Brooklyn Cares | Mobutu died of AIDS?!

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Mobutu died of AIDS?!

Djallo, a Senegalese car service driver (in French):

Why do you speak French?

Passenger:

Because I spent the last year in Congo

Djallo:

Hmm. How is it there?

Passenger:

There are a lot of problems. I mean, Kinshasa is okay, life is normal there and think people are pretty happy, there aren't rebels there. But I was in the east, and there are a lot of problems there.

Djallo:

They have A LOT of problems there. It's the most dishonest country in Africa. But Senegal is beautiful. You would not believe how perfect it is there.

Passenger:

I have never been to Senegal. I'd like to go. But don't you think Nigeria puts some serious competition up to Congo on the dishonesty count?

Djallo:

Nigeria!? NO! NIGERIA HAS DEMOCRACY. It is a very rich country, perhaps the most successful economy in Africa!

Passenger:

They have democracy? I don't think so.

Djallo:

Nigeria?! That country has more than 100 million people! It is not easy to govern that many people.

Passenger:

Well, anyway you're right that Congo is full of dishonesty.

Djallo:

Yes. And it's because of Mobutu. That man pillaged his country for 30 years. It was disgusting.

Passenger:

I know.

Djallo:

And look how he ended.

Passenger:

I'm not sure what you mean, but, I do think it's ironic that this man who stole money from his people to own tons of limousines and homes in Switzerland and France ended up dying of prostate cancer, which he didn't even know he had until he was practically on his death bed, despite more or less routine examinations for the illness being widely available to even middle class people in the developed world.

Djallo:

It was not cancer. I don't think so. It was AIDS. African leaders always hide their illnesses.

Passenger:

You think so?? I've never heard that theory before.

Posted on December 19, 2009