Simbas
The rebels were led by Pierre Mulele, Gaston Soumialot and Christophe Gbenye who were former members of Gizenga's Parti Solidaire Africain (PSA). The leaders of the rebels were politically leftists. Most of their fighters however were tribesmen from the provinces of Kivu and Orientale. Many of them came from traditional African cultures with animist beliefs. The name "Simba" comes from the fact that the tribal fighters were told by shamans that they would be immune to bullets, and would be transformed into "Simbas" (the Swahili word for lions) when they were in battle.
Read more about this topic: Simba Rebellion