Mwazulu Diyabanza

Mwazulu Diyabanza

human

Ein sex anaa gender	male
Ein country of citizenship	Democratic Republic of the Congo
Name in native language	Mwazulu Diyabanza
Ein date of birth	13 December 1978
Place dem born am	Kinshasa
Languages edey speak, rep anaa sign	French, Lingala, Swahili
Ein occupation	political activist, militant
Dema official website	http://www.mwazuludiyabanzaofficial.art

Emery Mwazulu Diyabanza be a Congolese pan-African political activist. He be best known for ein support of cultural restitution den de removal of African artefacts from European museums obtain during colonisation.

Ein life matter

Dem born Diyabanza insyd Kinshasa insyd de Democratic Republic of the Congo, but na flee go France as a political refugee. As of 2024, he be 45 years old. He divide ein time between France den Togo.

Diyabanza say ein family be royalty on ein mommie ein side, dey date back to de 15th century, den dat ein grandpoppie, governor of Mpangu province insyd de Kingdom of Kongo, be insyd charge in absence of de king. He say dat during de tenure of ein grandpoppie, Europeans arrive den steal artefacts, wey include a hat made from multiple animal skins, an intricate cane, a copper bracelet, den a leopard skin worn insyd rituals.

Political activism

Diyabanza be de head of a pan-Africanist movement dem call Yanka Nku (Unité Dignité Courage, anaa Unity, Dignity den Courage). He sana found de Front Multiculturel Anti-Spoliation (FMAS, anaa de Multicultural Front Against Pillaging), wich dey aim make e unite de world ein indigenous peoples plus what he dey call demma plundered heritage on display insyd European museums. He sana campaigns against de use of de CFA Franc currency insyd West den Central Africa.

Actions by country

France

Insyd June 2020, Diyabanza den several odas enter de Quai Branly museum insyd Paris, which has around 70,000 objects from sub-Saharan Africa. They take a 19th-century funeral post of de Bari people; police recovered de object den hold Diyabanza insyd custody for three days. A judge fine him €1,000 for attempted theft. Diyabanza dey protest dat ein actions be "part of a protest rather than an attempted theft". De five activists he work plus face up to ten years insyd prison den a fine of €150,000 each; four of them be eventually given fines of €250 to €1000 each but avoid prison.

A month later, insyd Marseille, Diyabanza try to remove an ivory spear from de Museum of African, Oceanian den Native American Art [fr] (MAAOA). Charges be brought against him but he be acquitted insyd court. He be ordered to pay de Louvre €5,000 and a deferred prison term insyd Paris for removing an object from a display case insyd de museum. De museum dey claim dat Diyabanza had "tarnished ein image because (ein) action had an international den world-media echo".

De Netherlands

Insyd September 2020 he remove a Congolese funerary statue from de Africa Museum insyd Berg en Dal. Insyd January de following year, he be given a two-month suspended sentence den a €250 fine, wey include two years probation. Two women who film de event den two men who assisted Diyabanza insyd removing de object be each fined €100 den given one-month suspended prison sentences den two years probation, den all five be banned from entering de museum for three years. Diyabanza dey believe dat when he be at de museum, he seew a bracelet wey belong to ein grandfather, but do not take it as it was protected by a glass case.