In chapter 1, the author puts off by explaining what was happening. In 1961 a civil war is being fought between UN Irish peacekeepers and the newly formed Nation of Katanga, which recently seceded from the Republic of the Congo which is located in South Africa. Congo was the third largest country on the continent of Africa. Then we are introduced to the origins of the Congo.…
The Congolese are tired of being pushed around by the Americans and Belgians. Anything that they promise to the Congolese is false. Patrice Lumumba is promising his fellow Congolese independence and freedom. The freedom to do whatever they want without anybody else profiting off of their hard work. Freedom to follow their own customs and cultures without the interference of others.…
This was alienating in nature, but exile also proved to be an enriching experience as well. The exile brought about the election of Lumumba, which in turn proved to produce ideas that would benefit the Congo. Lumumba’s election also resulted in higher morale. The Congolese were still loyal and remembered what could have been under Lumumba after his murder. The Congolese passion and loyalty for Lumumba, however, could possibly have resulted from the trials that the Congo was going through at the time.…
The ramifications of Leopold’s crimes in the Congo could be felt long after his death in 1913. Although he sold the Congo to the Belgium government after the truth regarding his atrocities could not long be denied there was much work that needed to be done to change the fate of the Congolese people. Business remained to be practiced in the same manner as under Leopold’s direction, and because of this many of the Congolese people remained enslaved, only in a different form. Because there wild rubber sources had been depleted, cultivated rubber began the new resource in which people were forced to work on rubber plantations.…
The DRC Congo is constantly being logged for its resources. It has been estimated that there will be an increase of thirty percent of the forests…
Railways, hospitals, and new currency were just some of Leopold’s reforms in order to modernize the Congo. Much needed reforms came with a price. More often than not Leopold’s benefits provided negative benefits. The heavily biased source one suggests that Leopold and his administration were solely conquerors who only enter the Congo in hopes of stealing resources. “The Free State system was little more than one of plunder, and no…
The atrocities committed in the Congo were some of the most horrendous that the world has ever seen, yet many of us have never even heard of King Leopold II. Leopold was the king of Belgium from 1865-1909. In Belgium, his reign was seen as one that brought great riches to his country, and one filled with good deeds to the Congolese people. However the exact opposite is true. King Leopold II did bring mass amounts of money to Belgium, but at one of the greatest human costs the world has ever seen.…
Sub-Saharan Africa has undergone numerous sociopolitical shifts throughout the last half-century. During the 60's and 70's concentrated waves of decolonization movements emerged in the region. Foreign imposition of will by foreign rule had shaped African society for centuries. Now in the face of modernity, Africans who fought for the right to self-determination, endure a new struggle. Sub-Saharan Africa shares a collective conundrum of possessing natural resource, wealth but lacks the infrastructure to harness its full potential.…
Not all countries that are resource rich are successful. Countries like Venezuela and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are resource rich, but their GDP is really low. In 2013, Venezuela’s GDP was 438.83 billion USD, while DRC’s GDP was $484.21 billion USD. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world, it’s economy should be high, but it’s not. Instead it’s economy is decreasing every year.…
The Congo Wars were a bloody conflict that occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with the first war occurring from late 1996 to mid 1997 and the second war occurring from late 1998 to mid 2003. The first Congo War started in late 1996, when the Tutsis began to rebel against the authoritarian rule of one of the key players of the conflict, Mobutu Sese Seko, and his supporters, the Hutu. The Tutsis quickly gained traction and when they neared the capital of the DRC from various strategic points, Mobutu declared a state of emergency to try and regain control. Ultimately, this failed and a new president, Laurent Kabila, was established in 1997. A year later, a new rebellion in complaint of the remaining Hutu in the DRC by the Tutsi…
The effect of the Republic of Congo's Government was relatively positive on Berthe's life chances up until 1997. Although led by a one-party state for a long period of the countries independent history, the Republic of Congo was the fourth biggest oil producer in the Gulf of Guinea which led to a level of prosperity and stability. Berthe was an educated woman, a nurse, and from a wealthy family – her mother owning her own pharmacy. From this, I gather that the economic state of affairs and stability of the country politically, led to there being an education system in place, employment existed and healthcare was available to the population. These are referred to as being 'socioeconomically valuable' - they give the population increased life…
Under Leopold’s dictatorship, the people of the Congo free states were treated worse then slaves, without any pay, they were forced to work in the harsh conditions of the Congo’s forest and were punished heavily if they showed any sign of resistance. Leopold not only deeply scar Congo’s economy but almost destroyed the millions of its native people’s…
The strength and credibility of a world leader are determined by a multitude of different factors. A leader’s ability to remain in office is dictated by the strength of the pre-existing governmental system, providing a sense of representation through addressing the people’s concerns, and overseeing the country in such a way that is conducive to positive change. Responsiveness to communities, reliability, fairness, and creating an internal social fabric, could be seen as qualities that most people would want to see in the leader of their country. The leaders of China and Nigeria both have opposing ideas in the way that they think a country should be run. These opposing ideologies, in turn, influence their likelihood of maintaining power when…
However, much of the response to the question about the relations concerning democracy and development usually depends on how one defines ‘development’. Sen (1999b) sees development as ‘freedom’ – this includes not only the economic freedom but also freedoms…
Consequently, it feels as though time in the Congo is not moving. However, the stillness of the Congo is countered with descriptions such as “vengeful” “overwhelming” and “unrestful.” As a result, the atmosphere is tinged with darkness. The reader can…