Congolese and friends of Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday held various events in memory of the country's much revered politician Dr .Étienne Tshisekedi Wa Mulumba.

Dr .Étienne Tshisekedi Wa Mulumba the father of the current President Felix Antoinne Tshisekedi is also founder of The Union for Democracy and Social Progress political party that recently won elections for the first time. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous operation in the DRC.

Tshisekedi Wa Mulumba died on February 1, 2017. Confidants said he had diabetes and often flew to Brussels for treatment.

He was described as a cunning and relentless Congolese opposition leader who was a thorn in the side of his country's big men for decades.

Tshisekedi played a leading role in nearly every chapter of Congo's messy politics, remaining a potent symbol of resistance, especially in the slums of Kinshasa, the capital, to the very end.

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Étienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba was born on Dec. 14, 1932, in what was then Luluabourg (now Kananga), a colonial outpost in central Congo, the biggest country geographically in sub-Saharan Africa.

He studied law and entered government service as a justice commissioner shortly after Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960.

Meanwhile, on this occasion, an imposing 8.50 m high statue representing Dr. Etienne Tshisekedi with his arm raised and making a sign of victory was unveiled to the public. This monument was erected in homage to Congolese political hero Dr. Étienne Tshisekedi Wa Mulumba.