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The Congo: From Leopold to Kabila: A People's History

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For anyone interested in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this is the book to read. The author is a Congolese with solid academic credentials and a passionate concern for the people of Congo. It covers somewhat more than the last century, and the author has been personally involved in the last four decades of Congo's history, bringing penetrating insight and profound knowledge of the inner dynamics of the country's evolution. He has a keen feel for political currents in Kinshasa, even the acerbic humor of "Kinois" society, which for instance called the UDI political party in the 90s the "Union des détourneurs incorrigibles" (Union of incorrigible embezzlers). The Preface has a brief autobiography which positions the author in relation to the government there, one which he confronted boldly.

Nzongola-Ntalaja states that "This book is a study of the democracy movement in Congo, from the standpoint of popular resistance to exploitation and repression, for a better social and political order" (3), and the perspective molds the entire book. This should not be surprising from a person who spent most of his life in exile and in resistance to the powers governing his own nation. He emphasizes those groups and individuals in Congo's history who have resisted the government. This is not an official history!

Along with Democracy, another related theme running through the book is that of the tremendous weight of external influences in Congo's history over the last century. Beginning with King Leopold of the Belgians, through the colonial rulers which followed him, on to the Cold War superpowers, and finally invading neighboring African states like Uganda and Rwanda, Congo's vast riches and strategic location have attracted outsiders. As to Western powers since Congo's independence, they have preferred to support "technocrats" (such as Kengo) rather than leaders with a popular base (like Tshisekedi) who are more likely to listen to the people than the foreigners. He finds Mobutu, Kabila, and Bemba to all be exploiters, using the great wealth of the nation to enrich themselves and their external supporters rather than serving the needs of the people.

Unlike Ndaywel's longer general history in French,1 Nzongola-Ntalaja does not cover the pre-colonial period. After the Introduction, the next section covers the colonial period, beginning with the infamous King Leopold of the Belgians, who began the colony under the ironic name of the Congo Free State, founded officially in 1885. Nzongola-Ntalaja describes in detail the suffering of the Congolese people under the cruelties of the exploitative Leopoldian regime, as they were forced to produce ivory and especially rubber for the burgeoning factories of Europe. Hoschchild's recent book on this topic is known to many readers.2

Nzongola-Ntalaja's evaluation of the Belgian Congo regime which followed in 1908 is only somewhat less negative, with the rubrics being economic exploitation, political repression, and cultural oppression. He characterizes the political situation as one of "despotism and total control"(37).

The complexity of the politics following independence in 1960 are deftly analyzed, with an emphasis on the machinations of Western powers, a "multilateral conspiracy of imperialists led by the United States"(116), leading among other consequences to the murder of Lumumba, who "died for attempting to uphold the constitutional order, national unity and territorial integrity" (116). Those who might consider this too harsh an assessment would be counseled to look into the recent book by De Witte, which Nzongola-Ntalaja cites3 and the recent apologies of the Belgian parliament (the American government has unfortunately not yet had the courage to follow suit). But the author does not hold back from criticizing the other leaders of independence in Congo "for being more concerned with enjoying the material benefits that colonialism and the colour bar had denied them than with a radical transformation of the inherited system."(88). And he gives considerable insight into such internal dynamics as the Lulua-Luba conflict in the Kasai near independence time.

Nzongola-Ntalaja gives a positive assessment of the rebels of the mid-60s, whose aim he states to be "freedom from foreign control and expanded democratic and economic rights"(120). This is perhaps a bit overly generous to the philosophies of Olenga, Soumialot and Gbenye, although the author does detail some of the shortcomings of these leaders in later pages.

Beginning with the coup by Mobutu in 1965, the pace of the book picks up, as the author is more knowledgeable about events because he was a participant as well as an academic observer. It should come as no surprise that he is justly highly critical of the Mobutu's rule, but with objectivity he plots the trajectory of the regime, which in its earlier stages was less repressive, and more successful in economic development and the rendering of state services, than in later stages. There is a fine analysis of the multitude of organizations involved in repressing popular discontent, including an army of general-entrepreneurs and poorly trained, ill-paid, and extorting soldiers.

The 1990s portion of this book is the finest. There is the deserved rich detail on the important Sovereign National Conference (CNS in French) at which he was a delegate, a conference which has received entirely too little attention. He is harshly critical of Bishop Monsengwo, who led the conference, and even of the Sacred Union leaders, with their "contempt for democratic procedures" (196), but he does point out the main problem, Mobutu, who went about vigorously sabotaging the conference. For those of us who were living in Kinshasa during those exciting and turbulent days, Nzongola-Ntalaja has captured the importance of this crucial turning point in Congolese political history, and deftly analyzed the positive elements of the conference, as well as the cause for its ultimate failure, a failure which, in the light of what followed, can be seen as nothing less than an immense tragedy. The political mayhem of the post-SNC period is detailed, and Nzongola-Ntalaja himself became deputy president of the National Commission on Elections, which however was sabotaged by opposing political players, including Mobutu.

Laurent Kabila came to power in 1997. The author explains this process, and castigates the regime he installed as "lacking in vision, competence and concern with the plight of the Congolese people" (246). This section could have been more detailed, describing the ways in which Kabila repressed the very non-violent political culture, most notably Tshisekedi, as he installed his autocratic regime.

Nzongola-Ntalaja forcefully refutes the idea that the second rebellion, that of 1998, was a "civil war". He sees it entirely as a foreign invasion by Rwanda and Uganda, bent on enriching themselves. But he also accuses the supporters of the Congo government, Angola and Zimbabwe, of financing their war from Congo's riches. The rebel groups are called "puppets", and Nzongola-Ntalaja gives personal experiences, even transcripts of telephone conversations, to prove it. He details the disgusting dealings with "rogue" companies to exploit the areas conquered by the invading Rwandan and Ugandan armies, and wonders why Western powers made such a big fuss about the invasion of Kuwait and none about this invasion. In contrast, he cites the Mai-Mai as the only exception to the somber picture, seen as resistance fighters for democracy. Perhaps at the time of his writing this was more true than now, for the viciousness and ethnic motivations of what various Mai-Mai factions are doing today also seems somber.

But this is a minor criticism of a book which is overall accurate, passionate, and well written. One is hard put to find errors in the book, whether the author's or the printer's. There is a map, plus chapter endnotes, chronology, bibliography, and index. Professor Nzongola-Ntalaja is very candid in presenting his own quite valid perspectives. In view of his position in Congolese society, and his own life of academic achievement and personal political struggle, it is a perspective which must be given great weight. Those who know him personally can attest to his genuine concern for democracy and for the welfare of the people of Congo. This is a book which should be read by all those interested in understanding Congo, that huge country in the center of Africa whose history has had repercussions not only on its neighbors, but on the rest of the world.

This book is great because it offers the best information you can find on the internal resistance against colonial rule, on the mobutu dictatorship and on the Conférence Nationale Souveraine (beginning of the 90s). The very extensive descriptions of the changing classes in the Congolese society are somewhat boring. And the book poorly describes what happens after 97.

Ntalaja's english is easy reading for non-native speakers like myself ;-)