Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have launched an investigation into the vandalism of the mausoleum believed to house the only remaining relic of independence hero Patrice Lumumba. The incident, reported on Monday evening, has raised questions over the security of the site and the nation’s ability to preserve its historical legacy.
Lumumba, Congo’s first democratically elected prime minister, became a symbol of the country’s fight for independence from Belgium in 1960. His leadership, however, was short-lived. Overthrown after just three months in office, Lumumba was executed in 1961. Accounts suggest that a Belgian officer destroyed most of his body with acid and fire, keeping a single tooth as a grim memento. The tooth was returned to his family in 2022, decades after his assassination.
Police on Tuesday confirmed that the coffin, which housed the tooth, was discovered “open and empty.” However, officials have yet to determine whether the tooth was stolen. The culture ministry, in a brief statement, assured that the mausoleum has been secured and a full investigation is underway to uncover the facts and hold those responsible to account.
Reacting to the desecration, Lumumba’s daughter, Juliana Lumumba Amato, condemned the act as “shameful and incomprehensible.” In a statement, she described her father as a man who “sacrificed his life for the country and its people,” and called for swift action to address the incident.
As questions linger over the fate of the relic, the communications minister has yet to comment, leaving the public and Lumumba’s family awaiting answers about this troubling breach of Congo’s historical preservation efforts.