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Donatien Mahele Lieko Bokungu

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In this Congolese name, the surname is Mahele and the post-surname is Lieko Bokungu.
Donatien Mahele Lieko Bokungu
BornApril 14, 1941
Equateur, Belgian Congo
DiedMay 16, 1997 (Aged 56)
Kinshasa, Zaire
AllegianceDemocratic Republic of the Congo Congo-Léopoldville (1965–1971)
 Zaire
(1971–1997)
Service / branchZairian Armed Forces
Years of service1965-1997
RankGeneral
Battles / wars

Donatien "Marc" Mahele Lieko Bokungu (April 14, 1941 – May 16, 1997) was a prominent Zairean general who served as the last army chief during the long reign of Mobutu Sese Seko.[1]

Biography

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Born in 1941, Mahele, a carpenter by trade,[2] was born in Mobutu's Équateur region,[3] but unlike Mobutu, he was not from the Ngbandi tribe;[4] he was a Mbuza.[2]

One of the few Zairian generals not related to Mobutu,[2] he was unique in that he attained his rank on his own merits, rather than through political patronage.[2][4][5] Trained in France, he was a member of Mobutu's bodyguard in the 1970s.[2] He fought in the Shaba I conflict,[5] and came to prominence during the Shaba II war.[2] He distinguished himself during the Shaba wars through his discipline and good conduct.[5] After Shaba II, he was promoted to general and given command of the Berets Rouge (French: "Red Berets").[2]

In 1990, led a contingent of the Special Presidential Division that was sent to Rwanda to aid Mobutu's beleaguered ally, President Juvénal Habyarimana.[2][6][7] In the following year, he helped to put down riots, looting, and protests by mutinying soldiers and civilians in Kinshasa.[8]

Mahele, widely perceived as being incorruptible, won massive popularity with ordinary Zairians for his suppression of rioting by Mobutu's soldiers in the early 1990s; nevertheless, he was viewed less favorably by other Zairian generals, for the same reasons.[4][5] He was an outspoken critic of governmental corruption in Zaire.[9] Afterwards, he was nominated by Mobutu to be the army chief of staff, ranked as a Général de corps d'armée, but his outspoken belief that the military should be apolitical and accountable to the Zairian people did not sit well with the President, who immediately replaced him with another general.[2] Mahele was assigned the essentially powerless title attache à la presidence, and spent the next three years pursuing business opportunities and maintaining a low profile.[2]

Late in the First Congo War, he was pulled out of semi-retirement and appointed army chief of staff, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of National Defense and Veterans' Affairs[10] and tasked with reforming the Zairian military and defeating Laurent Kabila's rebels.[2]

On the eve of Mobutu's overthrow, Mahele was killed by Mobutu loyalists[11] for trying to negotiate a peaceful surrender with Kabila, in order to prevent a final battle in the capital city, Kinshasa, and spare its people from the bloodshed that would have likely ensued.[11][12] Mobutu's son, Kongulu Mobutu, was suspected by some of being involved in Mahele's death,[13] while others, including Kongulu's brother Nzanga, dispute this.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "Foes of Congo Leader Disrupt Funeral Service." New York Times, June 13, 1997. Accessed on May 6, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Zaire: IRIN Briefing Part III, 02/27/97" United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network. Accessed on June 9, 2008.
  3. ^ Wrong, Michela. In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo. First Perennial. 2002. Page 265
  4. ^ a b c Wrong, p. 283
  5. ^ a b c d French 2005, p. 206.
  6. ^ Melvern, Linda. Conspiracy to Murder: The Rwandan Genocide. Verso. 2006. Page 14
  7. ^ Zaire: A Country Study, "Zaire as a Military Aid Donor." Accessed on June 9, 2008.
  8. ^ Cooper 2013, p. 8.
  9. ^ French 2005, p. 207.
  10. ^ List of Prime Minister Likulia Bolongo's Cabinet members Archived 1999-02-20 at the Wayback Machine CongoOnline.com. Accessed on June 9, 2008.
  11. ^ a b "Hope and retribution in Zaire." BBC News, May 24, 1997. Accessed on June 9, 2008.
  12. ^ "Kabila declares himself president of Zaire." Archived 2006-11-28 at the Wayback Machine CNN, May 17, 1997. Accessed on May 6, 2008.
  13. ^ "Mobutu's Son Lingers, Reportedly Settling Scores." New York Times, May 18, 1997. Accessed on May 6, 2008.
  14. ^ Wrong, p. 286

Works cited

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  • Cooper, Tom (2013). Great Lakes Holocaust: First Congo War, 1996–1997. Solihull: Helion & Company. ISBN 978-1-909384-65-1.
  • French, Howard W. (2005). A Continent for the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa. First Vintage Books. ISBN 978-1400030279.
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