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Fighting Boys, Strong Men and Gorillas: Notes on the Imagination of Masculinities in Kinshasa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

Katrien Pype
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Abstract

The article provides insight into the current violent practices of urban youngsters in Kinshasa. At nightfall youth gangs transform the streets of Kinshasa's townships into arenas of the fight. Frequent regular clashes between these gangs create young violent leaders, who not only sow terror but also provide security for the inhabitants (young and old) of their territories. Although many of these boys and young men are trained in foreign fighting styles such as judo, jujitsu and karate, in the public clashes between the fighting groups, these boys and young men perform mukumbusu. This fighting style, inspired and based on the gorilla, was invented during the last decade of colonialism, and is an original mixture of a traditional Mongo wrestling practice, libanda, and Asian and Western fighting practices. In the article, I scrutinize the practices of these young fighters through the diverse images of masculinity (kimobali) upon which they draw, such as the fighter and the soldier; and the models of masculinity that they contest, the sapeur and the staffeur.

Résumé

L'article apporte un éclairage sur les pratiques violentes récentes de jeunes urbains à Kinshasa. A la tombée de la nuit, des bandes de jeunes transforment les rues des cités de Kinshasa en arènes de la peur. Les heurts réguliers et fréquents entre ces bandes créent des jeunes meneurs violents qui sément la terreur, mais aussi assurent la sécurité des habitants (jeunes et vieux) de leur territoire. Si beaucoup de ces garçons et jeunes hommes sont entraînés aux styles de combat étrangers tels que le judo, le jujitsu et le karaté, ils pratiquent également le mukumbusu lors des combats que se livrent les groupes en public. Ce style de combat, inspiré du gorille, a été inventé dans la dernière décennie du colonialisme. Il allie de manière originale une forme de lutte traditionnelle Mongo, le libanda, et des pratiques de combat asiatiques et occidentales. L'article examine les pratiques de ces jeunes combattants à travers les diverses images de masculinité (kimobali) dont elles s’inspirent: le combattant et le soldat; ainsi que les modèles de masculinité auxquels ils s’opposent, le sapeur et le staffeur.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 77 , Issue 2 , May 2007 , pp. 250 - 271
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 2007

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