Family Endures Agony as Lokassa ya Mbongo, Congolese Music Star, Remains Unburied for Seven Months

The family of Lokassa ya Mbongo, a renowned Congolese guitarist, is expressing their distress and humiliation as they wait for government assistance to bury him, nearly seven months after his death. Lokassa's body is currently in a morgue in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, after being flown back from the United States, in accordance with his wish to be laid to rest in his home country. His son, André Marie Lokassa, stated that the government had made promises to support the organization of a funeral deserving of Lokassa's legacy, but has failed to do so thus far. However, a local charity for artists revealed that disputes within the family have contributed to this delay. When questioned by the BBC, Magloire Paluku, a communication official in the Ministry of Culture, Arts, and Heritage, declined to comment, redirecting inquiries to the family. André Marie Lokassa informed the BBC that the family has submitted a budget request of $75,000 (£61,000) to cover funeral expenses, but it is yet to be approved, leaving the family in a state of uncertainty. He described the situation as a humiliating experience that has caused tension within the family. Despite the lack of government assistance, the family hopes to bury Lokassa by mid-October, even if they must rely on an alternative plan due to the ongoing delays. Lokassa ya Mbongo, whose real name was Denis Kasiya Lokassa, passed away at the age of 77 after a battle with diabetes and complications from a mild stroke he suffered in 2020. He was a highly regarded rhythm guitarist in the DR Congo and spent a significant portion of his career in Paris, where he led the band Soukous Stars starting from 1984. Later on, he partnered with singer Sam Mangwana in Ivory Coast to form the African All Stars. Some of his notable compositions include Bonne Annee, Monica, Marie-Josse, Lagos Night, and Nairobi Night. Lokassa moved to the US in 1996, residing there until his death, and his body was flown back to DR Congo the following month. Nevertheless, Artist in Danger, a charity group for artists in DR Congo, stated that the government should not be held responsible for the funeral delay. According to the organization's leader, Tsaka Kongo, the delay is a result of disputes within Lokassa's family regarding who should lead the burial arrangements. Kongo explained that the family must present a letter to the authorities, signifying an end to their disagreements and granting permission for the government to oversee the burial. Kongo expressed his hope that a swift resolution would be found. In a similar situation, another well-known Congolese musician, Saak Sinatra Sakul, had his body flown from Paris to Kinshasa for burial in April. His family initially sought government assistance for the funeral, but ultimately decided to proceed independently out of concern that the body had been kept in a casket, rather than a morgue drawer, for approximately 10 days, which could lead to decomposition. Sakul was a member of the Kinshasa-based band Orchestre Sosoliso Trio Madjesi. Several other Congolese musicians have also encountered lengthy delays before their burials. These include composer and saxophonist Kiamuangana Mateta Verckys, who passed away in October of the previous year and was buried in December, as well as jazz star Lutumba Simaro Masiya, who died in March 2019 and was not laid to rest until May of that year. Lokassa's niece, Nicole Londala, also placed blame on the government for the elongated wait, alleging that it had yet to fulfill its commitment to finance the burial. Londala expressed the family's initial hopes for the funeral to be arranged within five to ten days, highlighting the pain they feel as they continue to wait since April 15th.