Bundu dia Kongo
Encyclopedia
Bundu dia Kongo is a politico-cultural movement founded in June 1969 by Ne Mwanda Nsemi. The movement is mainly based in the Bas-Congo
province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. The movement focuses on defending, protecting, and promoting values, rights, and interests of Kongo people
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The movement advocates for the establishment of a federal government system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo while seeking to eradicate social and economic injustices long imposed to Kongo people by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The movement is led by Ne Muanda Nsemi. The movement has several thousand followers in Kinshasa and in the Bas-Congo province. For decades, the movement has had a relatively strong sustainable impact on the Kongo people. The movement's main concern is the social transformation of African societies through cultural regeneration. The movement also focuses on the resistance against pre-conceived destruction of the history of Kongo people, their fundamental values, and their identity through knowledge of their spiritual patrimony.
In January and February 2007, the followers of Bundu dia Kongo demonstrated against alle in the provincial elections, which lead to violent clashes with the police and the military in Matadi
, Muanda
, Boma
and Songololo
. The clashes resulted to the death of 134 people, mostly civilians but also several policemen.
The movement also has a strong belief in their ancestors and consider Jesus Christ as a prophet.
In late February and early March 2008, the followers of Bundu dia Kongo clashed with the police in and around Luozi and Seke-Banza. According to the police, the clashes resulted in the death of 25 people (22 of them in Luozi) and many wounded. Nsemi, who said that he had called for calm and a neutral investigation, alleged that the police had killed 80 people in Luozi and 40 in Seke-Banza. Later, in May, corpses of 40 people were unearthed in five mass graves in Sumbi, in the territory of Seke-Banza. Also a police car and several houses (including the meeting house of Bundu dia Kongo) were burned in Luozi and the nearby village of Lufuku.
Later in March 2008, the government banned Bundu dia Kongo.
United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(MONUC) carried out a special inquiry into the events. The report concludes that at least 100 people, mainly members of Bundu dia Kongo, were killed in the police operations in Bas-Congo. According to the report, the high death toll resulted from excessive use of force, when the police armed with AK-47
s opened fire on BDK members, who were armed with sharp sticks, stones and kola nut
s. A large number of bodies were dumped in rivers and mass graves in attempt to conceal evidence. Also over 200 buildings were burned and private houses were looted by the police.
Bas-Congo
Bas-Congo is one of the eleven provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the only province with a coastline and it borders Bandundu province to the east and Kinshasa to the northeast...
province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. The movement focuses on defending, protecting, and promoting values, rights, and interests of Kongo people
Kongo people
The Bakongo or the Kongo people , also sometimes referred to as Kongolese or Congolese, is a Bantu ethnic group which lives along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire to Luanda, Angola...
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The movement advocates for the establishment of a federal government system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo while seeking to eradicate social and economic injustices long imposed to Kongo people by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The movement is led by Ne Muanda Nsemi. The movement has several thousand followers in Kinshasa and in the Bas-Congo province. For decades, the movement has had a relatively strong sustainable impact on the Kongo people. The movement's main concern is the social transformation of African societies through cultural regeneration. The movement also focuses on the resistance against pre-conceived destruction of the history of Kongo people, their fundamental values, and their identity through knowledge of their spiritual patrimony.
Clashes with the police
In 2002 the police shot to death 14 followers of Bundu dia Kongo in a demonstration.In January and February 2007, the followers of Bundu dia Kongo demonstrated against alle in the provincial elections, which lead to violent clashes with the police and the military in Matadi
Matadi
Matadi is the chief sea port of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the capital of the Bas-Congo province. It has a population of 245,862 . Matadi is situated on the left bank of the Congo River from the mouth and below the last navigable point before rapids make the river impassable for a...
, Muanda
Muanda
Muanda or Moanda is a town lying on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the Democratic Republic of Congo at the mouth of the Congo River. It is situated in Bas-Congo Province, and has a population of 50,000...
, Boma
Boma
The port town of Boma in Bas-Congo province was the capital city of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo from 1 May 1886 to 1926, when it was moved to Léopoldville . It exports tropical timber, bananas, cacao, and palm products...
and Songololo
Songololo
Songololo is a town in Bas-Congo Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.-Transport:It is served by a station of the national railway system on the line between the ocean port and the capital of Kinshasa.-External links:*...
. The clashes resulted to the death of 134 people, mostly civilians but also several policemen.
The movement also has a strong belief in their ancestors and consider Jesus Christ as a prophet.
In late February and early March 2008, the followers of Bundu dia Kongo clashed with the police in and around Luozi and Seke-Banza. According to the police, the clashes resulted in the death of 25 people (22 of them in Luozi) and many wounded. Nsemi, who said that he had called for calm and a neutral investigation, alleged that the police had killed 80 people in Luozi and 40 in Seke-Banza. Later, in May, corpses of 40 people were unearthed in five mass graves in Sumbi, in the territory of Seke-Banza. Also a police car and several houses (including the meeting house of Bundu dia Kongo) were burned in Luozi and the nearby village of Lufuku.
Later in March 2008, the government banned Bundu dia Kongo.
United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo
United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or MONUSCO , is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which was established by the United Nations Security Council in resolutions 1279...
(MONUC) carried out a special inquiry into the events. The report concludes that at least 100 people, mainly members of Bundu dia Kongo, were killed in the police operations in Bas-Congo. According to the report, the high death toll resulted from excessive use of force, when the police armed with AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
s opened fire on BDK members, who were armed with sharp sticks, stones and kola nut
Kola nut
Kola Nut is the nut of the kola tree, a genus of trees native to the tropical rainforests of Africa, classified in the family Malvaceae, subfamily Sterculioideae . It is related to the South American genus Theobroma, or cocoa...
s. A large number of bodies were dumped in rivers and mass graves in attempt to conceal evidence. Also over 200 buildings were burned and private houses were looted by the police.