Democratic Republic of the Congo
DR Congo: The Geological Scandal and the Eternal Rumba
The DR Congo is a geological scandal — that is how this country, the size of Western Europe, sitting on priceless treasures, is described: cobalt (70% of world reserves), coltan, copper, gold, diamonds, tropical forests, fresh water. Enough to make Congo the power of the century. But the 99 million Congolese are among the poorest in the world, and the east of the country has been at war for 30 years.
The Endless War
Since the 1994 Rwandan genocide and its extensions into Congo, the east (North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri) has been ravaged by dozens of armed groups. The M23, backed by neighbouring Rwanda, controls entire territories. Rape is used as a weapon of war. Minerals fund the weapons. 6 million dead since 1998 — the deadliest conflict since 1945. Kinshasa sometimes seems to be on another planet.
The Ubuntu Strength: Rumba and Resourcefulness
And yet, Congo dances. Congolese rumba — Franco, Tabu Ley, Papa Wemba, Fally Ipupa — has been the soundtrack of Africa for 70 years. The SAPE, also born in Kinshasa, transforms sapeurs into works of art. Article 15 — resourcefulness, making do — enables survival when the state does not exist. The Congolese have a fierce humour, limitless creativity, and a joie de vivre that defies logic.
« Mbote na yo, mbote na ngai »
Your good is my good
— Proverb lingala
Congo reminds us that underground riches can be a curse, and that a country's true wealth is its people. 99 million Congolese who refuse to die in silence.