Michael’s memorial held in Krindjabo

In 1992, Michael became a member of the royal family in the African village of Krindjabo and was given the title “Prince Michael Amalaman Aná,” becoming the heir to the tribe’s Sultan. When the tribal leaders placed a golden crown on his head, Michael stood in a regal pose. The tribe’s people considered the “King of Pop” to be “Joseph returning to Canaan.” The village is located near Abidjan on the coast of Côte d’Ivoire.

Now, after the death of Sultan Senuai, the village is in mourning. They believe Michael’s body must be returned to their village and buried according to a ritual befitting the Senuai sultans. They want to hand Michael’s body over to the river. The mourning ceremony has been held since July 31 and will last until August 2, continuing into the night as well. The village’s football field is filled with around a thousand people who have set up tents—coming from inside the village and the surrounding areas—to gather in the green rectangle and perform the Sultan’s mourning rites.

The organizer of the ceremony, Emmanuel Kafai, said that they had pursued their request to have Michael’s body returned to the village through international media and the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, although they achieved no success. “ We want his body. He is ours. It was Michael Jackson himself who, through a DNA test, asked to find his family. And our Sultan recognized certain signs in him that made it clear he was descended from our line of sultans. Michael sat on the very same throne that our Sultan sat on.” They say Michael’s spirit is in that village and finds peace there. All of the tribe will continue their mourning until Sunday, when the successor to Prince Michael Jackson Amalaman Aná is to be appointed. Source: eMJey / BBC News