Thousands of art objects destroyed in private museum fire in Democratic Republic of Congo

Almost nothing remains of an important collection of pieces and works of art gathered in the Gungu Museum, in the west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The site was devastated by a fire, the circumstances of which have not yet been clarified.

The Gibala Museum, known as the Gungu National Museum, was the pride of the province of Kwilu, in the west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It numbered more than 25 000 pieces or works of art, according to Aristotle Kibala, the founder of this cultural place created in 2008 thanks in particular to Belgian funds. Among the works that have gone up in smoke, there are in particular very old masks, as specified by the civil society coordinator of Gungu who deplores a huge loss.

“The works of art which were in this museum, in particular the famous masks of the Pende tribe, date some from 1890, others from 1900, still others from 1925”.

Joachim Kusamba, civil society coordinator from Gungu, western DRC

to AFP

The museum which attracted researchers and tourists is now nothing but ruins, to the great despair of its initiator who calls for help to revive this cultural space. Some 2 000 metal parts resisted the flames and could be restored, as the Congolese site actualité.cd notes

In the meantime, the shock is enormous, especially since it could be a criminal act. According to a first report from the local police, quoted by CongoVirtuel, gasoline was sprayed on the building before it was set on fire. But who can order such an act and for what reasons? Impossible to know at this stage, but the founder of the museum told AFP he had “always been fought by several politicians in the country“. An investigation is underway without much hope in a country where impunity reigns.