawned, these groups had evolved into the most prominent players in the social scenario. It is imperative to note that these groups were formed as a result of the thirty year plan that was brought forth in 1955. The plan was in favor of the emancipation of Belgian Africa. The plan resulted in numerous suspicions being raised in the corridors of the Belgian government and the Evolues. Even though there was some support to the plan, most ethnic associations chose to denounce it and refused to support it. Even though the plan was never made part of any official implementation, its publication served to trigger a chain of events that is referred to as the Congo Crisis.