Koko Souing

The UN Peacekeeping mission in Congo, known as MONUC (Mission de l’Organisation d’Nations Unis en Republic Democratique du Congo) is the largest peacekeeping mission globally in terms of both size and budget. MONUC, known around as Monique due to its passive stance on much that has gone on, is led by an ex-Foreign Service American: William Lacy Swing.

Last year, Mira Mikaza -a Congolese musician at the National Arts Institute- created the song Koko Souing (Grandpa Swing, in Lingala), a call for non violence in the period of waiting for the election results. The lyrics insist that as long as Koko Souing Swing is around, there will be no shooting. The video shows the rapper in white face doing a fairly impressive impression of Swing’s franglais and dancing with his wife Mama Monique.

When Ban ki Moon, the UN Secretary General, came to visit earlier this year, the video was played at the UN Town Hall Gathering. Despite Grandpa’s stumble with last month’s violence, people around here are still pretty into Koko Souing.