Last modified: 2005-11-26 by bruce berry
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It looks a bit like Spanish military of that era, I thought that Portuguese
influence was stronger in that region.
Philippe Bondurand, 19 March 1998
It was, but don't forget that in 1580-1640, Portugal was ruled by the
kings of Spain (just like
Austria and the
Netherlands). Although there
was a great degree of autonomy, especially at sea and in the "factories"
and colonies, Spanish flags were likely to be seen, I think.
Antonio Martins, 28 April 1998
The language spoken in Cabinda (a dialect of kikongo) is locally called
kiombe.
Antonio Martins, 4 August 1998
Musikongo was a state claimed by the Bakongo
peoples from northern Angola to the
Gabon/Congo frontier.
Željko Heimer, 13 Oct 2001
The colours white, blue and orange, as seen on the 2003
flag proposal of Angola, are the Bakongo colours.
In 1998 the following brief brief note was published in the Flag Report
:
KINSHASA, July 6 (Reuters) - A self-proclaimed king who has called
for the independence of three of the 11 provinces of the Democratic Republic
of Congo has been arrested along with dozens of supporters, government
officials said on Monday. "King'' Bernard Mizele was arrested at the weekend
in the town of Muanda in the western province of Bas-Congo. Mizele fled
there after eight militiamen and soldiers were killed in clashes between
his guards and government troops conducting a weapons search around his
home in the capital Kinshasa on Thursday. Military officials said Mizele's
militia were surprisingly well-organised and they suspected the support
of members of the late Mobutu Sese Seko's army. The officials said the
secessionists would be brought before a military tribunal, probably on
Tuesday. Mizele, who leads a ``government'' with over 30 ministers, wants
independence for Bas-Congo, Bandundu and Kinshasa. The three provinces,
including the capital, make up part of the ancient Kongo Kingdom which,
prior to colonial rule, embraced parts of neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville
and Angola. Mizele is believed by some in the capital to have magic powers
but is widely considered an eccentric. His secessionist programme commands
little popularity, even among his own ethnic group, the Bakongo of Bas-Congo.
His secessionist designs have got him into trouble before. He was imprisoned
in 1995 and 1996 under Mobutu, but was released shortly after President
Laurent Kabila ousted Mobutu in a military campaign in May 1997.
"For the time being he's in jail. He'll have to answer for what happened
last Thursday. If he's a madman, he will get the appropriate treatment,''
a government official told Reuters. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
Jaume Ollé, 27 Aug 2003