(with D. Seddon and L. Zeilig) The Congo: Plunder and Resistance

Marcus Papadopoulos, 'How to asset strip a nation', Tribune, 19 October 2007
This is a concise, analytical and well-corroborated account of how Western countries from the late 19th century on systematically and ruthlessly exploited the Congo, both economically and strategically. The authors, all academics, chronologically chart the sequence of events by which the country and its people became subordinate to the West.
The colonisation of the Congo in the 1870s by King Leopold of Belgium was carried out under the pretext of a civilising mission; America agreed on the grounds that the Congo would be open for free trade while the French went along on the basis that if Leopold's adventure were to bankrupt Belgium, France would be in a position to buy land at knock down prices.
Belgium stripped the country of its vast natural resources. Copper, silver and rubber were exported, principally to Europe and America, and Western governments and companies made huge profits. This prosperity was not shared with the indigenous population. Wages were pitiful, living and working conditions were appalling and any sign of dissent against the colonial master was mercilessly quelled.
When the Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960 there was optimism among the population that a brighter future lay ahead. Unfortunately, the new country was plagued by two factors: tribal divisions and Cold War politics. The Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, struggled to reconcile the different factions within the country and, according to the authors, Western interest in the Congo did not end with the departure of the Belgians.
The Americans monitored events closely to ensure a Communist regime did not come to power; as with South-east Asia, Washington was concerned about the "domino effect" on the continent.
Lumumba was arrested and murdered and replaced, in a CIA-inspired coup, by Joseph-Désiré Mobutu who brutally ruled the country for more than 30 years. The "great dictator" fled in front of rebel forces led by Laurent Kabila in 1997 but civil war and ethnic strife in the last ten years further devastated the country.
This is a book which encapsulates the problems of Western intervention in Africa and the subsequent pillaging of the continent. Primary sources are plentiful and conclusions are persuasively argued.
Important, too, that the authors note how the Portuguese slave trade in the Congo during the 16th century was beneficial not just to the Europeans but to the many natives complicit in the trade. This is a harsh fact for Africa but one it has to stomach.
Anyone wishing to comprehend the origins of Africa's seemingly endless problems is advised to get hold of a copy of this book. Some readers will conclude that many of their assumptions have been based on ill-founded stereotypes. This book sheds new light on one of the darkest chapters in human history.