PARIS: Afropop music founder Papa Wemba has been released from jail in France where he had been imprisoned on February 20 for illegally smuggling into Europe thousands of African clandestines, most from his native Zaire, who posed as musicians and dancers working for his musical troupe.

Papa Wemba, 54, whose real name is Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, was released from prison on Wednesday against a bail of 30,000 euros.

Announcement of his arrest by French authorities had elicited such an international outcry in late February that France had found it necessary to send special forces to Kinshasa to beef up security there, fearing that fans might riot.

Papa Wemba had played an important role in the downfall of Mobutu Sese Seko, the dictator of Zaire, who died in exile in 1997, whose bete noire he had become.

Papa Wemba has created such a large global following, not only for his music, and the new-style electronic Rumba beat he has popularized, but also for having become associated with such internationally-known artists as Peter Gabriel, whose ‘RealWorld’ recording label has adorned Papa Wemba’s last several albums, and Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci, who included several works by Papa Wemba in his movie Paradise and Hell.