Congo RD, the monster created by Belgium

I’m publishing a letter I’ve received from Katia Rossi, international cooperator in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo DR).

Hello Bruno and everyone else.
I am in CONGO RD, in a remote village in Western Kasai. I saw the map with all the conflicts in the world, maybe you do not know that here we are still at war ... Or better guerrillas. In the Eastern region, the richest, although now the Congo is a whole mine of valuable minerals everywhere. At the end of January there was the signing of a peace agreement between the government and leaders of some factions in the fight. Behind the guerrilla there are economic reasons, as usual of course. Let's add that here the proximity with Rwanda plays a decisive role. This country has contributed men and means to the rise of Kabila father, whispers say that it has been behind his murder, and now fomenting the guerrillas. The adoptive son, Joseph Kabila, probably a Tanzanian, who succeeded his father, does not meet the "agreements". It seems that they concern the transfer of a part of Congo to Rwanda. Obviously mining areas ...

The Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire, is one of the largest and most unfortunate states of Africa. At the moment of colonisation, after the Berlin Conference of 1885 the Congo was declared private property of King Leopold II of Belgium. The natives had to collect rubber for the king, a lot of rubber, because the market was growing for the growing demand for motor vehicles and their tires. This production made the fortune of Leopold and his heirs but working conditions were like a circle of hell. The practice of collective punishment and preventive mutilation (I cut a hand to one man to educate ten of them) were on the daily agenda.
Between 1885 and 1908, the mercenaries who worked for the king of Belgium murdered between 5 and 15 million Congolese (for comparison, it is estimated that in the carnage of the First World War 18 million people were killed).
The process of independence promoted by Émery Patrice Lumumba in the 1950s was obviously run by Belgium, which withdrew from Congo leaving a country half the size of Europe, multi-ethnic, socially and economically devastated, prey of the multinationals and absolutely empty of administrative and political human resources.
When Lumumba sought help from the Soviets to resolve the serious internal problems, the American and Belgian governments decided to get rid of him. Arrested by Colonel Mobutu, at the behest of the Belgian foreign minister he was handed over to the rebels from which he was tortured and killed. His body was dissolved in acid.
Mobutu renamed the country Zaire and established a pro-Western dictatorial regime until 1997, when he was overthrown by rebel Laurent-Désiré Kabila, who was in his turn assassinated in 2001. Succeeded by his son Joseph Kabila who in 2006 was reconfirmed the leadership of the country in the first democratic elections in the history of the Congo.
From 1997 to 2003 Congo RD has been the scene of two wars involving 8 African nations and killing more than 5 million people, mostly civilians (for comparison, it is estimated that in the carnage of Vietnam 2 million people died). Currently minor wars go on in Kivu, Katanga and Ituri, in total international disinterest.

The map shows the division of the country into areas controlled by various militias.

Bruno Picozzi (in translation)