20 year after his death, Mobuto Sese Seko is still buried in Morocco

20 years after his death, Mobutu Sese Seko is still buried at the Christian cemetery of Rabat. He was the military dictator and President of Zaire, known nowadays as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mobutu went into temporary exile in Togo but lived mostly in Morocco where he died on the 7th of September 1997.

Visiting his grave in Rabat, the cemetery’s caretaker, Abu Fida, told AFP that «a lot of people come to visit the tomb. There are at least a dozen every day» adding that «Mobutu is the star of the cemetery».

As described by the French News Agency, Mobutu’s grave is nothing like one would expect it to be. «Palm trees stand guard before Mobutu’s black-and-white marble grave with its iron grill door and cross on top. No name, photo or epitaph can be seen», described the same source.

Mobutu’s last days were spent in Morocco, after seeking refuge in the Kingdom, he was hospitalized for Prostate cancer and died later at the age of 66 years old. The Kinshasa government’s spokesman, Lambert Mende, told AFP that «for the Congolese authorities, the body of President Mobutu should not remain in Morocco. It should be repatriated». However nothing can be done without the approval of his family.