In an increasingly volatile political landscape, Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, faced mounting challenges as he sought to unify the nation and assert control over the military. His policies and attempts to engage with the Soviet Union in the context of the Cold War alarmed both Western powers and rival factions within the country. On December 1, 1960, Mobutu Sese Seko, an army chief of staff who would later become a prominent figure, orchestrated Lumumba's arrest. This occurred on the banks of the Sankuru River, a strategic location symbolizing both national pride and division.

The tension between Lumumba and Mobutu had been escalating. Lumumba's calls for the army to resist external influences and assert their authority led Mobutu's loyalists to act decisively against him. Mobutu, with backing from the United States and Belgium, sought to eliminate what he viewed as a threat to stability. This moment would catalyze deeper political rifts and set the stage for Mobutu’s eventual rise to power.

The arrest not only underscored Lumumba's precarious position but also highlighted the struggle for independence from colonial rule and the internal conflicts that plagued the newly established nation. His custodianship was soon to be challenged by Mobutu's increasingly authoritarian regime, which would further define the political landscape of the Congo for decades to come.