1964 Mercenary Paratrooper Attack on [Bukavu], Zaire
Tshibumba Kanda
Description
Subject Matter:
As a genre painter, Tshibumba Kanda-Matulu often depicted historical events taking place around Lubumbashi (in former Zaire, now DRC), particularly moments related to decolonization and independence movements in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This work represents the July 1967 uprising of Congolese rebels, supported by European mercenaries and their paratroopers, against President Mobutu Sese Seko’s central government, which temporarily seized the border city of Bukavu. The violent conflict resulted in many civilian deaths and was condemned by the United Nations Security Council and the Organization of African Unity, with the United States sending cargo planes and 150 military personnel to aid the Congolese government. The painting shows the European mercenaries and paratroopers in the background, along with injured civilians, as they take control of the city.
Physical Description:
Two men in military uniforms pointing guns toward the viewer's right with men in parachutes descending from the sky toward the ground. Men are lying on the ground in the background.
Usage Rights:
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