Case file · Folklore / legend
The Simba fighters' 'Mulele mai'
During the 1964 Simba rebellion in eastern Congo, young fighters were treated with magic water and charms by their healers and charged government troops shouting 'Mulele mai', believing bullets would turn to water.
1964 CE · 0.52, 25.19 · status: official
The account
The rebels took Stanleyville (now Kisangani) in August 1964 and held hundreds of foreign hostages until a Belgian and American airborne rescue in November. The magic promise came with rules such as avoiding women and not looking back during battle. Similar dawa protection appeared later among Mai-Mai militias.
The sceptical view
Many fighters died believing in the protection; it is a documented belief, not a working one.