Godefroid Munongo

Godefroid Munongo
Born 20 November, 1925
Bunkeya
Died 28 May, 1992
Cause of death heart attack
Nationality Democratic Republic of the Congo
Occupation politician
Website godefroidmunongo.com

Godefroid Munongo Mwenda M'Siri (1925–1992) was a politician of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was a minister and briefly the interim President in 1961. It has been claimed he was involved in ethnic cleansing[1] and in the assassination of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba during the Congo Crisis.[1][2]

Biography

Munongo was born on the 20 November 1925 in Bunkeya (in present-day Lualaba Province).[3] He was a descendant of King Msiri of the Nyamwezi who founded the State of Garenganze in the latter half of the nineteenth century.[4] By 1960, he was the second man in the nationalist CONAKAT party alongside Moise Tshombe. Munongo was interim president of Katanga Province from 26 April to 22 June 1961.

Munongo was Minister of Interior for the Congo in 1965 and he then led the eastern Katanga province until 24 April 1966 when the province merged with the neighbouring province of Lualaba. He was Governor of South Katanga until 5 November 1966.

It has been claimed he was involved in ethnic cleansing of 1960 to 1962 in Katanga and tried to obtain Belgian support.[1] It has been alleged that Munongo was involved in the death of Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba in 1961. Before his death Munongo was quoted in a newspaper as saying that if Lumumba came to Katanga then he would do what the Belgians could not do and that was to kill him.[2] Lumumba and two other ministers were beaten on a plane journey to Katanga. Near the airport at Luano in Lubumbashi they were all tortured and Lumumba was personally assaulted by Katangan leaders including Munongo and Belgian officers. After they were shot by a firing squad their bodies were dissolved in acid.[1] In reports Munongo said, "I will speak frankly, If people accuse us of killing Lumumba, I will reply: 'Prove it'."[5]

Munongo was recognised by the Council of Notables as the fifth Msiri and he was enthroned on the 12 September 1976. The families web site records that Munongo was going to break his silence on the death of Lumumba, however, on the day of the announcement he suffered a heart attack and died on 28 May 1992[3] Munongo's son is involved in politics.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 The Congo from Leopold to Kabila, Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, 2002, inc. P112, ISBN 1-84277-053-5, accessed February 2009
  2. 1 2 The Assassination of Lumumba, Ludo de Witte, p83, 2002, ISBN 1-85984-410-3, accessed February 2009
  3. 1 2 kingmsiri.com
  4. 1 2 Patrick Munongo, his son, accessed February 2009
  5. ↑ Death of Lumumba--& After, time.com, Feb 24 1981, accessed February 2009
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