Book Review: “Kongo” by David van Reybrouck

As we’ve repeatedly witnessed in recent years, Rwanda’s immediate fate is deeply intertwined with developments in its vast neighbor, the Democratic Republic of Congo – often called Kinshasa-Congo to distinguish it from the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville). Suhrkamp Verlag has now published a substantial yet riveting book about Kinshasa-Congo’s history since the late 19th century. Authored by a Belgian – from the small European nation that profoundly shaped this vast realm’s recent history – this work doesn’t rely solely on classical academic sources, but does justice to Africa’s oral culture, weaving countless locally gathered stories into a grand narrative of the land and its people. We become listeners and witnesses to an incredibly vibrant society – yet also to unspeakable, unimaginable suffering, and at times unbearable cruelty.Repeatedly though, the will to survive triumphs – whether through temporary adaptation, revolt, or drawing new hope from music, dance, sports, and above all community. The longer I read, the deeper I immersed in this Congolese-African world. Inevitably, I found myself searching for related short films on YouTube…

The book also clarifies how closely Rwanda’s history connects to Congo’s Belgian colonial period: Much of what transpired in the Congolese colony after its transfer from Belgian King Leopold II’s private ownership to the Belgian government was later applied in Rwanda post-1916. Examples include population classification into ethnic groups: “They sought une colonisation scientifique as Albert Thys termed it. No more ad-hoc improvisation, but Cartesian planning. Scientists embodied this new seriousness…” Further: “the result was that these races were suddenly seen as absolute. What began as a starting point soon became irrefutable conclusion. Tribes became eternal, independent and immutable units.” This in the early 20th century. The book also illuminates Mobutu’s gradual loss of power, how eastern Congo became a resistance nucleus, and how Mobutu played the ethnic card against Banyarwanda immigrants (whether Banyamulenge or Rwandans forcibly settled during Belgian rule to boost production) to divert from his economic policy failures. Finally, it addresses the Rwandan genocide’s impact on regional stability – not to mention that Rwandan forces were essentially responsible for Mobutu’s 1996 overthrow.

The book’s ending in China feels almost brilliant: We, so self-absorbed, often forget that much of Africa now looks elsewhere – eastward to Asia.

Slightly frustrating is the German edition’s cover: Unlike the Flemish version featuring a key interviewee, Suhrkamp uses a stereotypical portrait of a melancholic black man, reinforcing classic African clichés.

This book is essential for Africa enthusiasts – especially Central Africa – and perfect for long winter nights. I can only recommend it.

-Michael Nieden

“Kongo” by David van Reybrouck, 2012, Suhrkamp Verlag.