‘Congolité’: Dividing Lines in the Political Life of the Contemporary DRC
https://doi.org/10.46272/2587-8476-2024-15-1-118-135
Abstract
The article is devoted to the study of political identity in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The author pays particular attention to the modern interpretation of the concept of ‘Congolité’ – Congolese identity, which is in many ways identical to the idea of national citizenship. The concept of ‘Congolité’ itself is considered in the article as a set of legal norms, as an instrument of electoral struggle and as a symbolic construct. The concept has acquired a new meaning in the context of the 2021 draft law, and its return to domestic politics is significant for understanding the mood of Congolese society. The author also tries to identify the main lines of the identity debate and concludes that one of its constants is the problem of the political-legal status of the Rwandafon minority (Banyarwanda / Banyamulenge), and another is regional-linguistic fragmentation, which is reinforced by economic-demographic specificity. Both of these factors have a significant impact on internal voting patterns. The discourse of autochthonous ‘purity’ is seen as exacerbating this fragmentation and as generating conflict in Congo’s relations with states in the region, particularly Rwanda.
About the Author
M. V. Nikolskaya
MGIMO University
Russian Federation
Competing Interests:
Russian Federation
Mayya V. Nikolskaya - Acting Director of the Centre for African Studies, Institute for International Studies, MGIMO University.
76, Vernadsky avenue, Moscow, 119454
Competing Interests:
None
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Review
For citations:
Nikolskaya M.V. ‘Congolité’: Dividing Lines in the Political Life of the Contemporary DRC. Journal of International Analytics. 2024;15(1):118-135. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.46272/2587-8476-2024-15-1-118-135
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