A MESSAGE TO THE ZAIREAN DICTATOR, MOBUTU SESE SEKO

FROM AMERICAN ALLIES OF ZAIRE'S DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT:

MR. MOBUTU, YOU ARE STILL NOT WELCOME HERE!

(New Amsterdam, black community's newspaper

New York, 19 October 1995)

On October 23, 1995, Mobutu Sese Seko, the brutal and corrupt "President" of Zaire (formerly the Congo), who has terrorized his people since the CIA brought him to power in 1965, will come to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly. This is his first visit to the United States since October 1989. Prior to that visit, Mr. Mobutu was supported by a sordid lobby of U.S. businessmen and politicians with various interests in Zaire. Some of these Mobutu allies were Black, including the liberal former California Congressman Mervyn Dymally.

By the time of the Zairian dictator's visit, American friends of democracy and human rights in Zaire had exposed the Mobutu lobby, and publicized Mobutu's human rights violations, in spite of resistance in certain African American political circles, due to the fact that some of Mr. Mobutu's allies were Black. African American independent Dr. Lenora Fulani led a protest march from Harlem to the United nations and confronted Mobutu on the floor of the General Assembly. This public pressure so discredited Mobutu and his apologists that he has not returned to this country for six years.

Much has happened since 1989. The Zairian people came together in a Sovereign National Conference and elected a new, transitional government under Prime Minister Etienne Tshisekedi, to lead Zaire to free elections and multi-party democracy, even though the US Government and Mobutu opposed that process and tried to sabotage it. Still, the pro-democracy movement in America successfully lobbied Congress to cut off US foreign aid to Mobutu.

In 1993, under continuing pressure from the anti-Mobutu movement and with the support of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congress passed House Resolution 128, which called on the Clinton Administration to severely sanction the Mobutu regime for its continued sabotage of the democratic transition. In response, President Clinton issued an Executive Order banning Mobutu and members of his ruling clique from obtaining visas to enter the United Sates, except to visit the United nations.

We the undersigned, together with Americans across the country, will fight the current efforts of Mobutu's friends - from evangelist Pat Robertson to other paid Government, intelligence and business forces - to overturn the visa restrictions and allow Mobutu to visit Washington, DC and lobby on his own behalf. And we will continue to work in partnership with the Zairian people until they finally achieve their goal of democracy in their country.

Dr. Lenora Fulani, Committee for a Unified Independent Party

Dr. Fred Newman, Artistic Director, Castillo Cultural Center

Georges Nzongola Ntalaja, Professor of African Studies, Howard University

The Cast from Season in the Congo, Castillo Theatre

Sgt. Kelvin Alexander

Todd Bentsen

Arthur Block, Esq.

Marino Busdachin, Director of the Americas, Transnational Radical Party

Barbara Daniels

Steven Eigner

Barbara Emmanuel

Dr. Susan Florenza

Alvaader Frazier, Esq.

Dr. Sylvia Gaines

Bonny Gilden, Democracy Unlimited

Deborah Green, Ross and Green

David Hartzband

June Hirsh

Deb Hoffman

Judith Jorrisch

Alafuele Kalala, Union Sacree de L'Opposition Radicale, Allies et Association Societe Civile

Shelly Karliner

Julie Kinnett

Harry Kresky, Esq.

Julie Lenner

Pam Lewis, All Stars Talent Show Network

Gideon Manasseh

Adolph Montgomery

Dr. Melchias Mukendi

Professor Musifky Mwanasali

Paku Palory Nzau

Mark Parham

Ed Patuto

Carolyn Penney

Elan Rauch

Nancy Ross, Ross adn Green

patricia Tothrock

Cathy Sadell

Gary Sinquski, Esq.

George Spears

Cathy Stewart

Simone Swan

Donna Waks

Pat Wictor