Did Denis Sassou Nguesso order the assasination of Pierre Anga?

According to the military officer:  “Denis Sassou Nguesso decided to take the lead and remove President Marien Ngouabi from power or stage a coup d’état, before Marien Ngouabi could sack him (Denis Sassou Nguesso) from the government and the State -Major Special Command, hence the assassination of Marien Ngouabi which took place on March 18th, 1977 which Denis Sassou Nguesso is the genuine author.” He went further:  “it was because of the dispute that opposed President Marien Ngouabi and Denis Sassou Nguesso on the expulsion of Dr Cloud, the real motive for the crime (coup d’état), so to speak. Besides the alleged assassination of Marien Ngouabi as claimed by the Congolese military officer, he also told me that, Denis Sassou Nguesso was also responsible for the assassination of Pierre ANGA.

Why? I asked him. He told me: “it was because Denis Sassou Nguesso wanted  to revenge  or punish Pierre Anga who had humiliated him (Denis Sassou Nguesso) when President Denis Sassou Nguesso was still commandant of the Para-commando battalion of the Congolese Army in 1974”. Still according to my informant, whose name I can release because he is still in function: “when Pierre Anga was back from his paratrooper commando training in the USSR (after failing in his attempt at medical studies in France), Pierre Anga did not accept to be led by Denis Sassou Nguesso. Pierre Anga considered, Denis Sassou Nguesso, as unfit to command an elite battalion”. According to my informant, Denis Sassou Nguesso was indeed a reserve officer and as such, could not be the head of such a unit that was highly respected in the Congolese army.  However, what I don’t know is whether a reserve officer doesn’t have the right to head a battalion or any military unit of active military men and women. My informant went further in our conversation: “Contesting the place of  Denis Sassou Nguesso at the head of the Para-Commando, Pierre Anga convinced President Marien Ngouabi to organize a retaining jump (Para jump), where all the officers of the battalion had to jump, including President Marien Ngouabi himself and of course the unit commandant, Denis Sassou Nguesso”.

My informant concluded: “Finally Pierre Anga was right to say that Denis Sassou Nguesso was not fit to lead the battalion”.  “Why?” I asked again. And he went on: “all officers successfully passed the test of fire (the famous jump maintenance).Denis Sassou Nguesso was the only one who failed and ended up with a bleeding mouth, nose, and with broken legs and chest. Denis Sassou Nguesso was taken to the military hospital in Brazzaville and then evacuated for emergency medical treatment in West Germany, where he stayed for four months. During Denis Sassou Nguesso’s absence it was Yvon Jacques Ndoulou who acted as the acting commanding officer of the battalion”.  He concluded: “Since that humiliation, from Pierre Anga, Denis Sassou Nguesso had kept a grudge against Peter Anga”. He continued: “And when the opportunity presented itself, to punish Pierre Anga, he (Denis Sassou Nguesso) did not hesitate to order his (Pierre Anga) assassination in the forest Ikonongo in 1988”.  I was not entirely convinced, but since there seem to be some logic, I recorded our conversation and hence I am sharing it with you here.

For my objective is to know who killed Marien Ngouabi and also why he was killed. However, as already explained, I have listened to several versions regarding the assassination of Marien Ngouabi, but the veracity of none has convinced me. Nonetheless, there is one constant, almost all Congolese think that, Marien Ngouabi, was killed by Denis Sassou Nguesso. While some claims have not been proven, however that of Anani Bindji Rabia earlier shared, seems to a certain degree, in my humble opinion, close to the reality.  For he gives names and there is also some logic in his claims, whereas most people that I have spoken to seldom give names or brings up the names of people that, everyone suspects. Hence, there are no suspense and nothing new to offer.  Even though, I have some doubts about Anani Bindji Rabier, the simple fact that he has some names that are not commonly known in the Marien Ngouabi assasination, it provides some relative crediblility to his claims and writings. But, his book may provide the missing link.  

Is the dispute over the expulsion of Dr Cloud, a French gynecologist, the cause of NGOUABI's death?

But as written above, the declarations of Anani Rabier Bindji and others on the assassination of Marien Ngouabi leaves everyone in suspense. It provides more questions than answers. However, I only hope that, when Anani Rabier Bindji’s book will be out, it could provide the missing link, which is if he is honest and courageous enough. But why will he be afraid? He could spill the beans, for he won’t be around anymore to fear for any reprisals. It may explain why, he wants his memoire to be published only after his death.  As promised above, this is another version on the assassination of Marien Ngouabi. This time around, I am basing these other revelations on what a top military officer still in active duty in Congo told me.  Is his account true or false, it is almost impossible to say as already indicated earlier .In the  declarations of the military officer to me, he was also accusing Denis Sassou Nguesso for having assassinated Marien Ngouabi.  Is his information better than those of Anani Rabier Bindji? I can’t tell, but these are what he told me while I was still in Congo.

The said military officer sound very convincing and I would have accepted all what he told me  as the truth had I not met similar people before who all seem convinced and convincing, just to be disappointed later on. He went thus:  “In 1976, that is to say, a year before the assassination of President Marien NGOUABI (Marien NGOUABI was assassinated on March 18th, 1977), Denis Sassou Nguesso ordered the expulsion of Doctor Cloud and his wife from Congo. It was a couple of French gynecologists who have resided in Congo for a while and they were the only two gynecologists in Brazzaville at the time”. “Why were they expelled?” I asked. He replied: “it was simply because Mrs. Antoinette Sassou had been told by the gynecologist to stop harassing him and his wife with her infertility problem (Mrs.  Antoinette was unable to have children) and exceeded, the latter exploded with anger, saying abruptly to Mrs. Antoinette Sassou Nguesso that she would never have more children. Madame Antoinette reported the remarks of Dr. Cloud to Sassou Nguesso. Annoyed, Denis Sassou Nguesso decided to expel Dr Cloud with his wife from Congo, without even informing President Marien Ngouabi of the expulsion (after their expulsion of Congo, the gynecologists couple settled in Gabon)”.

The military officer continued: “And when President Marien Ngouabi learned that Denis Sassou Nguesso had expelled Dr. Cloud and his wife, President Marien Ngouabi grew angry and rebuked Sassou Nguesso before members of the State -Major Special Command.  The State -Major Special Command was a kind of executive ruling military council”.  Members of the State -Major Special Command were: Jean Pierre Thystère Tchikaya and Louis Sylvain Ngombé Ngoma”. He added: “President Marien Ngouabi was so angry against Denis Sassou Nguesso to a point that, he decided to sack him from the post of Defense Minister and Security and also exclude him from the Special military Command Staff”. The State-Major Special Command was created at the PCT or the ruling Congolese Workers Party conference of 12^th December 1975. The Special General Command Staff was the highest political authority in the country and it was made up of only 5 members, namely: President Marien Ngouabi , Prime Minister Louis Sylvain Ngoma, Denis Sassou Nguesso in charge with the party organization (PCT) Jean-Pierre Thystère Tchikaya, the Minister of Defense and Security and  Jean-Pierre Ngombé in charge of Youth”.

According to the military officer:  “Denis Sassou Nguesso decided to take the lead and remove President Marien Ngouabi from power or stage a coup d’état, before Marien Ngouabi could sack him (Denis Sassou Nguesso) from the government and the State -Major Special Command, hence the assassination of Marien Ngouabi which took place on March 18th, 1977 which Denis Sassou Nguesso is the genuine author.” He went further:  “it was because of the dispute that opposed President Marien Ngouabi and Denis Sassou Nguesso on the expulsion of Dr Cloud, the real motive for the crime (coup d’état), so to speak. Besides the alleged assassination of Marien Ngouabi as claimed by the Congolese military officer, he also told me that, Denis Sassou Nguesso was also responsible for the assassination of Pierre ANGA. 

Anani Rabier Bindji: Denis Sassou Nguesso is not Pierre Nkurunziza or Gaddafi

Another intriguing thing with Anani Rabier Bindji, that I noticed was that, on that day of the 9^th of October 2015, he told me this: “I am not an acquaintance of Denis Sassou Nguesso, but I want to help him in the current difficulties that, he has with his plans to change the constitution. I have called Bruno Thiam who works for Congo’s communications bureau in Paris to see how I can prepare a special programme that defends or support the change of the constitution”. I told him it was Denis Sassou Nguesso who wanted term limits and also that, it was time for him to respect Congo’s constitution. He replied: “knowing Denis Sassou Nguesso, he only accepted term limits because, he (Denis Sassou Nguesso) was under pressure from the French and Jacques Chirac, who had helped him t to topple the government of Pascal Lissouba, the democratically elected president of Congo”.  He went on: “That is the reason why, I don’t want anybody to come and help us to drive away Paul Biya from power, for after their help, they are going to give us preconditions”. Then, I said: “Denis Sassou Nguesso is currently in difficulties with his plans to change the constitution. He may succeed in changing the constitution, but governing will be difficult for him”.

He replied: “No! He has no problem and he is not going to have any problems in term of governing. If Pierre Nkurunziza in Burundi has succeeded in defying the international community, Denis Sassou Nguesso who is more powerful and ready to kill in order to stay in power will do the same and succeed”. I did not want to argue with him because, I have seen more powerful leaders such as Mobutu, Gaddafi and Mubarak fall and I don’t see why Denis Sassou Nguesso won’t.  Furthermore, since Pierre Nkurunziza changed the constitution or forced himself to power, Burundi has become ungovernable and risk going back into civil war. Anani Rabier Bindji is a professional journalist with perhaps unrivaled experience on the political history of Africa, especially French-speaking Africa. However, his problem in my humble opinion is that, he is biased sometimes and honest in some cases. In short, he is controversial, for he almost always have a reason to advance in defense of some leaders of the sub region, sometimes with some logic.  But as written above, the declarations of Anani Rabier Bindji and others on the assassination of Marien Ngouabi leaves everyone in suspense. It provides more questions than answers.

However, I only hope that, when Anani Rabier Bindji’s book will be out, it could provide the missing link, which is if he is honest and courageous enough. But why will he be afraid? He could spill the beans, for he won’t be around anymore to fear for any reprisals. It may explain why, he wants his memoire to be published only after his death.  As promised above, this is another version on the assassination of Marien Ngouabi. This time around, I am basing it on what a top military officer still in active duty in Congo told me. In his declarations to me, he was also accusing Denis Sassou Nguesso for having assassinated Marien Ngouabi.  Is his information better than those of Anani Rabier Bindji? These are what he told me while I was still in Congo. 

Was Marien Ngouabi a disorganized man who never knew what he really wanted?

The assassination of Marien Ngouabi is simply a Congolese tragedy which is as confusing as the country and those running it. The governing elite in Congo are professional liars and manipulators. It is almost impossible to have the truth from their mouths. And still on the assassination of Marien Ngouabi, there are several versions and several suspects and causes, but one name that always stands accused is Denis Sassou Nguesso. Why? It is almost impossible to give an answer. It is an enigma. Marien Ngouabi is or was a person that seems to be loved by many, and yet, none of those alive, at least those that I have met in Congo are willing to say anything. Perhaps, the truth should be hidden abroad. One thing is clear, it will be almost impossible to know the truth on the assassination of Marien Ngouabi. It is also an assassination that also triggered counter assassinations of several other people and in particular, Alphonse Massamba-Debat and Arch Bishop Emile Biayenda.

Then I asked Anani Rabier Bindji: “how come that, Denis Sassou Nguesso had a free hand to operate, the way you seem to have written?” He replied: “it was because; he was the Minister of defense and also in charge of security. Since he had maneuvered in order for Joachim Yhombi-Opango to be sacked as Army Joint Chief of Staff, he therefore had a free hand. He (Denis Sassou Nguesso) was also the one who gave or detached aide de camps to officers including the president. And all those put at the disposition of military officers and the president, were spies working for Denis Sassou Nguesso and that is why, I say he is a born killer”.  Anani Rabier Bindji continued: “Forget all those things written in the biography written in French by Andre Soussan in titled : Un homme d’honneur: le destin exceptionnel d’un enfant de la brousse or in English: a man of honour, the exceptional destiny of a village boy,  which claims that he( Denis Sassou  Nguesso) was initiated into the secret village order or witchcraft society  and thus chosen to lead his family as a Mwene or chief, which presently, he( Denis Sassou Nguesso) confuses or takes  his village of Edou or his family for the  Republic of Congo”.

Anani Rabier Bindji went on: “even if what is written in the book was correct, which I doubt, does it mean that, because Denis Sassou Nguesso was initiated as the chief or Mwene of Edou in their secret cult and which made him to lead his family, entitles him to lead Congo forever as he wants to do now?” Then from nowhere, for that was not the subject or I had not reached on that, Anani Rabier Bindji added: “Libouro Casseur, the driver of Marien Ngouabi was the one who assassinated Bishop Emile Biayenda on the 25^th of March 1977”. While I was a little bit confused and surprised, I was nonetheless happy, for I had also wanted to know the assassins of Emile Biayenda and Alphonse Massamba-Debat. “Why did Libouro Casseur, who was the driver of Marien Ngouabi, decide to assassinate Emile Biayenda?” I asked. Anani Rabier Bindji replied:  “officially, Casseur claimed that, he assassinated Bishop Emile Biayenda because, he (Bishop Emile Biayenda) was the last person who had met with President Marien Ngouabi and used his religious powers to weaken Marien Ngouabi’s charms, a process that made Marien Ngouabi vulnerable to bullets”.

Anani Rabier Bindji added: “Libouro Casseur was jailed for 10 years because of his act, but never said whether he acted alone or  whether he was instigated by someone or group of people and after he was freed from jail, he became one of the country’s richest men”.  What miracle did Libouro Casseur operate in jail? How can a simple driver of President Marien Ngouabi, given his boss frugal nature go in jail a poor man and come out as a rich man? Those are the questions posed by Anani Rabier Bindji, which he answers. In order words, Libouro Casseur was simply executing the will of Denis Sassou Nguesso to eliminate physically all those who had met with Marien Ngouabi, before his violent death. As far as Anani Bindji Rabier is concern, it was Denis Sassou Nguesso who orchestrated the death of Marien Ngouabi. But he also said something which puzzled me. He told me that, Marien Ngouabi was also a disorganized man who never knew what he really wanted. 

Marien Ngouabi or simply a Congolese tragedy

According to Anani Rabier Bindji, the plot hatched by Denis Sassou Nguesso to distant Joachim Yhombi-Opango from Marien Ngouabi was just a ruse from Denis Sassou Nguesso to have a free way to do whatever he wanted against Marien Ngouabi. He was euphemistically claiming that, Denis Sassou Nguesso was the assassin of Marien Ngouabi. However, during another informal conversation that, I had with Anani Rabier Bindji, he told me something different. And it was as intriguing as the first story on the assassination of Commandant Marien Ngouabi. He told me that, Marien Ngouabi had decided to bring Denis Sassou Nguesso closer to him because he (Marien Ngouabi) was afraid of Joachim Yhombi-Opango. “Why?”  I asked. According to Anani Rabier Bindji, Marien Ngouabi and Joachim Yhombi-Opango are both from the same locality and he added that, Marien Ngouabi was afraid of Joachim Yhombi-Opango because, the second’s father was a dreaded witch doctor. Hence Marien Ngouabi in need for protection brought Denis Sassou Nguesso, near him because Denis Sassou Nguesso’s father was also a dreaded witchdoctor from Edou. And more, Denis Sassou Nguesso had already been introduced into witchcraft at the age of ten years old in the sacred forest of Edou.

In other words, Marien Ngouabi brought Denis Sassou Nguesso near him as a shield against any possible mythical attacks from Joachim Yhombi-Opango or his father. For it is well known that, children from parents with mythical powers are more often than not initiated into the mythical order of their parents. While it is not known whether Joachim Yhombi-Opango was initiated into any mythical order, but what is known as that, Denis Sassou Nguesso was initiated and he has proudly written about it. The bizarre aspect in this, is that, how on earth could it be possible for Denis Sassou Nguesso who was  called to act as a protector of Marien Ngouabi, decides to kill his protégé(Marien Ngouabi)? The secret may lie in another version on the reason why, Denis Sassou Nguesso may have decided to kill Marien Ngouabi and in this version, the cause has nothing political or ideological, but a mixture of jealousy and the biblical eve, who in this case is Antoinette, the current wife of Denis Sassou Nguesso.  However, I am of the opinion that, the truth may never be known because no one is interested in the truth to be known because at the end, it seems Marien Ngouabi had several enemies and all wanted him dead than alive.

It is simply a Congolese tragedy which is as confusing as the country and those running it. There are several versions and several suspects and causes, but one name that always stands accused is Denis Sassou Nguesso. One thing is clear, it will be almost impossible to know the truth on the assassination of Marien Ngouabi. It is also an assassination that also triggered assassinations of several other people and in particular, Alphonse Massamba-Debat and Arch Bishop Emile Biayenda. Then I asked him: “how come that, Denis Sassou Nguesso had a free hand to operate, the way you seem to have written?” He replied: “it was because; he was the Minister of defense and also in charge of security, since he had maneuvered for Joachim Yhombi-Opango to be sacked as Army Joint Chief of Staff and he was also the one who gave or detached aide camps to the officers including the president. 

Confusion: Was Marien Ngouabi assasinated by the French, Soviets, Cubans or by Congolese?

The report written by Denis Sassou Nguesso against Joachim Yhombi-Opango was so bad that, Marien Ngouabi decided to discharge Joachim Yhombi-Opango from his post of Chief of Army and appointed him to head the Palm oil Corporation or in French Regie des Palmerais”. Anani Rabier Bindji continued: “in succeeding to distant Joachim Yhombi-Opango from Marien Ngouabi, Denis Sassou Nguesso had a free hand to do whatever he wanted to do around President Marien Ngouabi”.  And he added: “two days before the assassination of Marien Ngouabi, Denis Sassou Nguesso decided to send Bonaventure Chryst Engobo, who was a security attaché to Marien Ngouabi to Point Noire. The same Denis Sassou Nguesso decided also to send the Director of National security, who was Ibarra, on mission to Abidjan, Ivory Coast. And on the morning of the 18^th of March 1977, Denis Sassou Nguesso also ordered the change of guards at the home of Marien Ngouabi, this in preparation to achieve his nefarious act, which to assassinate Marien Ngouabi”.  Anani Rabier Bindji concluded: “Marien Ngouabi became vulnerable to the plans of Denis Sassou Nguesso, because the second had succeeded in removing through ruse and blackmail all those like Joachim Yhombi-Opango around Marien Ngouabi”.

I asked Anani Rabier Bindji again: “why did Denis Sassou Nguesso decide to assassinate Marien Ngouabi, when the latter was the one who made the former to become what he has become today?” He replied: “it was simply because Marien Ngouabi wanted to abandon his scientific socialism and also hand back power to Alphonse Massamba-Debat”.  “In other words, it was the Soviets and not the French who ordered the assassination of Marien Ngouabi?” I asked. He replied: “yes, it was the Soviets with the help of the Cubans.” This is another confusion thrown in the already confused story on the death of Marien Ngouabi. I have been told several versions. Some claimed that, Marien Ngouabi was killed by his tribe’s men because he wanted to relinquish power to southerners, especially to Alphonse Massamba-Debat, the man he overthrew in 1968. Other version claims that, Marien Ngouabi wanted to abandon communism, for free market economy, hence he was killed by the Soviets with the cooperation of the Cuban through Denis Sassou Nguesso. While others also claim that, it was the French who assassinated Marien Ngouabi because he never wanted the French to exploit Congolese oil.

However, there is only one constant, in the bewildering array of sources and versions or causes of the death of Marien Ngouabi. The connecting man or the one who is suspected to have executed the French, Soviet or tribal plot was and is still Denis Sassou Nguesso. Why is it that, no matter how confusing is the story on the assassination of Marien Ngouabi, only Denis Sassou Nguesso stand accused? The confusion stems from Anani Rabier Bindji himself and all others whom I have contacted or spoken with when I was trying to know the truth on the assassination of Marien Ngouabi. In his book, Anani Rabier Bindji writes that, it was because of a damaging report against Joachim Yhombi-Opango by Denis Sassou Nguesso, which forced Marien Ngouabi to distant himself from Joachim Yhombi-Opango. And because Joachim Yhombi-Opango who was acting as a shield to Marien Ngouabi had been taken away through the ruse of Denis Sassou Nguesso, Marien Ngouabi became vulnerable. 

The Forum on Canal 2 English (interveiw with chair of Cameroon Journalists Trade Union)

WasDenis Sassou Nguesso co-opted by the KGB

Concerning the latter point, he smiled again and said: “it was his (Denis Sassou Nguesso) ruse and secondly he was overtaken by officers who told him point blank that, it was the most senior ranked officer who could succeed Ngouabi and the most senior officer then, was Joachim Yhombi-Opango”. Then he added:  “Sassou Nguesso being a wise man, he did not insist, when officers barred him from succeeding or taking over the rule of the country after the death of Marien”.  But he added: two years after the death of Marien Ngouabi, which is in 1979, Denis Sassou Nguesso got what he had planned, but this time around, in a bloodless coup”. He went on: “Denis Sassou Nguesso having orchestrated a smear campaign against Joachim Yhombi-Opango as a bourgeois. For it was claimed that, Joachim Yhombi-Opango led a life of opulence and had bought a sleeping bed worth FCAF 2 million, during the same period, when he (Joachim Yhombi-Opango) was asking Congolese to lead an “austere lifestyle”. Anani Bindji Rabier added all those details to show me that, what Denis Sassou Nguesso had written in his book regarding the succession of Marien Ngouabi were mere lies. He told me that, Denis Sassou Nguesso was very cunning.

He gave me an example on how Denis Sassou Nguesso maneuvered to overthrow Joachim Yhombi-Opango after he had succeeded to assassinate Marien Ngouabi. He said: “Joachim Yhombi-Opango came as President, to attend a meeting of the Congolese Workers Party or PCT in 1979 and left as an ordinary citizen, because he was ruled not communist enough or ideologically insufficient”.  And he concluded: “on that day of the bloodless coup d’état organized by Denis Sassou Nguesso against General Yhombi-Opango, the only person who protested on that day of February 1979, was Ekoudji Akala and because of that, he was almost assassinated and had to go on self exile. He is back now in Brazzaville, old, tired and too afraid to speak, because Denis Sassou Nguesso will kill him or anybody who dares to speak the truth on the assassination of Marien Ngouabi.” He then began reading the part of his book that is focused on the assassination of Marien Ngouabi. He read: “Denis Sassou Nguesso changed camped when he was send to Moscow by Marien Ngouabi for training and there, he (Denis Sassou Nguesso) was co-opted by the KGB with a mission to keep Congo in the eastern block. And when, Denis Sassou Nguesso returned to Brazzaville, even though Marien Ngouabi was a firebrand Communist, he (Marien Ngouabi) still had some penchant for the western block”.  

In other words, Marien Ngouabi was assassinated because he wanted to rejoin the western block that, he had rejected in 1968.Then he jumped and said: “Those who were the protective shield of Marien Ngouabi were   Joachim Yhombi-Opango, who was the Joint chief of staff of the Army, Bonaventure Engobo, a security attaché to Marien Ngouabi and a certain Ibarra who was the head of national security or the Director of the Police”. According Anani Bindji Rabier, the plan to assassinate Marien Ngouabi by Denis Sassou Nguesso, started when the second wrote a damaging report against Joachim Yhombi-Opango to Marien Ngouabi. The said report was so bad against the Joachim Yhombi-Opango, that Marien decided to discharge Joachim Yhombi-Opango from his post and appointed him to head the Palm oil Corporation or in French Regie des Palmerais”. 

According to Anani Bindji Rabier :Denis Sassou Nguesso has as profession, assassin

Even though, I was not very convinced, I nevertheless respected his point of view. I did meet Anani Bindji Rabier again on the 9^th of October 2015 and still in the office of Mr Auriol Lonkio Tchatchouang and I questioned him again about what he knew on the death of Marien Ngouabi. He replied in French: “Denis Sassou Nguesso a pour profession, tuer” or in English: “Denis Sassou Nguesso has as profession, assassin”. And he told me that, there are three people who are still alive in Brazzaville who know pretty well that, Denis Sassou Nguesso is responsible for the assassination of Marien Ngouabi. He claimed the three people were Eyabo Gaston, Ekoudji Akala and Martin Mberi. But he added that, they were too afraid to express themselves on the issue because, it would amount to their death warrants.  Then after a while, he proposed that, I should accompany him to his house located across the city of Douala, in a neighborhood called Bonaberi. When we arrived at his sumptuous home, he showed me around his living room that looks more like a museum than a normal house.  The walls of his house are full of pictures that he has taken with leaders around the world that he has met and interviewed.

They ranged from Nelson Mandela of South Africa to Pinto Dacosta of Sao Tome and Principe, William Tolbert of Liberia to Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia. He also has a well framed picture of the death body of Ruben Um Nyobe. Ruben Um Nyobe was the leader of the UPC or Union of the Population of Cameroon, the framed picture on the wall of Anani’s home shows Ruben Um Nyobe lifeless body laid on a matt at the Esseka mortuary. The date was 13^th September 1958. And under the picture of Um Nyobe are flowers and a burning candle in memory of the nationalist leader of French-speaking Cameroon. Anani Bindji Rabier told me that day, which was the 9^th of October 2015, that, he was perhaps the only journalist on earth or the last person to have met two presidents who were violently assassinated. They are William Tolbert of Liberia and Marien Ngouabi of the Republic of Congo. At that time, it was called the People’s Republic of Congo. On this day, perhaps he thought, I doubted his claims about what he knew on Marien Ngouabi’s death. Hence, he went and brought the book that he has written. It was already typed, but had several corrections and annotations.  It was in titled: “Nouvelle Affair Africaine”.

Before reading the part on Congo, we first went into his dining room, sat on the table and eat rice with fish sauce accompanied with a bottle of Medoc French wine. While eating, I told him that, I have read three books related to Denis Sassou Nguesso. But I gave him the names of two books on Denis Sassou Nguesso that I have read were: Denis Sassou Nguesso: Le Manguier, le Fleuve et la Souris and Un homme d’honneur: le destin exceptionnel d’un enfant de la brousse by André Soussan. He smiled and said: “the first was his campaign programme of 1997 that he used to criticize the rule of Pascal Lissouba. But ironically, they are the same vices of Lissouba that he is currently applying in Congo. He told me.  And concerning the second, which was a biography of President Denis Sassou Nguesso, he told me that, it was full of lies.  And he came back to the first book, when I told him that, in it, Denis Sassou Nguesso said, he never wanted to succeed Marien Ngouabi after his death.