On 8 August 1960, the autonomous Mining State of South Kasai was proclaimed with its capital at Bakwanga.

Following Joseph Mobutu's 1965 coup, South Kasai was divided into two regions, partly to discourage future secessionist tendencies.

Several thousand people were killed during the "pacification" of South Kasai, which lasted through the spring of 1962.

The Lulua led administration then proposed a plan to evict 100,000 ethnic Baluba farmers back to South Kasai.

These areas became the frontline for government forces, sandwiched as it was between both the South Kasai and the Katanga secessionist states.

At the same time, on 9 July, Albert Kalonji proclaimed the independence of South Kasai.

During this period of anarchy, the region of South Kasai also declared independence.

When the central government reconquered South Kasai in 1962, Luluabourg became the capital of the new Kasai-Occidental province.

South Kasai secedes from the Congo.

South Kasai was a secessionist region in the area of south central Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) during the early 1960s.