Since the late 19th century, traditional ways of life have undergone changes brought about by colonialism, the struggle for independence, the stagnation of the Mobutu era, and most recently, the First and Second Congo Wars.
Dende o século XIX, as formas tradicionais de vida sufriron cambios por mor do colonialismo, a loita pola independencia, o estancamento da era Mobutu, e máis recentemente, a Primeira e a Segunda Guerra do Congo.