A description of social unrest with superstitious and paranoid flavor that took place in Central Africa during the early 1950's opens this article. The specificity of the components of that reaction is discussed in reference to the developmental stages of the African child within the unique context of the tribal family. An explanation of the symbolism of the phenomena of the social unrest based on specific features of infant care and weaning in that society is proposed. The structure of the article is somewhat disjointed, enhancing the impression that the data are insufficient to prove the causality proposed, and perhaps even the connection between the African child's development and the political events described.