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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Mobuto’s Cancer Spreads

Associated Press

Zairian President Mobutu Sese Seko’s cancer has spread from his prostate to his bones and he has been weakened by radiation and other treatments, a newspaper reported Saturday.

Mobutu, 66, is undergoing outpatient treatment at Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland and staying at a luxury hotel on Lake Geneva. Switzerland has extended Mobutu’s visa for a third time.

In his absence, the country he has ruled for 31 years came under attack last month by Tutsi rebels, joined this month by soldiers of the Tutsi-led Rwandan army. Many fear his death would complete a descent into chaos.

The respected Paris newspaper Le Monde quoted Mobutu’s “immediate medical entourage” as saying his prostate cancer has metastasized to his bones and that he is “extremely tired” as a result of aggressive radiation and hormonal therapy.