Marc Mahélé Lièko Bokungu
Encyclopedia
Marc Mahélé Lièko Bokungu (1941 - May 16, 1997) was a prominent Zairian
general
who served as the last army chief during the long reign of Mobutu Sese Seko
.
by trade, was born in Mobutu's Équateur
region, but unlike Mobutu, he was not from the Ngbandi tribe; he was a Mbuza.
One of the few Zairian generals not related to Mobutu, he was unique in that he attained his rank on his own merits, rather than through political patronage. Trained in France
, he was a member of Mobutu's bodyguard in the 1970s, and later came to prominence during the brief Shaba II
war. After Shaba II, he was promoted to general and given command of the Berets Rouge (French
: "Red Berets").
In 1990, led a contingent of the Special Presidential Division
that was sent to Rwanda
to aid Mobutu's beleaguered ally, President Juvénal Habyarimana
Mahélé, widely perceived as being incorruptible, won massive popularity with ordinary Zairians for his suppression of rioting by Mobutu's soldiers in the early 1990s; nevertheless, he was viewed less favorably by other Zairian generals, for the same reasons. He was an outspoken critic of governmental corruption in Zaire. Afterwards, he was nominated by Mobutu to be the army chief of staff, but his outspoken belief that the military should be apolitical and accountable to the Zairian people did not sit well with the President, who immediately replaced him with another general. Mahélé was assigned the essentially powerless title attache à la presidence, and spent the next three years pursuing business opportunities and maintaining a low profile.
Late in the First Congo War
, he was pulled out of semi-retirement and appointed army chief of staff, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of National Defense and Veterans' Affairs and tasked with reforming the Zairian military and defeating Laurent Kabila
's rebels.
On the eve of Mobutu's overthrow, Mahélé was killed by Mobutu loyalists for trying to negotiate a peaceful surrender with Kabila, in order to prevent a final battle in the capital city, Kinshasa
, and spare its people from the bloodshed that would have likely ensued. Mobutu's son, Kongulu Mobutu
, was suspected by some of being involved in Mahele's death, while others, including Kongulu's brother Nzanga, dispute this.
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
who served as the last army chief during the long reign of Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga , commonly known as Mobutu or Mobutu Sese Seko , born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1997...
.
Biography
Born in 1941, Mahélé, a carpenterCarpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
by trade, was born in Mobutu's Équateur
Équateur
Équateur is one of the ten provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is in the north of the country, and bordered the Republic of the Congo to the west, the Central African Republic to the north, to the east the Orientale province, and to the south the Kasai-Oriental, Kasai-Occidental, and...
region, but unlike Mobutu, he was not from the Ngbandi tribe; he was a Mbuza.
One of the few Zairian generals not related to Mobutu, he was unique in that he attained his rank on his own merits, rather than through political patronage. Trained in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, he was a member of Mobutu's bodyguard in the 1970s, and later came to prominence during the brief Shaba II
Shaba II
Shaba II was an invasion of the Shaba separatist movement FNLC into the Zairian province of Shaba on 11 May 1978. The FNLC had its bases in eastern Angola and probably had the support of the Angolan government...
war. After Shaba II, he was promoted to general and given command of the Berets Rouge (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: "Red Berets").
In 1990, led a contingent of the Special Presidential Division
Special Presidential Division
The Special Presidential Division was an elite military force created by Zairian president Mobutu Sese Seko in 1985 and charged with his personal security...
that was sent to Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
to aid Mobutu's beleaguered ally, President Juvénal Habyarimana
Juvénal Habyarimana
Juvénal Habyarimana was the third President of the Republic of Rwanda, the post he held longer than any other president to date, from 1973 until 1994. During his 20-year rule he favored his own ethnic group, the Hutus, and supported the Hutu majority in neighboring Burundi against the Tutsi...
Mahélé, widely perceived as being incorruptible, won massive popularity with ordinary Zairians for his suppression of rioting by Mobutu's soldiers in the early 1990s; nevertheless, he was viewed less favorably by other Zairian generals, for the same reasons. He was an outspoken critic of governmental corruption in Zaire. Afterwards, he was nominated by Mobutu to be the army chief of staff, but his outspoken belief that the military should be apolitical and accountable to the Zairian people did not sit well with the President, who immediately replaced him with another general. Mahélé was assigned the essentially powerless title attache à la presidence, and spent the next three years pursuing business opportunities and maintaining a low profile.
Late in the First Congo War
First Congo War
The First Congo War was a revolution in Zaire that replaced President Mobutu Sésé Seko, a decades-long dictator, with rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Destabilization in eastern Zaire that resulted from the Rwandan genocide was the final factor that caused numerous internal and external actors...
, he was pulled out of semi-retirement and appointed army chief of staff, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of National Defense and Veterans' Affairs and tasked with reforming the Zairian military and defeating Laurent Kabila
Laurent-Désiré Kabila
Laurent-Désiré Kabila was President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from May 17, 1997, when he overthrew Mobutu Sese Seko, until his assassination by his bodyguards on January 18, 2001...
's rebels.
On the eve of Mobutu's overthrow, Mahélé was killed by Mobutu loyalists for trying to negotiate a peaceful surrender with Kabila, in order to prevent a final battle in the capital city, Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
, and spare its people from the bloodshed that would have likely ensued. Mobutu's son, Kongulu Mobutu
Kongulu Mobutu
Kongulu Mobutu was a son of Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaire , and an officer in the Special Presidential Division.-Biography:...
, was suspected by some of being involved in Mahele's death, while others, including Kongulu's brother Nzanga, dispute this.