Within DRC UFOs
Did UFOs Fly Over Congo's Uranium Mines?
The 1952 Elizabethville report is compelling because its dramatic claims sit beside Cold War secrecy and thin documentation.
On this page
- What the 1952 report claimed
- Why the uranium setting matters
- What evidence is still missing
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
The 1952 Elizabethville UFO report sits at the intersection of Cold War anxiety, uranium politics, colonial secrecy, and the enduring appeal of unexplained aerial phenomena. The incident, reported in the Belgian Congo near some of the world’s most strategically important uranium operations, became one of the best-known African entries in the CIA’s later declassified UFO archive. Yet the case is remembered less because the evidence is strong than because the setting was so extraordinary.
At the time, the Katanga region of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo was deeply tied to the nuclear age. Uranium from Congolese mines had already fuelled the Manhattan Project, and Western governments regarded the region as strategically vital. Against that backdrop, reports of fast-moving “fiery disks” over the Elizabethville district acquired a significance that ordinary UFO stories did not. CIA [Office of the Historian]history.state.govOffice of the Historian Historical DocumentsOffice of the HistorianHistorical Documents - Office of the Historian - State DepartmentSubject: Security of the Uranium Ore Mining Area…
The result is a case that continues to divide researchers. UFO writers often present it as an early example of unidentified craft appearing near nuclear infrastructure. Historians and sceptics counter that the surviving documentation is thin, indirect, and shaped by Cold War information networks rather than by rigorous investigation. The mystery persists largely because the surviving record is fragmentary enough to support competing interpretations.
What the 1952 report actually claimed
The core account comes from a CIA document titled “Flying Saucers Over Belgian Congo Uranium Mines”, preserved in the agency’s public UFO collection decades later. The document itself was not a CIA field investigation. It was an “unevaluated information” summary derived from a March 1952 article in the Viennese newspaper Die Presse. [CIA]cia.govCIAFLYING SAUCERS OVER BELGIAN CONGO URANIUM…On his first approach he came vithin about. 120 meters of one of the disks. According to… [Wikisource]en.wikisource.orgFlying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium minesWikisourceFlying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines - Wikisource11 Jan 2024 — Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines; SUB…
According to the report, witnesses observed two glowing disc-shaped objects over the Elizabethville region in southern Belgian Congo. The objects allegedly moved in curved patterns, changed apparent shape depending on viewing angle, hovered briefly, and then accelerated away in a zigzag motion. [Wikisource]en.wikisource.orgPage:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA reportWikisourcePage:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA report…Page:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA r…
The most dramatic part of the story involved a military aviator identified only as “Commander Pierre”. The document claimed he pursued one of the objects by aircraft and approached within roughly 120 metres. He reportedly described the craft as metallic, circular, and extremely fast, with estimated speeds reaching around 1,500 kilometres per hour. The report also claimed the object climbed rapidly and vanished. [CIA]cia.govCIAUFOs: Fact or Fiction?Most of the documents concern CIA cables reporting unsubstantiated UFO sightings in the foreign press and intra…
Several details helped cement the story in UFO culture:
- The reported pursuit by a trained military pilot.
- The connection to uranium mining territory.
- Claims of manoeuvres beyond known aircraft capabilities of the period.
- The inclusion of sketches showing a disc-like craft. [CIA]cia.govtake a peek into our x filesTake a Peek Into Our "X-Files"The CIA declassified hundreds of documents in 1978 detailing the Agency's investigations into Unidentified…
Modern retellings often exaggerate these elements. Some later accounts describe radar tracking, multiple fighter aircraft, recovered photographs, or formal military conclusions supporting extraterrestrial explanations. None of those claims are clearly established in the surviving primary document.
What survives is essentially a translated press-derived intelligence summary, not a full investigative file.
Why the uranium setting mattered so much
The Elizabethville case would probably have faded into obscurity had it occurred over an ordinary rural district. What made it memorable was Katanga’s role in the early nuclear era.
The nearby Shinkolobwe mine was one of the most important uranium sources in the world. Congolese uranium had been central to the American atomic programme during the Second World War, and the region remained strategically sensitive throughout the early Cold War. [mit]fnl.mit.eduMIT Faculty NewsletterThe Legacy of the Involvement of the Democratic Republic…A top-secret American Intelligence report published in… Faculty Newsletter [James Martin Center]nonproliferation.orguranium security in the drcJames Martin CenterUranium Security in the DRCJanuary 2, 2024 — 2 Jan 2024 — It was a former uranium mine used by the Americans to procur… [Beyond Nuclear International]beyondnuclearinternational.organ assassination uranium and the fate of a countryAn assassination, uranium and the fate of a country5 Jan 2020 — Eighty percent of the uranium used in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs or…
American and Belgian officials worried constantly about sabotage, espionage, transport security, labour unrest, and Soviet interest in the region’s mineral wealth. A 1951 US government memorandum discussed the military importance of securing Belgian Congo uranium supplies and acknowledged fears about disruption, communist activity, and threats to the mining infrastructure. [Office of the Historian]history.state.govOffice of the Historian Historical DocumentsOffice of the HistorianHistorical Documents - Office of the Historian - State DepartmentSubject: Security of the Uranium Ore Mining Area…
That atmosphere shaped how unusual aerial reports were interpreted.
Nuclear secrecy encouraged speculation
In the early 1950s, the public knew relatively little about uranium operations in Katanga. Security restrictions, military oversight, and geopolitical competition created a climate where rumours flourished easily. The uranium industry itself already carried an aura of secrecy and danger.
This context matters because many later UFO narratives adopted a recurring theme: unidentified craft appearing near nuclear facilities, missile bases, or atomic infrastructure. The Elizabethville report became one of the earliest cases retroactively folded into that pattern.
For believers, the coincidence seemed meaningful:
- important uranium site, [fnl.mit.edu]fnl.mit.eduMIT Faculty NewsletterThe Legacy of the Involvement of the Democratic Republic…A top-secret American Intelligence report published in…
- unidentified craft,
- military witnesses,
- Cold War secrecy.
For sceptics and historians, however, the same factors suggest a different explanation. Strategic sites naturally attract rumours, surveillance concerns, misidentifications, and intelligence reporting. An unusual sighting over a uranium district would inevitably receive more attention than an identical report elsewhere.
The Cold War amplified intelligence collection
Another important point is that intelligence agencies collected large numbers of foreign press reports during the early UFO wave of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Many CIA UFO files are not evidence of secret alien investigations. They are evidence that intelligence services monitored reports that might involve foreign technology, public panic, or propaganda. [CIA]cia.govkbacker, in an interview, quoted in The UFO…Read more… [CIA]cia.govCIAAs the world's premier foreign intelligence agency, the work we do at CIA is vital to US national security. We collect and analyze for…
The Elizabethville document fits that pattern closely. Its preservation inside CIA archives does not prove that the agency considered the incident genuine. The document itself explicitly described the material as “unevaluated information”. [Wikisource]en.wikisource.orgPage:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA reportwikisource.orgPage:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines…1 Aug 2020 — Recently, two fiery disks were sighted over the uraniu…
That distinction is often lost in popular retellings.
The strongest arguments used by UFO proponents
Supporters of the case usually focus on four features.
The reported pilot pursuit
Aviation witnesses tend to receive greater credibility in UFO research because pilots are presumed to have experience judging aircraft movement, altitude, and speed. The “Commander Pierre” pursuit is therefore central to the story’s reputation.
However, there are major limitations:
- the pilot’s full identity is uncertain,
- no original flight log is publicly available,
- no independent testimony has surfaced,
- and no official Belgian Congo military investigation has been recovered publicly.
The story survives mainly through the translated newspaper-derived intelligence summary.
The unusual flight behaviour
The report described hovering, rapid acceleration, and zigzag movement. Those characteristics later became classic UFO motifs because they appeared to exceed conventional aircraft performance for 1952. [CIA]cia.govFLYING SAUCERS OVER BELGIAN CONGO URANIUM…FLYING SAUCERS OVER BELGIAN CONGO URANIUM MINES; Document Type: FOIA; Collection: UFOs: Fa…
Yet speed and manoeuvrability estimates in aerial sightings are notoriously unreliable, especially when observers lack stable reference points. Historians of UFO reports frequently note that distance and velocity can be dramatically overestimated during brief or emotionally charged sightings.
The uranium connection
For many enthusiasts, the uranium setting is the most persuasive aspect of the case. The idea that unidentified objects repeatedly appear near nuclear infrastructure became deeply embedded in UFO lore during the Cold War.
The Elizabethville report is often cited alongside later incidents involving missile silos or nuclear weapons sites in the United States and Soviet Union. The implication is that the objects displayed a consistent interest in humanity’s atomic technology.
The difficulty is that this pattern can also emerge through selective attention. Nuclear facilities are already highly monitored, heavily discussed, and symbolically powerful. Incidents linked to them are therefore more likely to be remembered and repeated.
The sketches attached to the file
The CIA document includes technical-style sketches of a disc-shaped craft. Some UFO writers treat these drawings as evidence of detailed military observation. [Wikisource]en.wikisource.orgWikisourcePage:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA…The sketch below shows the construction principle of the "flying s…
But the document itself weakens that interpretation. It explicitly notes that parts of the sketches were “purely conjecture”. The drawings appear more speculative than evidential, blending witness description with imaginative interpretation. [Wikisource]en.wikisource.orgFlying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium minesWikisourceFlying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines - Wikisource11 Jan 2024 — Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines; SUB…
What evidence is still missing
The Elizabethville case remains intriguing largely because the surviving evidence is incomplete rather than conclusive.
Several crucial pieces are absent.
No surviving physical evidence
There are no known recovered materials, instrument readings, radar records, authenticated photographs, or confirmed technical traces connected to the incident.
That sharply limits what modern researchers can establish.
No transparent investigation file
The public record contains the CIA summary document, but not a comprehensive Belgian military or colonial administration investigation. Researchers have not produced a chain of documents showing how the report was verified, challenged, or resolved.
This absence matters because extraordinary claims usually become more convincing when supported by layered documentation from multiple independent institutions.
Weak witness transparency
The key pilot figure is insufficiently documented. Without clear identity records, aviation logs, or corroborating testimony, historians cannot independently confirm many details repeated in later UFO literature.
This is one reason the case occupies an awkward middle ground:
- too detailed to dismiss casually,
- too poorly documented to treat as established fact.
The original press source complicates reliability
The intelligence summary originated from a newspaper article rather than from direct intelligence collection. [Wikisource]en.wikisource.orgPage:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA reportWikisourcePage:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA report…Page:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA r…
That does not automatically invalidate the report, but it changes its evidential status significantly. Intelligence archives often preserve rumours, foreign press stories, and unverified claims precisely because agencies monitored global information flows broadly during the Cold War.
A document’s presence inside a CIA archive is therefore not equivalent to official confirmation.
Why the case still matters in Congo UFO history
The Elizabethville report remains the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s most internationally recognised UFO case because it combines three elements rarely found together:
- a Cold War setting,
- nuclear infrastructure,
- and a surviving declassified intelligence document.
It also reflects a broader pattern within African UFO history. Many incidents from the colonial era survive only through foreign intelligence summaries, scattered press reports, or later retellings. Local archival continuity is often weak because of political upheaval, limited preservation, and the collapse or fragmentation of colonial record systems.
The case therefore tells two stories at once.
One is the story of a dramatic alleged UFO encounter over a strategically vital mining region.
The other is the story of how Cold War secrecy, intelligence collection, and incomplete archives can transform a thinly documented incident into a lasting international mystery.
For modern readers, the most defensible position is neither outright belief nor outright dismissal. The surviving material shows that an unusual aerial report circulated through Cold War intelligence channels in 1952 and became attached to one of the world’s most sensitive uranium regions. What it does not show is definitive evidence of extraterrestrial craft, advanced secret technology, or a resolved explanation.
That unresolved gap is precisely why the Elizabethville uranium-mines incident still occupies such a durable place in Congo UFO history.
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Did UFOs Fly Over Congo's Uranium Mines?. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
The Hynek UFO Report
Provides historical context for evaluating mid-century UFO reports.
The Hunt for Zero Point
Touches on military secrecy and advanced technology narratives surrounding UFO lore.
UFOs and Nukes
Directly matches the uranium-mine and nuclear infrastructure angle of the case.
Endnotes
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Source: cia.gov
Link: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000015463.pdfSource snippet
CIAFLYING SAUCERS OVER BELGIAN CONGO URANIUM...On his first approach he came vithin about. 120 meters of one of the disks. According to...
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Source: en.wikisource.org
Title: Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines
Link: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Flying_saucers_over_Belgian_Congo_uranium_minesSource snippet
WikisourceFlying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines - Wikisource11 Jan 2024 — Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines; SUB...
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Source: en.wikisource.org
Title: Page:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA report
Link: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page%3AFlying_saucers_over_Belgian_Congo_uranium_mines%2C_CIA_report.pdf/1Source snippet
WikisourcePage:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA report...Page:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA r...
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Source: en.wikisource.org
Title: Page:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA report
Link: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page%3AFlying_saucers_over_Belgian_Congo_uranium_mines%2C_CIA_report.pdf/2Source snippet
wikisource.orgPage:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines...1 Aug 2020 — Recently, two fiery disks were sighted over the uraniu...
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Source: en.wikisource.org
Link: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page%3AFlying_saucers_over_Belgian_Congo_uranium_mines%2C_CIA_report.pdf/3Source snippet
WikisourcePage:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA...The sketch below shows the construction principle of the "flying s...
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Source: fnl.mit.edu
Link: https://fnl.mit.edu/january-february-2021/the-legacy-of-the-involvement-of-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-in-the-bombs-dropped-on-hiroshima-and-nagasaki/Source snippet
MIT Faculty NewsletterThe Legacy of the Involvement of the Democratic Republic...A top-secret American Intelligence report published in...
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Source: cia.gov
Link: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/collection/ufos-fact-or-fictionSource snippet
CIAUFOs: Fact or Fiction?Most of the documents concern CIA cables reporting unsubstantiated UFO sightings in the foreign press and intra...
-
Source: cia.gov
Title: take a peek into our x files
Link: https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/take-a-peek-into-our-x-files/Source snippet
Take a Peek Into Our "X-Files"The CIA declassified hundreds of documents in 1978 detailing the Agency's investigations into Unidentified...
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Source: cia.gov
Link: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp81r00560r000100010002-9Source snippet
kbacker, in an interview, quoted in The UFO...Read more...
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Source: cia.gov
Link: https://www.cia.gov/Source snippet
CIAAs the world's premier foreign intelligence agency, the work we do at CIA is vital to US national security. We collect and analyze for...
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Source: cia.gov
Link: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/0000015463Source snippet
FLYING SAUCERS OVER BELGIAN CONGO URANIUM...FLYING SAUCERS OVER BELGIAN CONGO URANIUM MINES; Document Type: FOIA; Collection: UFOs: Fa...
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Source: cia.gov
Link: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000838057.pdf -
Source: history.state.gov
Title: Office of the Historian Historical Documents
Link: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1951v01/d229Source snippet
Office of the HistorianHistorical Documents - Office of the Historian - State DepartmentSubject: Security of the Uranium Ore Mining Area...
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Source: osti.gov
Title: Uranium Mines
Link: https://www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/Places/Other/uranium-mines.htmlSource snippet
Manhattan ProjectThe uranium used in the Manhattan Project came from three major sources: the Eldorado mine in northern Canada, the Shink...
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Source: nonproliferation.org
Title: uranium security in the drc
Link: https://nonproliferation.org/uranium-security-in-the-drc/Source snippet
James Martin CenterUranium Security in the DRCJanuary 2, 2024 — 2 Jan 2024 — It was a former uranium mine used by the Americans to procur...
Published: January 2, 2024
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Source: beyondnuclearinternational.org
Title: an assassination uranium and the fate of a country
Link: https://beyondnuclearinternational.org/2020/01/05/an-assassination-uranium-and-the-fate-of-a-country/Source snippet
An assassination, uranium and the fate of a country5 Jan 2020 — Eighty percent of the uranium used in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs or...
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Source: Wikipedia
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ShinkolobweSource snippet
ShinkolobweThe mine produced the most economical uranium ore in the world and was used for the Manhattan Project and subsequent nuclea...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: flying saucers over belgian congo uranium mines
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/18g0lqz/flying_saucers_over_belgian_congo_uranium_mines/Source snippet
r/UFOsI found an official CIA document under FOIA, revealing a 1952 UFO sighting over Belgian Congo mines witnessed by military personnel...
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Source: disclosurenews.it
Title: Flying Saucers Over Belgian Congo Uranium Mines
Link: https://www.disclosurenews.it/flying-saucers-over-belgian-congo-uranium-mines-1952/Source snippet
195228 Feb 2021 — Flying Saucers Over Belgian Congo - two fiery disks were sighted over the uranium mines located in the southern part of...
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Source: bluebookfiles.org
Link: https://bluebookfiles.org/doc/14048Source snippet
FLYING SAUCERS OVER BELGIAN CONGO URANIUM MINESDeclassified unknown UFO document from CIAUFO - FLYING SAUCERS OVER BELGIAN CONGO URANIUM...
Additional References
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/kxbgjp/cia_docs_flying_saucer_over_belgian_congo_uranium/Source snippet
CIA docs: Flying Saucer Over Belgian Congo Uranium MinesCIA docs: Flying Saucer Over Belgian Congo Uranium Mines. This doc is pretty inte...
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Source: slideshare.net
Link: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/cia-flying-saucers-over-belgian-congo-uranium-mines/67207938Source snippet
FLYING SAUCERS OVER BELGIAN CONGO URANIUM...In a document released by the CIA, FLYING SAUCERS OVER BELGIAN CONGO URANIUM MINES, there i...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/aliens/comments/18fsjxv/flying_saucers_over_belgian_congo_uranium_mines/Source snippet
FLYING SAUCERS OVER BELGIAN CONGO URANIUM...Report. FLYING SAUCERS OVER BELGIAN CONGO URANIUM MINES. Unexplained · cia.gov... Flying sa...
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Source: perihelionsf.com
Link: https://www.perihelionsf.com/1407/article_1.htmSource snippet
Mining Data on UFOsPreston Dennett has been investigating UFOs for nearly 30 years. He is a field investigator for the Mutual UFO Network...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/spefuc/fighter_jet_pursues_ufos_over_uranium_mines_in/Source snippet
Since 2017, the Navy has been releasing photos and videos of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena–and...Read more...
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Source: commons.wikimedia.org
Title: File:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA report.jpg
Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AFlying_saucers_over_Belgian_Congo_uranium_mines%2C_CIA_report.jpgSource snippet
wikimedia.orgFile:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines...17 Jan 2018 — This file contains additional information such as Exif...
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Source: commons.wikimedia.org
Title: File:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines, CIA report
Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AFlying_saucers_over_Belgian_Congo_uranium_mines%2C_CIA_report.pdfSource snippet
wikimedia.orgFile:Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mines...9 Feb 2017 — English: Flying saucers over Belgian Congo uranium mine...
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Source: cliffsnotes.com
Link: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-notes/19303237Source snippet
Others have claimed literal rape at things that resemble literal, fork-tailed...Read more...
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Source: shortlist.com
Title: what we learnt about the cias declassified ufo files
Link: https://www.shortlist.com/news/what-we-learnt-about-the-cias-declassified-ufo-filesSource snippet
What we learnt about the CIA's declassified UFO files26 Jan 2016 — On 29 Mar 1952 it was reported that two fiery discs were sighted over...
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Source: unece.org
Link: https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/energy/se/pdfs/UNFC/ws_IAEA_CYTED_UNECE_Oct12_Lisbon/24_Kazadi.pdfSource snippet
nk it desirable to have more permanent contact maintained...Read more...
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