President Mobutu; crowd; police cars; cabinet; military cars drive past; aircraft fly over; parachutists march apast; decoration by Mobutu (NATURAL SOUND THROUGHOUT).




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Background: President Mobutu led more than 100,000 Congolese at a five hour parade through Kinshasa on Friday - climaxing the seventh independence anniversary celebrations in Congo-Kinshasa.

The parade moved down the capital's Boulevard Du Trente Juin (Avenue June 30) - the date in 1960 when the Congo gained independence.

Crowds, massed deep on both sides of the boulevard, cheered and clapped as soldiers, government officials and workers paraded past General Mobutu.

Congolese Air Force planes and helicopters flew in salute overhead. At noon, the march past was halted for five minutes while the crowd stood still in silent remembrance.

When the parade restarted, the crowd gave a boisterous reception to 60 members of the women's paratroopers, teenage girls in white mini-skirts, and folk dancers.

No African leaders were invited to this year's celebrations because Congo-Kinshasa is host to delegates of the Organisation of African Unity next September.