Word: balali
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...quickly degenerated from a political brawl to old-fashioned warfare. Throughout the native quarters of Bacongo and Poto-Poto, Balali tribesmen, loyal to the abbé, and the M'Boshi went after each other with everything from broken bottles to the deadly assagai-the short spear used by Chaka, the "Black Napoleon," to conquer his 19th century Zulu empire. At first the M'Boshi in their white headdresses proved more adept at carving up their enemies just as their ancestors used to do, but the Balalis, wearing leaves in their hair, retaliated by setting whole blocks...
...slapped a curfew on Brazzaville, went on the air to plead for calm, even spoke harshly to his own Balali followers. Eventually, to the embarrassment of the new republic, French troops had to be called in to restore order. An uneasy peace returned, with at least 500 people under arrest. Among them: Jacques Opangault, charged with "incitement to sedition, rebellion and pillage...
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