DR Congo: Kinshasa Comics Festival Returns After Six Years
After a six-year pause, the Kinshasa comics festival SABDAM returns in September 2026 with Senegal as guest of honor and a plan to link comics hubs across Africa. The post DR Congo: Kinshasa Comics Festival Returns After Six Years appeared first on The Rio Times .
The Kinshasa Comics Festival, SABDAM, returns to the capital after a six-year hiatus from September 11 to 13, 2026. Since its inception in 1991, the event has become one of Africa's oldest comics festivals. Organizers, led by ACRIA, hope to elevate Kinshasa to the status of Africa's comic-book capital, with Senegal as the guest of honor.
While 2,500 visitors and 30-plus cartoonists attended the 2019 edition, organizers anticipate a larger turnout this year. The festival's theme, 'Bomoyi, Kaka Se Bomoyi' (life, nothing but life), highlights resilience and creativity in the face of ongoing conflict.
Senegal's delegation is expected to be substantial, and Belgium, Mexico, Colombia, Canada, Gabon and the Central African Republic are also participating. Japan, once a headline guest, will not attend due to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where rebels control Goma and Bukavu. ACRIA, founded in 1989 and chaired by cartoonist Barly Baruti, is spearheading the festival with Thembo Kash as deputy.
They collaborate with the Agence congolaise pour l’action culturelle (ACAC). The Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage has expressed support, though the budget remains undisclosed.
The festival includes a three-country comics corridor linking Kinshasa, Dakar, and Tetouan. This corridor aims to facilitate visa-free artist travel, with Kinshasa representing the east, Dakar the west, and Tetouan the north. ACRIA has promised to include authors from Goma and Bukavu, but the conflict's ongoing presence in these cities remains a significant concern.
The Salon's partners include the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, the Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles, the Angoulême festival, and the Kyoto Manga Museum. No official budget has been disclosed.
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