Customer Reviews

Captive in the Congo: A Consul's Return to the Heart of Darkness

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The then new head of the American Consulate in the Congo writes his well- documented and dignified personal recollection of consulate staff being imprisoned, beaten, threatened by cannibals, hopping to escape the knives being hurled at their feet and sentanced to death almost weekly in the uprisings of 1964. One day they would be locked in a filthy, tiny womens bathroom, crowded, trying to sleep upright to the sound of shooting outside. One day they were dignitaries transported to a luxury hotel, then the next day they were hostages sleeping on boards in prison. All depended on relations and sympathies of whoever held the moment's power. Chaos reigns. Diplomatic rights and privilege only work occasionally and the captured are dependant upon whatever help comes from personnel at other consulates, people in various factions they worked with before capture, missionaries, and the saner elements of warring factions. With limited and sporatic communication they have no idea if their superiors are aware of the seriousness of the situation. Their own relentless efforts at negotiation have limited effect.

The first third of this harrowing tale is almost unreadable with military memos, uncertainty about what the political situation was and indecision or technical inability to respond. Hoyt attempts to stay clear headed and analytical amidst every source he talks to relaying often contradictory or seemingly absurd information. When orders were sent for civilians to evacuate many never received the orders and others refused to leave, not realizing how volatile and life-threatening Stanleyville would quickly become.

Interspersed are surreal war images such as a naked, young, dark girl lying on an officer's white sheets or captives being ordered to eat an American flag but not being able to chew it.

Once memos can't be quoted the events become much more readable and engrossing. Footnotes are fascinating with references such as Eartha Kitt calling the rescue of the hostages another example of whites killing blacks.

Aware and unaware of what is transpiring outside the prison/consulate/hotel walls, written from daily notes kept during the revolt. Hoyt documents his account, with reflection and trying to stay scrupulous about differences of opinion or memory.

From a consulate's viewpoint, the book is a careful documentation of political revolt.

Actually this is the second book I read about this incident. The first one-111 Days in Stanleyville-was authored by the Vice Consul of the American station. That was written way back in 1965. However this current book has the advantage of being written after much reflection by the American Consl Hoyt. Even at this stage, not much has changed in the Congo. There are still rebellions, Westerners are still being held hostage, and the human suffering continues.

Hoyt shows that cool collective actions on the part of his staff resulted in minimal deaths during this crisis. Even with that, the Belgian and American governments had to send an armed force to free their citizens and consuls. It shows how the native population also suffered during this crisis. Far more of the natives died than Westerners.

This is an interesting story of a Cold War crisis. It is interesting in that nobody remembers it at this time, although the situation still has not changed. History will probably repeat itself in this part of the world.