MLK Advocated Withdrawing Troops from Congo Amid Racial Killings

Nobel Peace Prize winner urged removal of white forces to allow Simbas to attack white captives without intervention.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 8:39pm

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A cinematic painting depicting a lone white missionary figure standing in a dimly lit African village street, the scene bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, conceptually representing the complex racial dynamics and tensions of the era.As racial tensions escalated in newly independent African nations, Dr. King's calls for withdrawing white forces raised concerns about enabling further violence against vulnerable civilian populations.NYC Today

In a 1964 speech in Stockholm, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called for the withdrawal of all foreign troops and mercenaries from the Congo, where white civilians were being slaughtered by the Simbas rebel group after the country gained independence. King described the apartheid regime in South Africa as 'vicious' and said the Congo problem could only be solved through negotiations with the UN's assistance.

Why it matters

King's remarks came at a time of heightened racial tensions and violence in newly independent African nations, with white civilians facing targeted attacks. His advocacy for removing protective forces raised concerns that he was enabling the Simbas to carry out racial killings of white captives without interference.

The details

In his speech, King said 'The Congo problem can be solved when there is a withdrawal of all foreign troops and mercenaries' and that 'The problem must be solved by negotiations, with the United Nations offering its assistance.' He also criticized the 'vicious regime' in apartheid South Africa and called for a 'massive boycott' of the country.

  • King delivered the speech on December 13, 1964, shortly after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize that year.
  • The speech took place in Stockholm, Sweden, where King was celebrating Kenya's independence.

The players

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

American civil rights leader who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

Simbas

Rebel group in the Congo that carried out attacks and killings of white civilians after the country gained independence.

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What they’re saying

“'The Congo problem can be solved when there is a withdrawal of all foreign troops and mercenaries. The problem must be solved by negotiations, with the United Nations offering its assistance.'”

— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Leader

“'We must not rest in any nation until the problem is solved in South Africa. I called for a massive boycott that country because of the vicious regime existing there.'”

— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Leader

The takeaway

King's remarks during this period highlight the complex racial dynamics and tensions in newly independent African nations, where white civilians faced targeted attacks, and the civil rights leader's advocacy for removing protective forces raised concerns about enabling further racial violence.