PHOTOS: The Masks Of Congo Are Worn To Protect, To Protest — And To Strike A Pose

Anglebert Maurice Kakuja, 29, a Sapeur, or Congolese dandy, shows off his fashion sense while wearing a homemade mask in the eastern Congolese city of Bukavu. Sapeurs take their name from the acronym for their group: Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, citizens are required by law to wear a mask in public. But the face coverings can have many meanings and materials — including banana leaves.

(Image credit: Raissa Karama Rwizibuka)

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, citizens are required by law to wear a mask in public. But the face coverings can have many meanings and materials — including banana leaves.