John Garang vs Pierre Mulele

John Garang founded the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and its political wing, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), in response to the Sudanese government's imposition of Sharia law and abrogation of southern autonomy. Garang became the leader of the rebellion.

Garang articulated the SPLA/M's goal as a 'New Sudan'

Garang signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, ending the Second Sudanese Civil War. The agreement granted southern Sudan autonomy and a referendum on independence. Garang became First Vice President of Sudan and President of Southern Sudan.

John Garang died in a helicopter crash on July 30, 2005, just three weeks after becoming First Vice President of Sudan. His death triggered riots in southern Sudan and raised fears of a return to war. He was succeeded by Salva Kiir as leader of the SPLM and Southern Sudan.

Mulele joined the PSA, a nationalist party in the Belgian Congo. He became a key figure in its radical wing, advocating for immediate independence and social revolution, which set the stage for his later rebellion against the central government.

During the Congo Crisis, Mulele served as Minister of Education in the rival government of Antoine Gizenga in Stanleyville. This position gave him administrative experience and a platform to promote his revolutionary ideas.

After the collapse of the Gizenga government, Mulele fled to China. There he received military and ideological training in Maoist guerrilla tactics, which he later applied in his rebellion in the Kwilu province.

Mulele returned to the Congo and initiated a peasant uprising in the Kwilu province. His forces, known as 'Mulelists', attacked government positions, schools, and missions, aiming to establish a Maoist-style revolutionary state. The rebellion spread rapidly.

The Kwilu Rebellion was crushed by the Congolese National Army, supported by Belgian and American aid, as well as white mercenaries. Mulele's forces were defeated, and he fled into hiding in the bush.

After years in hiding, Mulele was promised amnesty by President Mobutu. Upon his return to Kinshasa, he was arrested, publicly tortured, and executed. His death served as a warning to other rebels and consolidated Mobutu's power.