Protesters said Traore, a former parliamentary speaker, was part of a self-serving political elite that has misruled the country for years.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

There is Ben Affleck the famous actor and director, and there is less-well-known side of the man: a thoughtful, committed advocate for change in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a war-torn, long-misruled nation that many have written off as a basket case.

FORBES: Ben Affleck's Congo-Billionaire Connections