Pierre Mulele

Pierre Mulele (11 August 1929 – 3 or 9 October 1968) was a Congolese politician and communist rebel who led the Kwilu Rebellion during the Congo Crisis. Mulele was a member of the Bapende ethnic group. Prior to his rebel career, he served as minister of education in Patrice Lumumba's cabinet. Following the assassination of Lumumba in January 1961 and the arrest of his recognised deputy Antoine Gizenga one year later, Mulele became one of the top Lumumba ideologues determined to continue the struggle against the Congolese government in Léopoldville (present-day Kinshasa). He went to Cairo as the representative of the Lumumbists' Congo National Liberation Committee based in Brazzaville. From Cairo he proceeded to China in 1963 to receive military training, and also took a group of Congolese youths with him, where and the group received training in asymmetrical warfare in order to start a rebellion against the Congolese government. After his rebellion failed, Mulele went into exile. He was lured back in Congo after Mobutu Sese Seko promised him amnesty but, once he had returned, Mobutu had him tortured and executed.