Nation-Building, Nationalism, and the Power of Religion: the Exploits of a Despot

Following a bloodless coup d'état in 1965, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's new leader, Mobutu Sese Seko, was faced with a number of objectives, the most important of which was the creation of a unified Congolese identity, which would help to prevent the return to political infighting that marked the first five post-independence years. After all, the DRC is a country that is made up of many different tribes and languages, hence the creation of the unified identity was not an easy feat. Authenticité — a return to ancestral roots that would take the country forward —, renaming the country Zaire, and putting himself in the position of messianic figurehead were all just vehicles through which Mobutu sought to create this identity while at the same time firmly entrenching his own authority. At the same time, however, religious actors such as the Catholic church and the Kimbanguist church also played their part in uniting the Zairean people under one umbrella. Especially the efforts...Show moreFollowing a bloodless coup d'état in 1965, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's new leader, Mobutu Sese Seko, was faced with a number of objectives, the most important of which was the creation of a unified Congolese identity, which would help to prevent the return to political infighting that marked the first five post-independence years. After all, the DRC is a country that is made up of many different tribes and languages, hence the creation of the unified identity was not an easy feat. Authenticité — a return to ancestral roots that would take the country forward —, renaming the country Zaire, and putting himself in the position of messianic figurehead were all just vehicles through which Mobutu sought to create this identity while at the same time firmly entrenching his own authority. At the same time, however, religious actors such as the Catholic church and the Kimbanguist church also played their part in uniting the Zairean people under one umbrella. Especially the efforts of the Catholic church were not always appreciated by Mobutu and the two often went head to head during the latter's time in power. In contemporary Congo, Mobutu and his ideology of Mobutism are often held to be two out of a myriad of reasons for the current instability, while the Catholic church is still mending the wounds. Nonetheless, by connecting the evidence from the past to the situation of the present, this thesis will show that all three aforementioned actors nonetheless perform a crucial role in ensuring that the country does not completely disintegrate.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Nation-Building, Nationalism, and the Power of Religion: the Exploits of a Despot