|
|
|
Congo: A Microcosm of the Global Divide & Conquer Schema
Sections:
I.) Brief Historical Overview: From Pre-Leopoldian Christian Missionaries to Modern Times
II.) The Hidden Genocide in Congo
Brief Historical Overview: From Pre-Leopoldian Christian Missionaries to Modern Times
Not many people in modern times are very informed of the grim reality
which encompasses Congo. The nightmare of Congo remains constantly in
the shadows; ever so often deeply buried by the general media.
Therefore, tracing back the history of Congo -- well at least to the
times of the Catholic missions -- is necessary to understanding how the
modern turmoil of said place arose in the first place. Once the
chronological overview of the Congolese history is established in this
section, it is my hope that the reader would have gained a point of
reference pertaining to the very recent Second (protracted) War in
Congo. Additionally, by acquiring some of the historical knowledge of
Congo, the reader may gain an awareness of the political and
sociological direction in which said place is most potentially headed
for. But on a much larger scale, awareness of the exploitation of Congo
and its endless state of dependency
on international agencies will enable the reader to see the
multi-faceted Divide and Conquer stratagem which encompasses the globe.
1491: The Portugese Intervention
During 1491, Catholic missionaries that were sanctioned by King
João II of Portugal were sent to Kongo (Congo). The expedition also
consisted of military units, Dominican and Franciscan priests, and
various craftsmen which included Masons. This was the beginning of the
gradual Catholic conversion of Kongo, and it was a process that started
from the top bottom. This top to bottom stratagem, of course, was by
design. It was intended to be done in that order because the conversion
process which required the voluntary submission of authority (on the
part of Kongolese aristocrats) to the Portugese Kingdom, would not only
result in Kongo's blind dependency on a Foreign Imperial Hierarchy, but
it would also result in a division between the general population and
the local establishment. Such a division would manifest into eventual
Civil Wars (which are basically common contraptions utilized by
Imperialists as part of their Divide and Conquer tactics). However the
primary reason to overlay the Christian hierarchal schema into the
Kongolese Kingdom is to establish a system of centralized government. Obviously, centralized government is the most simplistic form of control over the masses.
King João II (John II) of Portugal pictured below:
Eventually that same year, the first king of Kongo, Nzinga Nkuwu was
officially "baptized" into the Catholic faith while adopting the
titleship of João I to honor the Portugese King, João II; and as well
as to signify the first Catholic to rule the Kingdom of Kongo. This
newly established union between the Kongolese Catholics and their
European influences also paved the way for future European
intervention. Note:
Please understand that the most common process of Imperialization and
Colonialism is to first establish a mutual relationship with the target
region in order to psychologically groom the society of that region
into submission and foolish dependency. A trust must first be
established between the imperial power and the subject in order for the
more advanced stages of colonialization and expropriation to commence.
Below are some photos of several historical African Christian artifacts
which came about because of the European influence in Kongo: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/acko/hd_acko.htm (African Christianity in Kongo)
1506: The Europeanization of Kongo
In 1506, the son of Nzinga Nkuwu (King João I), Nzinga Mbemba (Afonso I
was his chosen Christian name) emerged as the new Christian King of
Kongo. His reign lasted roughly 30 years, making him the record holder
for the longest Kingship in Kongolese history. He was also known to be
a fanatic Catholic and a leading advocate for the open trade network
between the Kingdom of Kongo, Portugal and various other European
nations. As a matter of fact, he was such a fanatic of Christianity
that he officially declared it (specifically Catholicism) as the
standard religion of Kongo. Additionally he authorized the destruction
and ex-communication of every Non-Christian form of practice within the
land. Also, he (and his European influential counterparts) were largely
responsible for the incremental modernization process in Kongo; a
process which started with the Europeanization of the Kongolese court
system. On a side note, his son, Henrique, became the first known
"Black" Roman Catholic Bishop in West Africa.
Affonso I - King of the Kongo (1506-1540)
1516: The Portugese push for permanent slave trade
At this point in time the business of slave trade became an
unavoidable necessity in order sustain the economy. Although Afonso I
was against the slave trade and was actually trying to abolish it, the
Portugese powers who benefited from said business were determined to
keep it intact. This of course proved that Afonso I did not wield real
power in Kongo; but the true powers were in the hands of the Europeans.Note: Always keep in mind that it is through European Authority that truly managed the exploitation of Kongo. This source -- http://www.blackhistorypages.net/pages/afonsoi.php -- states following (quoted below):
|
|
Quote: |
|
|
By
1516, Kongo was exporting 4,000 slaves annually until 1540, when it
increased to approximately 7,000. The Portugese pressed for more
slaves, and the demands of the tribute system forced Afonso to comply
with their excessive demands. The standard source of slaves—war
captives and criminals—was drying up and new sources—slave raiding and
buying slaves from the Tio region with nzimbu shells—were found. The
revenue from the slave trade financed the hiring of priests, artisans,
and teachers, and purchased luxury items for the nobility. |
Fast-forwarding to the late 1800's: The Scramble for Africa
This was the era known as the Scramble for Africa; a European venture to colonize the "Dark Continent" as it was labeled back then. Note:
The title "Dark Continent" was likened to Africa because of the
continent's vast rainforest basins which were mostly concentrated
around the rivers of Kongo. Anyways, Leopold II was the king of Belgium
at the time and his goal was to do just that -- colonize Africa (more
specifically Kongo). However is intent was to privatize Kongo; an
example would be to turn it into a private colony. Of course this is
highly significant because it is symbolic of how a corporation (which is
private by nature) is usually setup, and it also illustrates the
foreshadowing of the modern corporate fascism that exploits Africa
behind today's installed puppet regimes.
Below is a portrait of King Leopold II of Belgium, including
Congolese stamps (some with him as "Sovereign" of the Congo "Free"
State):
Leopold II also expropriated the Ivory, Rubber, Copper, Gold, and
Diamond resources of Congo; and he often abused the African workers who
did the manual labor (forced labor that is) for his imperialistic
aspirations. Of course much of Europe protested his practices and this
eventually led to the decline of his powers in Africa. A statement
quoted from http://www.cusd.chico.k12.ca.us/~bsilva/projects/scramble/leopold.htm reads as follows:
|
|
Quote: |
|
|
Much of Europe frowned upon these atrocities, which led to the end of Leopold's rule of the basin. His financial backing eroded to the point that Leopold required loans from the Belgian government. In 1908 Belgium took the lands for itself as the Belgian Congo. Many of the hardships of the natives were reduced and living conditions were improved. The Congo became independent in 1960. In 1970, the name was changed to the Republic of Zaire by General Mobutu the President. |
1885: Conference setup in Berlin to discuss the European / American agenda to split Africa into evenly manageable parts
Starting in 1885, a long-term plan of control was established by a
conglomeration of European powers -- which particularly included
Britain, France, and Germany -- pertaining to Africa, and more
specifically, the river basin of Kongo. This plan was revised (on
February 26, 1885) in the Congress of Berlin. The plan was called the General Act of the Conference at Berlin. You can read the full text here.
Scan (below) of a page from the Official documents titled "General Act
of the Conference of Berlin Concerning the Congo" -- taken from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-9300%28190901%293%3A1%3C7%3AGAOTCO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-X&size=LARGE
Notice how imperialists always try to assume a "moral" superiority
position over their targets? Keep in mind that such an attitude is a
direct reflection of very old and hidden racist philosophies such as
"God's Elect", "Manifest Destiny", "God Favors Our Undertaking", etc.
etc.
1908 to 1960: The emergence of Belgian Congo
In the early 1900's, Leopold II was left with no choice but to abandon
his private ownership (then called the Congo "Free" State) because of
the increasing pressure unleashed by the rest of the European and
African communities who were directly opposed to his abuse of powers.
As a consequence, an agreement was officialized in 1908 that would
enable Belgium to incorporate Congo as a colony. Below is a scan of a
page belonging to the Official Bill that Approved the Additional Act to the Treaty of Annexation of the Independent State of the Congo to Belgium (pffff, geez that was a long title 
):
1960 to 1965: the First Civil War of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Starting in June 30, 1960, the Belgian Colony of Congo ceases to exist.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R. Congo) arises. This of course
was a time of great conflict which was anti-colonialist by nature and
eventually paved the way for U.N. intervention. It was a struggle known
as the Congo Crisis which was initialized by Patrice Lumumba,
who by the way, founded the MNC (National Congolese Movement). The MNC
rapidly emerged to become the most powerful political faction in Congo.
The political directions of Lumumba also led the CIA to focus on
Congolese affairs from this point in time and onwards. His legacy was
short however, when he was killed in 1961, January 17th. Quote (below) from source about the investigation into his murder:
|
|
Quote: |
|
|
In fact, earlier investigations have uncovered ample proof that the assassination of Lumumba was the direct result of orders given by the Belgian government and the Eisenhower administration, acting through the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and local clients financed and advised by Brussels and Washington. |
Another source -- http://www.globalpolicy.org/secgen/pastsg/murder.htm -- states the following:
|
|
Quote: |
|
|
The CIA last year opened its files on Cold War assassinations and admitted it ordered the murder of Patrice Lumumba, Congolese independence hero and pro-Soviet prime minister. Another letter headed ``Operation Celeste'' gives details of orders to plant explosives in the wheel bay of an aircraft primed to go off as the wheels were retracted on takeoff. |
You can listen to this audio clip of the official declaration of Lumumba's death: http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/audio/38545000/rm/_38545939_3638_13_02_61.ram
Here is a photo of the late Patrice Lumumba:
From 1965 to 1997: The Reign of Mobutu | D.R. Congo is renamed as Zaire
During the year of 1965, Col. Mobutu Sese Seko aka Joseph Desire Mobutu
("Joseph Desire" was his Christian name which he chose to drop) leads a
coup to oust the current leadership. He then proceeded -- in 1966 -- to
abolish the Prime Ministry; declaring himself as President of the
Democratic Republic of Congo. Mobutu later renamed D.R. Congo as Zaire
in 1971.
Image below of Coup leader Mobutu was taken: from http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/20061031/congo_feature_oliver_061031/20061101/?hub=Specials&subhub=PrintStory
From the above source it reads as follows:
|
|
Quote: |
|
|
From 1965, for 32 years, Mobutu ruled Congo as his personal playground. He changed the name of the country to Zaire, put his face on every banknote, and hung posters of himself throughout the country. His looting of the state is now almost legendary, mythic in its grandiosity. In one example, Mobutu would summon the Concorde to Zaire from Paris so he and his family could fly out on shopping trips. This time, the looting of Congo was carried out by an African, but the strings were still being pulled abroad. |
Starting in 1973, Mobutu proceeds to nationalize all major foreign
corporations within Zaire as part of his plan to truly unchain the
country from colonialism. However this plan backfired and caused an
increase in stock of debt; a debt that would catapult to a whopping 3.7
$ billion. Zaire's arrears gradually liquidated by the early 1980's but
would eventually resurge in 1983. By 1985 the IMF and World Bank
stepped in to provide loans to Zaire. Note: The IMF and World Bank stepping in to provide loans to Zaire also illustrates the condition of dependency
which Zaire is obliged to adhere to. When a country arrives at a point
of dependency on foreign agencies, it is subject to manipulation and
exploitation by those agencies. As an indirect metaphor, you can liken
this to the microcosm in the United States with its parasite Federal
Reserve Bank. Anyways, here is a statistic sheet from a PDF concerning Zaire's Resource Flows + other Indicators:
You must ask yourself, who pulls the strings? Is it the financier or
the puppet? Divide and Conquer has always been the globalist stratagem
and it is primarily used in order to mold a nation into a state of never-ending dependency.
Centralized Government works that way. And in this case, the
centralized government is actually NOT run within Zaire, but from
international agencies. This state of dependency is also pervasive
throughout the African Continent and around the world as well.
Here's another source -- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-adv/specialsales/spotlight/congo/war.html -- saying the following:
|
|
Quote: |
|
|
France, Belgium and the U.S. had for years cushioned his dictatorial regime with military and financial assistance, but once they pulled back, international financial institutions and donors followed suit, plunging Zaire into isolation. |
1996 - 2003: Congolese Wars I and II, and the rise and fall of Kabila
During the 1990s, various anti-Mobutu factions emerged (some of which
came from Uganda and Rwanda, such as the Tutsi Rebels). This eventually
led to the decline of Mobutu's power and clout. Tutsi Rebels (mainly in
alliance with revolutionary leader / ex-Marxist Laurent Desire Kabila)
take control of Zaire's capital, Kinshasa by 1997. Zaire was then
renamed back to D.R. Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Kabila
becomes the President of D.R. Congo. FYI, the alliance that was formed
in response to the dictatorship of Mobutu was called by Kabila as the
Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL).
By the way, this wasn't the first time Kabila tried to oust Mobutu. The
previous (but failed) attempt was in 1965. Kabila was also influenced
heavily by Lumumba and was at one time (in the 60s), an associate of Che Guevara.
By July 10th, 1999, a peace deal was signed that ended the 1st
Congolese War, although the treaty was short-lived since fighting ensued
and seamlessly protracted into the 2nd Congolese War. The treaty was
called the Lusaka Agreement. You can actually read the Treaty here:
Laurent Desire Kabila pictured below (Note:
he was assassinated -- by one of his bodyguards -- in 2001; but well
before this time, the Second Congolese War had already "unofficially"
began). He was succeeded by his son, Joseph Desire Kabila.
By 2003, after a series of peace agreements between the warring
factions, the Second Congolese War -- a conflict that consisted of the
Kinshasa Aligned Forces, Uganda Aligned Forces, Hutu Aligned forces,
and the Rwandan Patriotic Front Aligned Forces -- had "officially"
ended despite the fact that violence and rape continued in the
following years.
Further reading:
• http://www.homestead.com/wysinger/berlin-conference-doc.html (Convention Revising the General Act of Berlin, February 26,1885, and the General Act and Declaration of Brussels, July 2,1890)
• http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~jobrien/reference/ob45.html (The Berlin Conference: The General Act of Feb. 26, 1885)
• http://courses.wcupa.edu/jones/his312/lectures/ber-cong.htm (The Congress of Berlin, 1884-1885)
• http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/centrafrica/congofreestate.html (The Congo Free State, 1885-1908)
• http://www.tcnj.edu/~ho5/congo.htm (Imperialism - Congo)
• http://www.cusd.chico.k12.ca.us/~bsilva/projects/scramble/leopold.htm (Leopold II)
• http://www.wfu.edu/~watts/w04_Africa.html (An African Voice of Protest | Letters to the King of Portugal)
• http://caxton.stockton.edu/hod/history (Source: Stockton College -- From Kongo to Congo: The History Of The Belgian Congo | To 1963)
• http://www.cliohres.net/books/6/Vanthemsche.pdf (Source: University of Brussels -- Belgian Colonialism in the Congo)
• http://books.google.com/books?id=QY82GNGpcDgC&pg=PA31&lpg=PA31&dq=king+joao+1491+congo&source=web&ots=pDJK3apYKI&sig=jhKA_FNTmpHn0EFRRNXOW2wP49Y (The History of Congo By Ch. Didier Gondola)
• http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/eurvoya/africa.html (The European Voyages of Exploration: The Search for Gold & Slaves)
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1072684.stm (Timeline: Democratic Republic of Congo | A chronology of key events)
• http://encycl.opentopia.com/term/Kingdom_of_Kongo (Kingdom of Kongo)
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/10chapter4.shtml (Portuguese Intervention In The West)
• http://www.ngw.nl/int/afr/congok.htm (Civic Heraldry of Congo)
• http://www.zum.de/whkmla//documents/rolduch/rolduch1-2.html (Foundation of the Colony. The Independent State of the Congo,1885, and the Belgian Colony of Congo, 1908)
• http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2823.htm (Background Note: Democratic Republic of the Congo)
• http://www.ssn.flinders.edu.au/global/africa/marcroberts/body.htm (Pillage and Plunder: An Anthology of African Dictators)
• http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0857522.html (Early History of Congo)
• http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/20061031/congo_feature_oliver_061031/20061101/?hub=Specials&subhub=PrintStory (The waiting is the hardest part for Congolese)
The Hidden Genocide in Congo
One of the most underreported conflicts throughout recent world history
is the second war in D.R. Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo). Indeed,
it is a conflict not often talked about in the overall media (certainly much less than 9/11 in general) despite the fact that it has already eclipsed the 3.5 million death toll mark; a special report conducted by the IRC (International Rescue Committee) puts the death toll number close to 4 million. A December 9, 2004 CBS report postulates an estimate of 3.8 million deaths. ABC News Online issued a report
that reflects the nation-wide mortality estimates of the UK medical
journal, the Lancet; an estimate that postulates a total of around 3.9
million deaths: http://www.theirc.org/news/page-27819067.html
The IRC also conducted 4 nation-wide mortality surveys pertaining to
the Congolese War. These surveys utilized 3-stage sampling / cluster
techniques on roughly 90% of the total population in said country. Keep
in mind that 90% of the total population of Congo is around 58 million.
A statement from this IRC online document -- http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/files/portal/issueareas/victims/Victims_pdf/2004_IRC_DRC.pdf -- is quoted below:
|
|
Quote: |
|
|
The humanitarian crisis in Congo remains the worlds deadliest: More than 31,000 people die every month as a result of the conflict. Eighteen months after the signing of a formal peace agreement, people in DR Congo continue to die at a rate that is one third higher than the average rate for sub-Saharan Africa. The national crude mortality rate (CMR) of 2.0 deaths per 1,000 per month is 67% higher than that reported for DR Congo prior to the war (1.2). Between January 2003 and April 2004 almost 500,000 deaths occurred beyond what would normally be expected during this period. This is equivalent to almost 31,000 lives lost every month and over 1,000 people dying every day as a result of the conflict. Nearly half of them are children under 5 years of age. When analyzed in conjunction with the IRC's previous mortality surveys, the findings indicate that from the beginning of the war in August 1998 to the end of April in 2004, approximately 3.8 million people have died as a result of the conflict. The survey demonstrates that the Congolese conflict is by far the deadliest war in the world since World War 2 and the deadliest in Africa ever recorded. |
From this source -- http://www.imdiversity.com/villages/global/Global_Politics/DrCongo_on_theBrink.asp (International indifference to the deadliest conflict since World War II) -- it reads the following:
|
|
Quote: |
|
|
"Every industrialized country is benefiting [from the exploitation of natural resources] and the media are usually quiet when the governments of these countries do not press an issue... Africa is really being ruled by remote control." -- Yaa Lenghi M. Ngemi, Author 'Genocide in the Congo' |
On top of that, it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of women and
children are systematically raped (on a daily basis) by soldiers for
the purposes of "ethnic cleansing". Many of them are murdered as well: http://www.guardian.co.uk/congo/story/0,,1947147,00.html
|
|
Quote: |
|
|
While rape has been a product of many conflicts, its scale and systematic nature in eastern Congo has led some human rights groups to describe it as a "weapon of war" used to punish communities for their political loyalties or as a form of ethnic cleansing. On occasions men and boys have also been raped. |
Of course, even though the Congolese war has "officially" ended, the
victims of the conflict need to have their stories told. BBC News
actually does a good job in this report
by disclosing some of the stories of the Congo rape victims. Some
Congolese women spoke out about their trauma at the hands of the men
who violated them during the war:
|
|
Quote: |
|
|
Violent rape |
Additional sources concerning the rape victims of the Congolese war:
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/africa_tales_of_rape_in_dr_congo/html/1.stm (Photo journal: Tales of rape in DR Congo)
• http://www.msmagazine.com/spring2005/congo.asp (The Congo’s rape survivors face pain, shame and AIDS)
• http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/05/23/koinange.rape.war/index.html (Rape, brutality ignored to aid Congo peace)
• http://www.equityfeminism.com/archives/years/2006/000004.html (Systematic Rape in Congo Reportedly Continues Despite Peace Agreements)
• http://www.wherestheoutrage.org/articles/art_106.php (Gang Rape in Congo)
• http://www.nouse.co.uk/2006/05/26/rape-of-the-congo-the-war-against-women-and-children/ (Rape of the Congo - the war against women and children)
A statement from this MSNBC Report titled Activists document culture of rape in Congo | Report cites militia and even U.N. peacekeepers as perpetrators is quoted below:
|
|
Quote: |
|
|
Examples of one town |
Further study:
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/congo/story/0,12292,1370528,00.html (Congo death toll up to 3.8m)
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4586832.stm ('Thousands' dying in DR Congo war)
• http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/congo/2006/0301numbers.htm (Behind the Numbers: Untold Suffering in the Congo)
• http://www.theirc.org/news/irc_study_reveals_31000_die_monthly_in_congo_conflict_and_38_million_died_in_past_six_years_when_will_the_world_pay_attention.html
(IRC Study Reveals 31,000 Die Monthly in Congo Conflict and 3.8 Million
Died in Past Six Years. When Will the World Pay Attention?)
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1340266.stm (UN warned of DR Congo 'genocide')
• http://abstractnonsense.wordpress.com/2007/03/07/the-most-important-war-youve-never-heard-about/ (The Most Important War You’ve Never Heard About)
• http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/congo.htm (Congo Civil War)
• http://hrwpubs.stores.yahoo.net/demrepofcon1.html (What Kabila is Hiding: Civilian Killings and Impunity in Congo)
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1076399.stm (Country profile: Democratic Republic of Congo)
• http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR620102003?open&of=ENG-UGA ("Our brothers who help kill us" - economic exploitation and human rights abuses in the east")
In conclusion, the Democratic Republic of Congo remains in a state of turmoil and dependency.
Chaos and suffering has become the social norm in such a place. In
fact, much of Africa is the same way. Is the global community really
informed about this area of the world? Are they? You see until the
world begins to realize that what is happening in Africa is just an
example of the globalist stratagem that is being used in different
forms around the world (including in seemingly better off places such
as the United States), people will never develop the awareness
necessary to expose the puppetmasters behind the scenes. Indeed, it is
through a series of the Divide and Conquer stratagem which allows the
puppet masters to bring their targets to their knees and submit to a
condition of constant dependency. With dependency comes control and
manipulation; and that is the underlying international rule of law
which pervades every country and every system. What is happening in
Africa is also happening elsewhere, in different forms and intensities.
This article researched and written by:
