Imaging political turmoil through postage stamps in the heart of Africa: Congo/Zaire 1950-1971 from colonialism to national identity

The Belgian Congo suddenly became an independent republic in 1960 and that was followed by four years of turmoil and by an attempt to develop a national ‘authentic’ identity afterwards. Focusing on the 1950-1971 period these major changes can be made visible on the postage stamps used in the territory, with a clearly colonial message between 1950 and 1960, visible turmoil on stamps between 1960 and 1964, and images showing the quest for authenticity and national identity between 1965 and 1971. The rapid changes are also visible in the organization of the postal services, until they virtually collapsed during the 1980s.