DR Congo’s Minister of Information, Patrick Muyaya on March 1, 2024 invited Professor Tshibangu Kalala, a Law Lecturer at the University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), to discuss with students the assertion that the Bahutu are the only Congolese who speak Kinyarwanda, excluding the Batutsi from this identity.
Using geographical maps dating back to the 19th century, Tshibangu Kalala argued that no Rwandan land extends into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
"Today, with Minister Muyaya, we wanted to provide you with the weapons of knowledge and science,” he said, quoting Professor Cheikh Anta Diop: "If we want to be respected in the world as a people, we must arm ourselves with the weapons of science.”
Kalala, author of The Democratic Republic of Congo and its 11 Borders: Geopolitics and International Law, urged students to stop referring to the Bahutu as Rwandophones, asserting that they are Congolese.
"These Rwandan-speaking (Hutu) populations, placed on the side of the Congo Free State in 1885 by colonial borders, are Congolese and should not be called Rwandophones, a term that has no meaning,” he stated.
However, Kalala’s explanation raised questions: why should the Bahutu be considered Congolese while excluding the Batutsi?
A historical perspective on citizenship
Kalala claimed that after colonial borders were drawn between the DR Congo and Rwanda, the population in regions such as Rutshuru, Nyiragongo, and Goma were asked to choose between Congolese or Rwandan citizenship.
He asserted that the Bahutu opted for Congolese citizenship, while the Batutsi chose to remain under Rwandan authority. This, according to Kalala, is why the Bahutu should be recognized as Congolese while denying the same status to the Batutsi.
Historical accounts, however, paint a more complex picture. Both the Bahutu and Batutsi lived in regions such as Rutshuru, Walikale, Goma, and Masisi long before colonial borders were established during the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885.
Additionally, in 1938, the Belgians forcibly relocated Rwandans, including Batutsi, to DR Congo to work in mines, build infrastructure, and perform other forms of unpaid labour. Many of these individuals settled permanently in DR Congo, often against their will.
Who were the ‘real’ Congolese before 1885?
The pertinent question is not whether the Bahutu and Batutsi should be considered Congolese—they are—but rather, who qualifies as Congolese before 1885? The term "Congolese” refers to natives or inhabitants of the Republic of Congo, a state that did not exist before 1885.
Before the establishment of colonial borders, the Kingdom of Kongo represented what could be considered the original Congo. This kingdom covered parts of modern-day southwestern DRC, northern Angola, and the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville). Its inhabitants, the Bakongo, were the "real” Congolese prior to 1885.
By this logic, even prominent Congolese figures such as Patrice Lumumba, Mobutu Sese Seko, and current President Félix Tshisekedi—whose ancestral regions were not part of the Kingdom of Kongo—would not have been considered Congolese before 1885.
This historical context underscores the artificial nature of Congo’s borders and challenges exclusionary narratives.
The way forward for DR Congo
The DR Congo must initiate a national dialogue to address issues of citizenship and identity. This dialogue should recognise that nearly 90% of the population originates from tribes that were grouped into DR Congo’s borders by colonial powers.
It should establish that any individual whose ancestry traces to tribes present within DR Congo’s borders since 1885 has a rightful claim to Congolese citizenship.
Moreover, the dialogue should promote unity by treating DR Congo’s vast territory as a shared inheritance, free from colonial and post-colonial divisions.
This includes embracing the Batutsi of Rutshuru and Masisi and the Banyamulenge of South Kivu as integral members of the Congolese nation.
Leaders must follow the example of Tanzania under Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, who fostered national unity by transcending tribal divisions. By doing so, DR Congo can transform its diverse population into a cohesive nation, ensuring a bright and prosperous future for all its citizens.
It is only through such inclusive policies that the DR Congo can overcome its historical and contemporary challenges, building a nation where all are considered equal under the law.