Word: mutshatsha
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There was an ominous sense of déjà vu about the rebel incursion. In March 1977, another contingent of Katangese invaded Shaba, capturing the town of Mutshatsha and approaching to within 20 miles of Kolwezi before they were turned back by Mobutu's forces and 1,500 Moroccan soldiers who had been airlifted into the area by the French. Last week's invasion was not only bigger and better planned; it was also, according to Washington, actively supported by Cuban troops who have been training the F.L.N.C. guerrillas in Angola. Responding to an urgent telephone plea...
...will not leave until I set foot in Mutshatsha," Mobutu declared grandly, referring to the town in western Shaba that had been hastily abandoned without a fight in late March. Sure enough, it fell the next morning, and he was soon off in his leopard-skin-carpeted helicopter to inspect it. He found Mutshatsha deserted of civilians but little damaged. Producing some Soviet-made weapons abandoned by the rebels, Mobutu declared: "What you have seen proves that the Russians are the real enemy...
...center of Zaïre's copper-mining district, but also took the initiative for the first time. By week's end, government spokesmen were claiming that "a general offensive against all enemy positions" was under way with the primary purpose of recapturing the towns of Mutshatsha and Kapanga...
...guerrillas hid in dense, 5-ft. jungle grass. At night, they bicycled and walked down narrow dirt paths flanking Bumba's roadblocks. Dozens of Katangese stole into Mutshatsha, hiding in the homes of sympathizers who are outraged by the army's looting. Others perched in trees near the town and dropped grenades into crowded troop trucks as they went...
Meanwhile, the main body of Katangese circled Bumba's positions to join the infiltrators in a lightning attack that erupted everywhere in Mutshatsha at once. Within an hour, they had seized the army command post, the rail yard and a trainload of U.S.-and Belgian-made arms and ammunition. When Bumba's edgy battalions realized they had been bypassed, they simply streamed away through the jungle. After the loss of Mutshatsha-which the government denied for six days-Mobutu replaced his local commander with General Singa Boyenge...