May 16, 1997: After 32 years as President of Zaire, the largest country by area in Africa, Mobutu Sese Seko knows that he is losing the First Congo War, and flees to exile in Morocco. Already suffering from prostate cancer, he dies within 5 months, at the age of 68.
Called "the archetypal African dictator," the former Joseph Mobutu overthrew the elected government of the Congo (formerly the Belgian Congo) in 1965, and, like so many dictators in so many lands, established a one-party state, a cult of personality, and a kleptocracy.
In America, he is best known for staging the 1974 Heavyweight Championship fight in which Muhammad Ali regained the title by knocking out George Foreman, "The Rumble in the Jungle." Mobutu could do it because he had made the country rich -- on the surface. By 1991, it had all collapsed, and his overthrow became a matter of when, not if.
Four days later, opposition leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila arrived in the capital, Kinshasa -- the world's most populous French-speaking city -- and proclaimed the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ironically bringing back the old Belgian name, letting the name "Zaire" die with its founder and sole ruler. But he was no better, and ruled for less than 4 years before being assassinated.
His son, Joseph Kabila, became President, and for 18 years, including twice being democratically elected, kept things stable, and stepped aside of his own accord, having established democracy there.
*
May 16, 1997 was a Friday. Football was out of season. There was 1 game in the NBA Playoffs: The Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks, 95-90 at Madison Square Garden.
There was 1 game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs: The Philadelphia Flyers beat the New York Rangers, 3-1 at the CoreStates Center (now the Xfinity Mobile Arena) in Philadelphia.
And these Major League Baseball games were played:
* The New York Yankees lost to the Texas Rangers, 6-0 at The Ballpark (now Choctaw Stadium) in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. Julio Santana allowed 4 hits over 6 1/3rd innings, and Danny Patterson finished the 4-hit shutout, outpitching David Wells. The Rangers got home runs from Will Clark, Rusty Greer and Damon Buford. Mariano Duncan got 2 of the Yankees' 4 hits.
* The New York Mets lost to the Colorado Rockies, 2-1 at Shea Stadium. The Mets blew a 1-0 lead in the top of the 8th inning, when Larry Walker hit a home run.
* The Montreal Expos beat the San Francisco Giants, 14-13 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Barry Bonds, not yet believed to be using steroids, hit a home run for the Giants.
* The Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 12-7 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.
* The Atlanta Braves beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 1-0 at Turner Field (now Center Parc Stadium) in Atlanta. Andruw Jones singled Michael Tucker home with the winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning.
* The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cleveland Indians, 5-2 at the SkyDome (now the Rogers Centre) in Toronto.
* The Florida Marlins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-1 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.
* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2 at Cinergy Field (formerly Riverfront Stadium) in Cincinnati.
* The Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres, 16-7 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
* The Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox, 11-5 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.
* The Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals, 10-2 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.
* The Anaheim Angels beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-1 at Edison International Field of Anaheim (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim). That season, the Angels had Eddie Murray, who went 0-for-4, and Rickey Henderson, who did not play.
* The Chicago White Sox beat the Oakland Athletics, 6-2 at the Oakland Coliseum (then named the Network Associates Coliseum).
* And the Baltimore Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners, 6-3 at the Kingdome in Seattle. Cal Ripken Jr. went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Ken Griffey Jr. went 0-for-4.
No comments:
Post a Comment