Word: mobutu
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Unlikely Strongman. The Congo's newest emergent leader is Joseph Désiré Mobutu, a 29-year-old lieutenant colonel whom even most Congolese had never heard of until he announced his military coup at midweek. "We are bringing a truce to politics until the end of the year," he declared. "During this revolutionary period, we will try to achieve a political agreement between the factions...
Constitutionally, the Congo was a worse shambles than ever. There were now three governments instead of two-Mobutu's, Lumumba's and moderate President Joseph Kasavubu's. But in the 3,000-man Léopoldville garrison of the Congolese army, Mobutu had at least temporarily enough firepower to make his orders stick. This was a detail that both Lumumba and Kasavubu had overlooked. Both had always been happy when they could line up enough loyal soldiers to form a personal honor guard...
After nightfall, Mobutu organized a dependable detachment of military police into a flying wedge and hustled Lumumba through the milling soldiers to an army truck. But along the way, Congolese reached past the guards to kick and spit on Lumumba and rip his flapping white sports shirt to shreds. As Lumumba rode off, General Lundula sneaked out the back way aquiver with fear, and with all insignia of rank carefully removed. At Lumumba's official residence, Ghanaian troops put the Premier under heavy guard. Next day, Mobutu's men raided Lumumba's headquarters, arrested 26 staff members...
...hastily promoted Congolese army corporals and sergeants to officer rank, ordered hundreds of his troops into requisitioned Sabena planes to be flown to Luluabourg, deep in Kasai province. "National emergency," explained Army Chief of Staff Colonel Joseph Mobutu, suggesting that it was only an expedition to quell new fighting between Baluba and Lulua tribesmen. But the moment they landed, the troops struck out by rail and truck along the 166-mile road to Bakwanga, stronghold of onetime Lumumba pal, Albert Kalonji, who had declared the diamond-rich region an independent nation called Mining State. Swearing that his tribesmen, mainly armed...