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DR Congo Finally Buries Hero Patrice Lumumba

The remains of Congolese independence hero and first prime minister Patrice Lumumba were laid to rest in Kinshasa on June 30, 2022, on the country's independence day. The occasion marked 61 years since Lumumba's assassination by Belgian-backed rebels on January 17, 1961.

In 1958, at the age of 33, Lumumba helped establish the Congolese National Movement (MNC). Two years later, he helped negotiate an end to Belgian colonial rule. A supporter of pan-Africanism who sought to form a government representing all regional ethnic groups, Lumumba soon found himself contending with Katangan secessionists who were backed by Belgian forces.

He was ousted in a coup in 1961 and killed by the Katangans. The Belgian police commissioner who oversaw the destruction of his body kept the tooth. It was seized from the man's daughter by Belgian authorities in 2016.

Lumumba's death paved the way for the rise of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country - which he later renamed Zaire - for decades until his death in 1997.

In 2002, Belgium apologised for its role in Lumumba's death. This month, Belgian King Philippe expressed regrets for his nation's abuses in DR Congo while under Belgian rule.

InFocus

DR Congo Presidency

DR Congo pays homage to Patrice Lumumba.

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