Joseph Conrad (Heart of
Darkness), Roger Casement and Graham Greene wrote about the former Zaire. Roger Casement, the Irish
born British Consul, was sent to investigate wholesale atrocities committed against the native Congolese people in the attempt to exploit the abundant natural raw materials of the Congo River jungles. Casement was knighted in 1901 by the British Government for his damning report on the behaviour of the Belgian King Leopold in his personal fiefdom. President Mobotu Sese Seku''s 30 year despotic rule in the former Zaire plunged the nation into complete turmoil marked by protracted undevelopment. The Congo from east to west is further than the distance from London to Moscow.The road network has deteriorated from an estimated 100,000km to less than 1,000km. Leprosy, malaria and Aids aflict the population. The Congo was the source of the uranium for the first atomic bomb. This abundance of natural resources means the Congo is worth fighting for. The War of Central Africa began in 1996 with the
invasion of the Eastern Congo by the Rwandan Patriotic Front forces of General Paul Kigame. This invasion was countered by Uganda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Chad, Angola and Namibia all trying to capture their share of raw materials. 4 million people died in this war. Western reporters did not report on this war - it was considered too dangerous! At present North Kivu, a province north of Lake Kivu, Eastern Congo is occupied by Rwandan forces intent on terrorising the indigenous population and extending the Rwandan Tutsi-Hutu tensions. 17,000 Asian UN troops stationed in the country did not intervene when a Hutu Catholic priest was murdered by Rwandan troops. The Indian UN Contingent Commander says this murder is a matter for the Congolese Government. The Congolese Government has ceased to function outside the capital of Kinshasa.The heart of
darkness continues to envelop Central Africa.