Congolese nationalism (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in spite of civil war and the lack of a clear definition of what it means to be Congolese.^[1]

Kongo Kingdom. At the time there was no concept of a Congolese people however, as the people living within the region were divided into ethnic groups.^[1] Congolese nationalism first erupted in 1959 during riots against Belgian colonial rule.^[1] Attempts to solidify the country quickly collapsed after independence when Mobutu Sese Seko rebelled against the government of Patrice Lumumba in 1960.^[1] After several years in power Mobutu renamed the country Zaire in 1971 and sought to define and forge a united Zairian nation through his policy of authenticity, that included efforts to purge Christianity from Zaire – for it was deemed colonial.^[1] There have been critics of Zairian/Congolese nationalism who believe that it was a manipulative ploy by Mobutu to gain legitimacy for his rule, though this criticism has been challenged by the persistence of a post-Mobutu nationalism after the fall of Mobutu from power and the renaming of the country back to the Democratic Republic of Congo.^[1]