The Democratic Republic of Congo may have been eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday, but Michel Kuka Mboladinga, famously known as the “human statue,” captured the hearts of fans.
Clad in vibrant attire, Kuka stands motionless throughout matches, eyes fixed on the sky, right arm raised, palm open. On Tuesday, he was joined by hundreds of Congolese supporters, whose trip to Morocco was funded by the government, for the last-16 match against Algeria—a game the Leopards lost 1-0 in extra time.
Kuka’s stance is a tribute to Patrice Lumumba, Congo’s first prime minister and independence hero, whose statue stands in Kinshasa. Lumumba was assassinated in 1961 by Katanga separatists with Belgian mercenary involvement, marking one of the darkest episodes in Congo–Belgium relations.
Fans praised Kuka’s tribute. “He is our brother,” said 30-year-old Laetitia Malula in Casablanca before the Algeria match. “He chose to imitate Lumumba, our hero. That is why we chant his name.”
The tournament comes amid ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo near the Rwandan border, where fighting has persisted since 2021 involving the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group.
Kuka avoided media attention, but Jered Bitobo, 35, head of communications for his supporters’ group, described the pose as “a sign of peace.”
“He sends a powerful message both at home and internationally. The open palm represents the peace our country needs,” Bitobo said.
Kuka first performed the pose years ago during matches for AS Vita Club, and it has become his signature at every game since.
