| Kasaï region | |
| Settlement Type: | Historical region |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Subdivision Type2: | Provinces |
| Area Total Km2: | 325,433 |
| Population Total: | 13,816,000 (est.)[1] |
| Population As Of: | 2017 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Population Demonym: | Kasaians |
| Etymology: | Kasai River |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Largest City |
| Blank Info Sec1: | Mbuji-Mayi |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Languages |
| Blank Info Sec2: | French, Tshiluba |
The Kasaï region (also referred to as the Greater Kasaï region, Greater Kasaï, Grand Kasaï,[2] or simply Kasaï[3]) is a geographic and cultural region in south-central Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a single province, it now comprises the provinces of Kasaï Province, Kasaï-Central, Sankuru, Kasaï-Oriental, and Lomami Province. It shares its name with the Kasai River.
Historically, the Kasaï region has been a stronghold for the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) party. As an opposition stronghold, it experienced both political and economic marginalization by the central government. This long-running resentment of the central government's remoteness and corruption exploded into a rebellion, triggered by the official rejection of a local chief, Kamwina Nsapu, who in August 2016 was killed by security forces. After UDPS candidate Félix Tshisekedi's victory in the 2018 presidential election, most militia members surrendered and returned to their communities of origin.
Until 2015 Kasai region was divided administratively into two provinces, Kasai-Occidental and Kasai-Oriental. After 2015, the former Districts within these provinces were in some cases combined with cities that had been independently administered, and their status was elevated to the five current provinces.
See main article: Kamwina Nsapu rebellion. In spring 2017, long-running resentment of central government's remoteness and corruption exploded into a rebellion, triggered by official rejection of a local chief, Kamwina Nsapu, who in August was killed by security forces. In the fighting that followed, nearly 1.4 million people were displaced, among them around 850,000 children, leading to a hunger crisis across the region as subsistence farmers were unable to plant crops.[4]