Reportage
Death of Lumumba: arrival of the remains in Kisangani, his political stronghold
The plane carrying the remains of Patrice Lumumba landed in Kisangani on June 24, 2022. © Paulina Zidi / RFI
Text by: Paulina Zidi Follow
3 mins
When he got off the plane in Kisangani, the coffin of Patrice Emery Lumumba had the honors reserved for a head of state.
After the family mourning in his stronghold of Onaloua in Sankuru, the relic of the former Congolese leader will remain in the former Stanleyville, because it is in the big city of the North-East that Lumumba worked, militated , became aware of the colonial injustices of the Belgians.
There also where his political fight was born.
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From our special correspondent in Kisangani
A welcome worthy of a hero of the Congo.
It was around 12:30 p.m. that the delegation's planes landed in Kisangani.
Then, the body of Patrice Lumumba came out of the Air Kasaï plane, welcomed by the President of the Senate, Modeste Bahati.
As at each stage, military honors and customary chiefs were present with drums and trumpets.
The President of the Senate said a few words.
He wished the first Congolese Prime Minister “
welcome to your political province
”.
And politics, it will obviously be discussed over the next two days during the commemorations.
Indeed, Kisangani is the place of the beginnings of Patrice Lumumba.
He worked at the post office of Kisangani, and it is on the place of this post office that the ceremonies will take place.
► To read also:
DRC: Lumumba's coffin exhibited in his native village of Onalua
From postman to MP
At the podium, François Lumumba, the eldest son of Patrice Lumumba, greeted and harangued the crowd who had come to pay their last respects to his father, “
the most famous postman in the world
”, as one of the organizers declared.
In any case, a key figure in the city who was his professional village for his other son Roland: “
This is an opportunity for us to fulfill a family duty, a duty of children as Congolese.
His soul would not rest in peace if we did not pass here in Kisangani which can be considered as his professional village.
Your deputy was a young man who fought for young people, so we will continue together.
»
Kisangani is above all the birthplace of the Congolese National Movement (MNC) with its commitment against colonialism and social justice.
"
Patrice Emery Lumumba is our hero
," said Elie who, like many young people, was present this Friday to see Patrice Lumumba's coffin in Kisangani.
Among them, there is Pierre, t-shirt with the image of the national hero on his shoulders, who did not want to miss this moment: “
Lumumba, he made sure that we have independence in our country.
And in relation to this story, we have therefore come to see a part of Lumumba who remained in Belgium.
When we were still children, we followed history and today, we come to live this history in person with the relic of the very first Congolese Prime Minister.
»
Head of government 62 years ago
And this stage of Kisangani is more than symbolic.
It was in this city, as Michel reminds us, that Patrice Lumumba's political activism was born: “
Because that's where he started to make his policy.
His life began in Kisangani, he worked in Kisangani, and he began to embody a nationalist image from Kisangani.
Today, we are proud and Kisangani is honored to have to pay him a last tribute.
»
Chance of the calendar, the remains of Patrice Lumumba arrived in his political province, 62 years old day after his appointment as Prime Minister.
► To read also:
our retrospective "Patrice Lumumba, a murdered independence"
(January 2021)
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