The Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa's largest Country. Its poor, corrupt, government is oppressive, bad-human rights, rebels running a muck in the east being supported by neighboring countries, host to the largest UN Peace Keeping Force on Earth. The country is in a very very bad spot, and it would take a miracle for it to get back on track.
But in order to understand this problem, we have to go back, all the way to the year 1960, when the Congo Crisis happened.
The Congo Crisis happened almost immediately after Belgium gave independence to the new Republic of Congo. A new government was set up, a parliament was established, Prime Minister chosen and a President elected. It was going all fine and dandy, until two provinces wanted out.
Katanga and South Kasai proclaimed they would secede from the Congo, and, backed by Belgium, started a civil war.
Now this would not be a problem, until the USSR got involved supporting one side, and Belgium sent troops to support Katanga. This Cold War Crisis helped pave the way to the rise of Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, the dictator who basically made Congo the backwater nation it is today.
But what if Katanga and South Kasai never tried to secede? What if the Congo Crisis never happened? Would the DRC be stable like its neighbors in Botswana and South Africa? Would it be economically successful? Or would something else lead the country to ruin?
But in order to understand this problem, we have to go back, all the way to the year 1960, when the Congo Crisis happened.
The Congo Crisis happened almost immediately after Belgium gave independence to the new Republic of Congo. A new government was set up, a parliament was established, Prime Minister chosen and a President elected. It was going all fine and dandy, until two provinces wanted out.
Katanga and South Kasai proclaimed they would secede from the Congo, and, backed by Belgium, started a civil war.
Now this would not be a problem, until the USSR got involved supporting one side, and Belgium sent troops to support Katanga. This Cold War Crisis helped pave the way to the rise of Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, the dictator who basically made Congo the backwater nation it is today.
But what if Katanga and South Kasai never tried to secede? What if the Congo Crisis never happened? Would the DRC be stable like its neighbors in Botswana and South Africa? Would it be economically successful? Or would something else lead the country to ruin?