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Sunday, February 11th – Sunday, February 17th
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IN CINEMA
LUMUMBA: RETURN OF A HERO
Friday, February 16th at 7PM
61 years after his assassination, the remains of Patrice Lumumba are returned home – or, as his children say, “the Congo returns to Congo”. On June 30th, 1960, Patrice Lumumba became the first Prime Minister in the history of Congo, as the country gained independence after 80 years of Belgian colonial rule.
An outspoken anti-colonialist, he intended to use the huge wealth of his country to benefit its people. Six months later, he was killed in the province of Katanga with his two political allies, Joseph Okito and Maurice Mpolo.
Lumumba’s assassination was followed by the rise of the dictatorship of Mobutu Sesse Seko, who remained in power until 1996, thanks to strong western support. The events surrounding Lumumba’s death and Mobutu’s ascendance have had a lasting impact on Congo to this day.
