The African Stakes of the Congo War [Paperback]

John F. Clark (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1403967237 | ISBN-13: 978-1403967237 | Publication Date: November 4, 2004 | Edition: First Edition

This is the only available book on the Congo war, the most important current conflict in Africa. Two chapters situate the war in its historical and theoretical context, while others survey the interests of the Congolese government, of the rebel groups, and of intervening states in the war. These chapters reveal the underlying sources of the war and explain the strategies of the various combatants. Other chapters examine the impact of the war on neighboring countries, individual citizens, refugees, and other non-state actors in the zone of conflict and beyond.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Named by Gail M. Gerhart in Foreign Affairs as one of the best books on Africa published in 2002!
"...highly recommended as a reference text and a book for Africanists and scholars interested in understanding the conflicts..."--Valentine James, Journal of Sustainable Development

"Clark's collection is a good opening contribution to what in time should be a large literature on Africa's 'first world war.'"--Gail M. Gerhart, Foreign Affairs

"...among the few substantial efforts to analyze the foreign policies of the African states in the post Cold War context."--Will Reno, Northwestern University

"Fascinating...with very original material... a wonderful book to read."--Peter Schwab, SUNY Purchase

"An outstanding analysis of both the local and international dimensions of Africa's 'First World War'... "-- Peter J. Schraeder, Loyola University Chicago

"...fascinating, revealing insight[s]...a significant benchmark in the study of African politics...."-- Joshua Forrest, University of Vermont

About the Author

John F. Clark Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Department of International Relations at Florida International University. He is co-editor of Political Reform in Francophone Africa (1997).

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; First Edition edition (November 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403967237
• ISBN-13: 978-1403967237
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #981,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Peeling Back The Layers, September 14, 2008

By 

David Donelson "Author of The Dynamic Manager... - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The African Stakes of the Congo War (Paperback)

This overview of the Second Congo War does an excellent job of explaining what could be a mind-numbing amalgam of acronyms and ever-shifting alliances between the literally dozens of war lords, foreign-backed rebels, official forces, and UN peacekeepers struggling for control of the rich resources of this sad nation.

Of particular note is the role played by neighboring countries in both the war and its aftermath. Uganda, Rwanda, Angola, and Zimbabwe all sent forces into the DRC; many are still there, although operating under different cloaks of official denial. The book is somewhat dated in its particulars at this point, but not by much.

The main thing to keep in mind is that the forces that drive the atrocities occurring in the Congo today are the same ones that Clark's contributors so aptly describe in this book.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid introduction to Africa's Great War, June 21, 2008

By 

M. Craig Willy (Roquefort-les-Pins, France) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The African Stakes of the Congo War (Paperback)

The African Stakes of the Congo War is special because it is an edited volume of articles by different authors. This has some disadvantages: the authors don't all necessarily agree and they are not made to link up. On the other hand, each chapter has to both be short and make a well-argued point, which is always good. The two introductory chapters are very good: John Clark explains the situation in Congo/Zaire that made the war possible very well and Crawford Young very originally puts Congo's invasion by Rwandan guerrillas in a continental context (IE, pointing out that this sort of thing also happened to Chad, Uganda, Rwanda...).

The other chapters each explain a single theme or factor in the war. I found those on the conduct of individual states to be the best: the reasons behind Rwanda's and Uganda's invasions, and Angola's and Zimbabwe's interventions alongside the government, are explained as is South Africa's neutrality. I found the chapter on Rwanda particularly good: it dispels a lot of illusions about Rwanda's current government, and how its shadier actions (counter-genocide, invasion, economic pillage) tend to get overlooked because these are the same people who ended the Rwandan Genocide (much as Israel was cut some slack in the early years because of the Holocaust). This book, despite a format not usually aimed at non-experts/students, I think is probably the best introduction to the topic.