Congo

Congo: Rich land or morgue of the innocentby David Mbuyi NzegoAt the heart of Africa lies a country of inestimable wealth: the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its forests, rivers and, above all, its subsoil are overflowing with treasures - gold, cobalt, coltan, diamonds, copper and oil. Yet this wealth has never benefited its people. In this powerful and engaging book, David Mbuyi Nzego traces the tragic history of a people sacrificed on the altar of global greed. From barbaric colonization under Leopold II to the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, from dictatorships to mineral wars, the author exposes the root causes of Congolese chaos. Through poignant accounts, he gives voice to the victims: child soldiers, raped women, destroyed villages. The Congo has become," he writes, "a morgue for the innocent, an open-air cemetery where bodies, dreams and dignity are buried. It is also a breath of hope.