When Will Lumumba Have A Proper Funeral?

[Global: Black Star News Editorial]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrcX3XUm7eA

West Use African Puppets To Desecrate Congo

Patrice Lumumba Deserves a good burial.

Yet ever since his murder at the hands of agents of the United States and Belgium, there has been much trampling over his grave--the Congo.

Lumumba was murdered through the instigation of Western powers covetous of Congo's fabulous mineral wealth. Had he been an uncle Tom sellout like Moise Tshombe, or a Western agent and anti-Africa corrupt puppet like Mobuttu, Yoweri K. Museveni or Paul Kagame, he might have lived a long life.

Lumumba's death warrant was signed when he made his "tears, fire and blood" speech, during independence ceremonies; he reminded Belgian monarch, Baudouin I, of Belgian atrocities during colonial rule.

Lumumba might have even lorded over Congo for decades. He might have even amassed a vast fortune like the two African dictators, Museveni and Kagame, whose armies have raped Congolese women and men; and raped the country of its resources since their armies invaded Congo, with a wink-and-nod from then U.S. President Bill Clinton.

We live in a world where righteousness is rewarded with assassination, and treachery and corruption rewarded with an invitation to the White House and No. 10 Downing Street. How can African people permit this?

Lumumba was a true Pan African, like his mentor Kwame Nkrumah. There is a reason why both of them were deposed. One was then murdered viciously, and the other died slowly, in exile, while watching his dreams of an African union melting away.

Yet these were impressive sons of Africa. Even today, decades after their death, their names are still invoked with pride by young Africans, and Diaspora Africans. The more they celebrate these martyrs, the more they are repudiating the usurpers who dance to a tune set by foreign paymasters.

Nkrumah might have imagined that eventually, the true Africa --"Africa for the Africans"-- would emerge from the ashes of the Cold War contest for the continent. He might have imagined that the creator could not inspire Africans to throw away colonial exploitation and theft only to replace it with new governors general, African ones, in the forms of puppet leaders.

Nkrumah might have imagined that eventually, ordinary Africans would throw out these corrupt abusers of power. He might have imagined that Africans would resume the march towards Pan African union--and the control of Africa's resources for the benefit of Africans.

A continent of such immense wealth, yet seen as the "poorest" land on this earth.

Even at the end, when faced with imminent death, he was not thinking about himself, or begging for his life. Lumumba was confident that the traitors who had sold him out --Joseph Kasavubu, Moise Tshombe, Joseph Desire Mobuttu-- would face justice. "I know that history will have its say some day," he wrote, in his last letter to his wife, even as he knew that his captors planned a most brutal death for him, "but it will not be history as written in Brussels, Paris or Washington. It will be our own."

Congo is still waiting for that history to be written.

As of today, the blood of innocent Congolese continues to seep into the soil which holds the acid incinerated remains of Lumumba, whose limbs were chopped up by his murderers. The blood of seven million Congolese --and still counting-- join Lumumba's.

How can African leaders stand by and watch Patrice Lumumba's legacy be so desecrated just because two corrupt brutal Africans, Museveni and Kagame, are being used to assist in the robbery of Congo's wealth? Who will give Lumumba his proper burial?

"Speaking Truth To Empower."