h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Re the question of CIA involvement:

I have read photocopies of de-classified CIA/MI6 documents concerning the Congo, supplied by the Public Record Office.

CIA agents on the ground in Congo, consistently reported that Lumumba was not a Communist or Socialist. One agent insisted Lumumba was barely literate (despite his post clerk job) and said he failed to understand why HQ were misinterpreting their reports and portraying him as a danger to US interests. All the agents reported that Lumumba was interested in a deal with the US, but was using the Soviets interest as a bargaining tool with which to get better terms.

Clearly, the politicians were doctoring agents information to fit their political agenda.

A Senate Committee looked into the question of the CIA's role in the assassination of Lumumba. In brief, CIA spokesmen admitted that they had wanted Lumumba dead, but couldn't risk using their own agents. They admitted contacting an 'anti-Lumumba' faction, supplying them with weapons, radios, maps, money, intelligence on Lumumba's movements and transport. However, they were very 'surprised' when these people actually carried the mission out.

Technically, the CIA did not kill Lumumba, because they never pulled the trigger, as it were. And so the Senate Committee found.