From 1908 to 1960, that large land mass, with a large snout giving access to the ocean known generally as the “Congo,” was a Belgian colony. The Belgians built beautiful grand buildings everywhere, from administrative offices to opulent residences. This tiny European nation poured infrastructure – particularly roads and railways (connecting theretofore unconnected regions) – into this resource-rich area, until the pressure to end European colonialism end Belgium’s rule. Nascent democracy elected leaders like Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba to what was now known as the Republic of the Congo. Political stability eroded quickly, secessionist movements grew rapidly, and about 100,000 Belgians who had remained after independence departed, leaving a power and operational competency vacuum that further destabilized the nation.
After years of violent struggle, the United States backed one particular rebel – Joseph Mobutu – because of his strong anti-communist stance. In 1971, Mobutu renamed the country Zaire, and built one of the saddest regimes on the continent. “A one-party system was established, and Mobutu declared himself head of state. He periodically held elections in which he was the only candidate. Relative peace and stability was achieved; however, Mobutu's government was guilty of severe human rights violations, political repression, a cult of personality and corruption. (Mobutu demanded every Congolese bank note printed with his image, hanging of his portrait in all public buildings, most businesses, and on billboards; and it was common for ordinary people to wear his likeness on their clothing.)
“Corruption became so prevalent the term ‘le mal Zairois’ or ‘Zairean Sickness’ was coined, reportedly by Mobutu himself. By 1984, Mobutu was said to have $4 billion, an amount close to the country's national debt, deposited in a personal Swiss bank account. International aid, most often in the form of loans, enriched Mobutu while he allowed national infrastructure such as roads to deteriorate to as little as one-quarter of what had existed in 1960. With the embezzlement of government funds by Mobutu and his associates, Zaire became a ‘kleptocracy.’” Wikipedia. Meanwhile, the country descended into an era of severe decline; most of the incredible national highway and rail system was reclaimed by the jungle. Travelers wanting to reach the other side of Zaire often had to fly out of the country to reenter from the other side.
When the Soviet Union fell, Mobutu’s value to the United States plunged. Regional conflicts, notably the vicious civil war in Rwanda, spilled over into the eastern Congo, and various warring factions eventually forced Mobutu to flee in 1997: “Rwandan Hutu militia forces (Interahamwe), who had fled Rwanda following the ascension of a Tutsi-led government, had been using Hutu refugees camps in eastern Zaire as a basis for incursion against Rwanda. These Hutu militia forces soon allied with the Zairian armed forces (FAZ) to launch a campaign against Congolese ethnic Tutsis in eastern Zaire... In turn, a coalition of Rwandan and Ugandan armies invaded Zaire under the cover of a small group of Tutsi militia to fight the Hutu militia, overthrow the government of Mobutu, and ultimately control the mineral resources of Zaire. They were soon joined by various Zairean politicians, who had been unsuccessfully opposing the dictatorship of Mobutu for many years, and now saw an opportunity for them in the invasion of Zaire by two of the region's strongest military forces.” Wikipedia Congo’s natural resources were at stake: copper, diamonds and zinc were high on the list.
The nation was renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but warring factionalism continued. The Congo became one of the most dangerous places on earth. President Laurent-Desire Kabila was assassinated in 2001, and his son Joseph assumed power, just as former allies – the Rwandan/Ugandan coalition – resumed their attack on the established order. Raw fighting was everywhere, the United Nations intervened, and a fragile peace led to a multi-party election in 2006. The results of that election pushed the factions back into mortal combat. The numbers are horrific – 5.4 million people have died, the greatest number in any war since WWII. In 2 009, people were dying at the rate of 45,000 per month, an estimated 200,000 women have been raped, homes and villages destroyed.
The eastern Congo was once known for its coffee plantations; the region shares a border that includes Uganda and Rwanda and has been a place of refuge for many rebel fighters. With heavy military aid from countries like the United States (funneled through Uganda), these forces have been losing men and power rapidly, a fact that has only made their efforts more brutal and desperate, as they make up for shortages in their forces by taking over entire villages and conscripting the young males and hospital workers, killing or raping everyone else. Mostly to save bullets, they prefer to bludgeon their victims to death. The L.G.R. is one of the most vicious. “[Over a year ago], the American military had sen t advisers to Uganda to help plan an attack on the headquarters of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Garamba National Park, in northeastern Congo. Ugandan helicopters strafed the camp, narrowly missing Joseph Kony, the group’s leader, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court on crimes against humanity. Afterward, the fighters scattered and vented their outrage on nearby villagers.”
“Human Rights Watch, which sent a team to investigate the killings in February, said the L.R.A. killed at least 320 people in this area, calling the massacre one of the worst in the group’s 23-year, atrocity-filled history… Witnesses said that the number of dead could be several hundred more, and that most victims had been taken from their villages, tied at the waist and forced into the jungle, often with enormous loads of looted food balanced on their heads. Along the way, fighters randomly selected captives to kill, usually by an ax blow to the back of the head. ‘They only scream once,’ said Jean-Claude Singbatile, a high school student who said that he spent 14 days in captivity and witnessed dozens of killings.” March 28th New York Times. This murderous calamity continues into the present day.
Is Africa the cruelest continent? Think of all of the conflicts and pain inflicted in the Sub-Sahara. Did rampant European colonization set the stage for this unparalleled brutality? What is our role/complicity in the failures of governance and peace in the region? And exactly what should we or can we do to subdue the seemingly never-ending brutality and injustice? As I think of the destruction in Haiti from the recent earthquake – which most certainly remains a gaping hole of desperation and need that must be filled – the pain in Africa, particularly the eastern Congo, I also think of our need to make a perpetual commitment to stamp out cruelty, poverty and injustice wherever we really can.
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