A grandson of Mobutu is elected as provincial governor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

July 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Malo Ndimba Mobutu, grandson of Mobutu Sese Seko, former president of Zaire -currently the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)–, has been elected governor of the province of North Ubangi, located in the north of the African country.

Mobutu has won the support of 11 of the 18 votes cast by regional parliamentarians and has prevailed over the other five candidates, in a vote held in Gbadolite, the provincial capital, as reported by the Congolese news portal 7sur7.

In this way, he succeeds Izato Nzege Koloke, who resigned due to political pressure for his performance as head of the province. Mobutu’s grandson is part of the Sacred Union, a coalition led by Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi.

The city of Gbadolite flourished under the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko (1965-1997), who even erected a palace there known as ‘The Versailles of the Jungle’ and where he moved during the last years of his regime before fleeing before the advancing of the rebels led by Laurent Kabila towards the capital, Kinshasa.

Mobutu died at the age of 66 in Morocco after fleeing into exile, amid numerous accusations of human rights abuses, including executions of opponents and critics, and the looting of the many natural assets of the African country.