Tag: DRC

A tooth — the only remains left behind of Patrice Lumumba, The Democratic Republic of the Congo's first elected leader — was returned to his family during a ceremony in Belgium. Lumumba was the first democratically-elected Prime Minister of the DRC when Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960. His leadership was short-lived; Lumumba was assassinated by Belgian operatives who attempted a coup. Lumumba, the handsome and charismatic leader who captivated an entire continent, was tortured and killed. His body is believed to have been dissolved in acid. A tooth, the only known remains of Lumumba’s body, was taken by a Belgian police officer who brought it to Belgium as a memento. Lumumba’s children came to Belgium last week to reclaim their father’s tooth two years after his daughter...