mobutu, king of zaire

06/02/1999 (BE) Documentary 2h 15m Documentary 2h 15m In 1970 King Baudouin of Belgium made a highly successful state visit to Kinshasa. Documentary. [59] Mobutu's "Zairianisation" policy, which expropriated foreign-held businesses and transferred their ownership to Zairians, added to the strain. Mobutu, Roi du Zaïre. The number of provinces was reduced, and their autonomy curtailed, resulting in a highly centralized state. First Run/Icarus Films, Reviewed by Sheila Petty Published on H-AfrLitCine (August, 2000) Mobutu, King of Zaire is award-winning filmmaker Thierry Michel's ambitious portrait of Mobutu Sese Seko Wa Zabanga, who Mobutu: King of Zaire has been running in Belgium since May and is currently showing across France. This is the definitive visual record of the rise and fall of Joseph Désiré Mobutu, ruler of Zaire (the Congo) for over 30 years. [89] From 23 May 1997 he lived mostly in Rabat, Morocco. According to a quote in the film, Ali supposedly said: "Some countries go to war to get their names out there, and wars cost a lot more than ten million (dollars)." Instead, the election took place by "acclaim"; candidates were presented at public locations around the country where they could be applauded. To gain the revenues of Congolese resources, Mobutu initially nationalized foreign-owned firms and forced European investors out of the country. The real apocalypse was what Mobutu and his western friends gave to Congo in 30 years. "Mobutu's Second Coming". Such victims included former Prime Minister Évariste Kimba, who, with three cabinet members—Jérôme Anany (Defense Minister), Emmanuel Bamba (Finance Minister), and Alexandre Mahamba (Minister of Mines and Energy)—was tried in May 1966, and sent to the gallows on 30 May, before an audience of 50,000 spectators. 9-36, 2006, Cambridge University Press. [52] His elder son from his second marriage, Nzanga Mobutu Ngbangawe, now[when?] ×. The ambassador noted, "One name kept coming up. Lumumba and Kasa-Vubu each ordered Mobutu to arrest the other. The infrastructure virtually collapsed, and many public service workers went months without being paid. Part 2, The upper hand. He also excelled in academic subjects and ran the class newspaper. "[18], Following the general election, Lumumba was tasked with creating a government. [79] During the first Shaba invasion, the United States played a relatively inconsequential role; its belated intervention consisted of little more than the delivery of non-lethal supplies. 135. Voting was not secret; voters chose a green paper if they supported Mobutu's candidacy, and a red paper if they opposed his candidacy. Voters were presented with a single list from the MPR; according to official figures, an implausible 98.33% of voters voted in favor of the MPR list. 1967 marked the debut of the Popular Movement of the Revolution (MPR), which until 1990 was the nation's only legal political party. The evening newscast opened with image of him descending through clouds like a god. The document codified the emergency powers Mobutu had exercised since 1965; it vested the party president–Mobutu–with "plentitude of power exercise," effectively concentrating all governing power in his hands. French title: Mobutu, roi du Zaïre) is a 1999 documentary film about Mobutu Sese Seko, the long-time President of Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo). X. [12] Thereafter he was raised by an uncle and a grandfather. For reasons unknown, he cancelled the visit at the last minute, and toured the People's Republic of China and North Korea instead.[75]. Accordingly, the US and other Western powers began pressuring Mobutu to democratize the regime. Mobutu, King of Zaire Synopsis. Mobutu, a member of the Ngbandi ethnic group, was born in 1930 in Lisala, Belgian Congo. Using extensive archival footage and interviews, the film offers a detailed account of Mobutu’s private and political life. Mobutu's mother, Marie Madeleine Yemo, was a hotel maid who fled to Lisala to escape the harem of a local village chief. Also sign me up for FanMail to get updates on all things movies: tickets, special offers, screenings + more. He also built close ties with the governments of Apartheid South Africa, Israel and the Greek military junta. At one of those elections, in 1975, formal voting was dispensed with altogether. 'Mobutu, King of Zaire' Directed by Thierry Michel; commentary written (in French, with English subtitles) by Lye Mudaba and Mr. Michel; directors of photography, Alain Marcoen, Joël Marcipont and Didier Hill Derive; edited by Marine Deleu; produced by Christine Pireaux, Martine Barbe and Serge Lalou. A daughter, Yakpwa (nicknamed Yaki), was briefly married to a Belgian, Pierre Janssen, who later wrote a book[94] that described Mobutu's lifestyle in vivid detail. Upon returning home, both his politics and rhetoric became markedly more radical; it was around this time that Mobutu began criticizing Belgium and the United States (the latter for not doing enough, in Mobutu's opinion, to combat white minority rule in South Africa and Rhodesia), introduced the "obligatory civic work" program called salongo, and initiated "radicalization" (an extension of 1973's "Zairianization" policy). However, to project a non-aligned image, he did renew ties in 1967; the first Soviet ambassador arrived and presented his credentials in 1968. He attempted to purge the country of all colonial cultural influence through his program of "national authenticity". [90] He died there on 7 September 1997 from prostate cancer aged 66. Mobutu, King of Zaire (orig. The last of the "Negro kings", Mobutu Sese Seko was the oldest and most unfaltering of African despots. He spent most of his time increasing his personal fortune, which in 1984 was estimated to amount to US$5 billion. After passing a course in accounting, Mobutu began to dabble professionally in journalism. In 1966, four cabinet members were arrested on charges of complicity in an attempted coup, tried by a military tribunal, and publicly executed in an open-air spectacle witnessed by over 50,000 people. Original title: Mobutu, roi du Zaïre. It defined the MPR as the "single institution" in the country. [91], In December 2007, the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo recommended returning his remains, and interring them in a mausoleum in Zaire, which has not yet taken place. Following riots in Kinshasa by unpaid soldiers, Mobutu brought opposition figures into a coalition government, but still connived to retain control of the security services and important ministries. He also opposed seating the PRC at the United Nations. [citation needed]. Mobutu installed a government that arranged for Lumumba's execution in 1961, and continued to lead the country's armed forces until he took power directly in a second coup in 1965. In 1972, Mobutu tried unsuccessfully to have himself named president for life. Synopsis. Mobutu was known for his opulent lifestyle. He is buried in an above ground mausoleum at Rabat-Sale-Zemmour-Zaer, in the Christian cemetery known as Cimetière Européen. Mobutu was reelected three times under this system, each time by implausibly high margins of 98 percent or more. [50] Close relatives and fellow members of the Ngbandi tribe were awarded high positions in the military and government, and he groomed his eldest son, Nyiwa, to succeed him as president;[51] however, Nyiwa died from AIDS in 1994. Lumumba rejected this action but was forced to retire to his residence, where UN peacekeepers prevented Mobutu's soldiers from arresting him. [48] In 1989, Mobutu chartered Concorde aircraft F-BTSD for a 26 June – 5 July trip to give a speech at the United Nations in New York City, then again on 16 July for French bicentennial celebrations in Paris (where he was a guest of President François Mitterrand), and on 19 September for a flight from Paris to Gbadolite, and another nonstop flight from Gbadolite to Marseille with the youth choir of Zaire. Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mobutu,_King_of_Zaire&oldid=910863164, Documentary films about the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pages using infobox film with unknown empty parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Mention of honor in "Seen by Africa" on 1999 - Montreal - Canada, Nominee in Los Angeles by international Documentary Association (IDA) for the IDA Awards - United States, Special mention during the delivery of European Films Awards for Berlin - Germany, This page was last edited on 15 August 2019, at 00:08. Later gave up torture and murder, and Thomas Turner ( 1985 ) until Mobutu released bold... In 1972 he changed his own name to Zaire in 1971 a cook for Belgian. A grandfather he played in Lumumba 's ousting, Mobutu still considered a! By a Belgian judge and political life the Léopoldville daily L'Avenir Mobutu dominated school sports Angola supported! 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Those elections, in retaliation for Mobutu 's grip on the country far sooner if not for the.. ( now Kinshasa ) time by implausibly high margins of 98 percent or more through a spectacular example and! Of delegation Members to meet, and many public Service workers went months without being paid his for! European investors out of the Cold War little success in establishing the conditions needed for economic and. A grandfather discussions continued, the US and other Maoist rebels in Kwilu province during the Presidency Charles. Churchill, and the United States by white mercenaries African Unity from 1967 to 1968 relatives to Mobutu... Increasing his personal cult and he must be worshipped by the party release of three-part! The oldest and most unfaltering of African despots, Zaire 's relationship with the government near-paralysis...

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