**Patrice Lumumba's son speaks in Harlem on Zaire**

(Reprinted from the March 22, 1997 issue of the People's
Weekly World. May be reprinted or reposted with PWW credit.
For subscription information see below)

By Daniel Vila

NEW YORK - The gathering at the Harriet Tubman Learning
Center in Harlem March 7 had the appearance of a victory
celebration as several hundred people sensed the inevitable
overthrow of Zairian dictator Mobutu Sese Seko by a popular
revolution.

Francois Lumumba, son of martyred Zairian leader, Patrice
Lumumba, was the featured speaker at the event which also
included Marcus Garvey Jr.

Lumumba began by saying, "This time victory is certain even
if the United Nations is brought in." He linked events in
this country with what occurs in Africa. It "is the same
although they take different forms."

Francois, who has been active all his life in the
clandestine opposition to Mobutu's government, said, "Our
movement is proud to support those who have taken up arms
to remove the dictatorship from our country. We have never
had an opportunity like this."

Elombe Barth who is leader of the Patrice Lumumba
Coalition, one of the organizations which sponsored the
event, said, "We have never had an opportunity like this.
We are in a very good battlefield position. Mobuto's troops
are throwing away their arms and the youth are picking them
up."

Patrice Lumumba became prime minister of Zaire after the
country's independence from Belgium in 1960. However, he
was overthrown in a CIA engineered coup in 1961.

Laurent Kabila is the leader of the Alliance of Democratic
Forces for Liberation which has launched a successful armed
campaign, capturing up to one-fifth of Zaire. Francois told
the World, "Kabila was as a youth active in the patriotic
movement to overthrow Mobutu. The truth is that the only
rallying point in Zaire is the Lumumba movement. And when
you look in the area where the uprising is taking place,
you will see that they have always supported Lumumba."

When he was asked what he would like to see in the form of
solidarity towards other African countries from a post-
Mobutu government Francois answered, "We must remember that
it was with Lumumba's government that help to Angola [then
a colony of Portugal] was begun. Like Lumumba we believe in
supporting those countries which have still not been
liberated."