Kinshasa, February 4th, 2026 (CPA). -The nationalism of Patrice Lumumba, an iconic figure of the independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been expressed in a painting exhibited on Tuesday in Kinshasa in the gallery of an art critic to show his desire for unity, transcending ethnic and regional divisions, has noted CPA. «The aspiration of Patrice Emery Lumumba in this painting is to build a strong State, capable of guaranteeing national integrity, not only physically but symbolically, with the bold vision he had for the Congolese nation,‘ has explained John Bongenya, art critic. ’His nationalism was neither ethnic nor regional, but deeply unifying. He has dreamed of a strong state capable of ensuring territorial security, preserving national integrity and resisting foreign interference, » he has added. « For Lumumba, the sovereignty could not be real without dignity for the people, social justice and economic control. He has conceived of the Congo as a modern nation, where politics would serve the general interest and not personal ambitions. Self-taught, he has embodied a rare political intelligence, forged by experience, reading and a keen awareness of colonial injustice, » has said Mr Bongenya. According to him, Patrice Lumumba has not been content with independence, He imagined a sovereign Congo, master of its own destiny. ‘The thinking of Lumumba was resolutely futuristic: Lumumba was not content with merely demanding formal independence; he envisioned a sovereign Congo, master of its resources and its destiny, respected on the international stage. The Congo of Lumumba is not the Congo of today,’ has said John Bongenya.
The tragic death of Patrice Lumumba remains a major turning point in Congolese history. It symbolises not only the loss of a visionary leader, but also the brutal interruption of an ambitious national project. ‘His brutal disappearance paved the way for deep divisions, the betrayal of the national ideal and the confiscation of the collective project. By killing Lumumba, they tried to stifle a vision. But his dream continues to haunt Congolese history like an unfulfilled promise,’ he has pointed out. ACP/