Remains of DRC anti-colonial icon arrive in Kinshasa

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] declared four days of national mourning on Monday, in memory of former President Patrice Emery Lumumba, whose remains arrived in Kinshasa after being taken to different cities of the country last week.

The President of DRC Felix Tshisekedi, other politicians and public figures, attended the ceremony of the coffin's arrival at the international airport in the capital Kinshasa. Later, the coffin covered with the Congolese flag was placed in an open vehicle carrying a picture of Lumumba and taken to the People's Palace. Hundreds of people filled in the street. The last of the four days of national mourning dedicated to the national hero will finish on Thursday, when the country celebrates its 62 years of independence from Belgium. The same day, a ceremony to bury the remains of Lumumba will take place in a memorial built in his honour.