Vandalism Investigated: The Mystery of Lumumba's Missing Tooth

An investigation is underway in Congo after the mausoleum housing the tooth of independence hero Patrice Lumumba was vandalized. The tooth, believed to be Lumumba's only known remains, was reported missing from its coffin. Authorities have secured the site and are determining the facts.

Congo's authorities have launched an inquiry into the vandalism of a mausoleum on Monday, where the only known remains of Patrice Lumumba, a significant independence figure, were kept. The culture ministry confirmed the investigation in a statement on Tuesday.

Lumumba, the first democratically elected prime minister of the Central African nation post-independence from Belgium in 1960, was executed in 1961. The tooth, reportedly extracted by a Belgian police officer, was handed to Lumumba's family in 2022, but as of Tuesday, it was missing from its casket.

Juliana Lumumba Amato, Lumumba's daughter, condemned the act as 'despicable.' She expressed her distress while awaiting further updates from the government. The communications minister did not provide any comments on the incident.

(With inputs from agencies.)