Kinshasa, 25 mars 2023 (ACP).- The Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship (RUDN) resumed, since Thursday March 23, its former name of “Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship Patrice Emery Lumumba”, announced Saturday to the ACP, the ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Russia, Ivan Vangu.
« The Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship has just taken back its old name, that of the very first head of government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Patrice Emery Lumumba. And this, after wearing it for more than 30 years, until 1992 “, reported the source.
« It was the Russian Prime Minister, Mr. Mikhail Mishustin, who made the announcement on Thursday 23 March before the elected representatives of the Duma (National Assembly), in response to the proposal of the deputy and chairman of the Commission for International Affairs of the State Duma, Leonid Eduardovich Slutsky “, specified the Congolese diplomat.
Created on February 05, 1960, the Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship bore, from 1961 to 1992, the name of the national hero of the DRC Patrice Emery Lumumba in recognition of his struggle for the liberation of Africa from the colonial yoke. , we recalled from the same source. From 1992 to 2023, this university, which today regains its original name, was renamed and bore the name “University of Peoples’ Friendship RUDN – University”.
Advocacy and lobbying work of Ambassador Vangu
This decision by the Russian authorities to change the name of this university is the result of advocacy and lobbying by the Congolese ambassador Ivan Vangu Ngimbi.
The latter had pleaded, in a correspondence dated October 28, 2022 to the Russian authorities in anticipation of the “Russia-Africa Partnership” forum held from March 18 to 23 in Moscow, among others, “ for the return of the name of Patrice Emery Lumumba to the frontispiece of the current Russian Peoples’ Friendship University ».
Ivan Vangu pointed out, in the same correspondence, that ” the fact that this university was renamed a few years ago was considered in my country, and elsewhere, as an unfriendly and disloyal gesture, in addition to being a questioning, if not a betrayal of the memory of our hero national ».
As a result, the Congolese diplomat had asked the Russian authorities, ” in the new context of honest dialogue for enhanced cooperation with Africa, the return of the prestigious name of Lumumba for this university, a historical symbol of scientific and cultural mixing, a memorial link with Russia, whose vision of world coincides in many respects with that of Africa ».
Satisfaction of the Congolese community in Moscow
The use of Lumumba’s name for the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia is ” a real honor to our country “Said the president of the Congolese student community in Moscow, Benin Umba Manguadi, quoted by the Russian agency Sputnik.
« I am really very grateful to the Russian authorities who ensured that the very first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo can still be valued around the world “, he underlined.
Patrice Lumumba being “a true national hero”, Benin Umba Manguadi hopes that “ the Congolese will have this motivation, this courage to fight like Patrice Emery Lumumba to promote black skin and Africa in the eyes of Westerners ».
Moreover, from the African Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Vangu received, after the restoration of the name of the university, a message worded as follows: Sincere congratulations to Professor Ivan Vangu for this important work done in favor of the Congolese nation. PE Lumumba University is a window open to the world, a different way of “saying” the Congo ».
ACP/KHM/KKP