BOOK REVIEW: CONGO, THE EPIC HISTORY OF A PEOPLE

My God. How can a country be so blessed yet, so cursed?

This morning, I read the last page of Congo: The Epic History of a People.

My God. How can a country be so blessed yet, so cursed?

The story is long. Longer than the 656 pages devoted to it in this book.

What makes this book unique is that within these 656 pages, David does an honest job of conveying most of this history, putting in astonishing details. When you close the last page, you come away with an understanding of Congo that humbles and worries you.

There is nothing wrong with the Congolese. There is nothing wrong with Congo. In fact, as stated earlier, Congo is remarkably blessed. Blessed beyond the normal. Every time in Congo's history when it seems as though a particular resource is being finished or that international demand is changing, a new resource is being found. In Congo, the world always finds something it is looking for.

And yes, this is what makes the history of Congo so tumultuous. It cannot be ignored. It is too blessed to be ignored. Too gifted. Too burdened by the gifts it has.

What is the name of the natural resource? You name it; it can be found in Congo. And all the world wants this, including some Congolese.

For centuries, the story of Congo has been the story of the continuous plundering of these natural resources for the gain of very few. When it began its history as a modern nation, it began with the sole aim of being plundered by King Leopold II. Leopold plundered it so much that his own people got irritated by his plundering; it was just too much. Think about this for a moment. This guy's plundering was so bad that his own people had to stop him. The author describes this very well. So, after this, what happened? The Congo was handed over the Belgium state. Things didn't exactly get good for the Congolese. The wickedness only reduced. Congo was plundered for the service of the Belgian state. Of course, the Congolese didn't just relax. They fought against this in many ways. David covers this, too. This is one theme that stayed with me. After reading about Congo in the news, you often wonder if the people are doing anything to improve their country. Don't be deceived; they always fight back. It is just that the country has been systematically abused for centuries, and any fight against corruption, kleptocracy, and state failure is a fight against centuries of accumulated abuse by the state.

From its founding to date, it continuous to serve a few people.

The Belgians were forced to give way in 1960. There was a brief experiment with democracy in which Lumumba and Kasavubu became Prime Minister and Head of State. It was a failure. It didn't just fail; it failed and took the life of one of the greatest Africans to have ever lived, Patrice Lumumba. The first republic ended in the hands of Mobutu. Mobutu raped Congo without mercy. He stole so much and preached for the people to steal only a little. Eventually, he was forced out by Laurent Kabila. Laurent Kabila did his plundering, and when he was killed by his guard, his son took over to continue. That is where this book ends.

This is a high-level summary. The story is more complex and nuanced. There are no heroes in this book except the Congolese people, who have endured this and have continuously found courage and creative ways to fight against those who want to make their lives miserable.

This is a very sad book. At some point while reading, I would drop the book and take a walk. I needed to process what I had just read; it was too painful.

David is a great storyteller. He comes to the book with a good understanding of Congo. He does not seek to shield or crucify anyone. He just wants to tell a good story. Not that he does not put blame on those who deserve it; he does. In fact, he is one of the only historians I've read who used the word "stupid" in the most appropriate way. See this line; "Belgium had granted Congo independence in order to avoid a colonial war, but got one anyway. And it was its own stupid fault." How cool?

He uses anecdotes from interviews he has personally conducted worldwide. This is a rich book, just a very sad one. It is a must-read for anyone interested in studying the history of Congo.