Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, known as Lumumba Vea, gained fame during the Africa Cup of Nations for posing as a statue of Congo’s assassinated independence leader Patrice Lumumba for the entirety of games
Lumumba was an activist who helped to end Belgium’s colonial rule over Congo in 1960. He became the newly independent country’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising leaders, but he was assassinated within a year during a struggle against a Belgian-backed secessionist movement in the mineral-rich Katanga region.
A Belgian court in March ordered a 93-year-old former diplomat to stand trial for the slaying. Etienne Davignon, who previously denied wrongdoing, is the last living among 10 Belgians suspected of involvement in the killing and has been charged with “participation in war crimes” for his role in the “unlawful detention and transfer” of Lumumba.
Find out about Lumumba Vea's appearance at the World Cup ⤵️
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