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Conflicts and wars in the contemporary world are often fought through the use of modern and sophisticated weapons. The forces using such modern weapons are often regarded as having an upper hand especially when their opponents possess what is regarded as inferior weaponry. However, modern weapons can be overpowered as evidenced in the Kamwina Nsapu conflict in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The insurgency of Kamwina Nsapu militia in the Kasai Central Province sought to bring accountability to the modern political leadership and address bad governance practices. The case of the Kamwina Nsapu revealed the use of charms or fetishes (manga) to address the problem that had emerged in the Luba community. Different types of indigenous charms (manga) were used: trees and sticks were used as guns; slippers as telephones; and fruits as grenades. Militia were able to cut off heads of enemies from a distance with their bare hands and they teleported from one place to another at will. These activities were made possible by the use of charms (manga), such as the tshiota fire and nkwembe.

This paper aims to examine the nature of indigenous African political leadership among the Luba People of Kasai in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The study employed qualitative research that was rooted in phenomenology. The concentration of the study was on the Kasai Central Province. The target population was charm givers, militia, and political leaders were selected as the units of observation by the researcher. The political leaders comprised of local traditional chiefs of villages and modern leaders. A sample size of 40 participants was adequate to enable the researcher to obtain rich information and reach the saturation point. The targeted 40 participants were: 10 charm givers, 8 members of the provincial parliament, 4 provincial ministers, 13 traditional leaders, and 5 militia leaders.  The study used In-depth Interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions, and observations to collect data. The findings indicate indigenous traditional leadership among the Luba has various sources of power. These include the use of various symbols of Luba traditional leadership to perform duties on behalf of the community. The use of the manga is also in line with the customs and traditions of the Luba people and guides the leader on the right things to do while on the throne.