The Democratic Republic of Congo: Between Hope and Despair (African Arguments)

Michael Deibert does the nearly impossible task of clearly defining the players and their roles in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo from the days prior to Belgian rule up to 2013. This feat alone is highly impressive. For the unfamiliar, it proves to be a bit difficult keeping track of who's in conflict with whom, but it definitely accomplishes the overall goal of explaining one of our generation's greatly overlooked (in the West) tragedies. What I took away from this book is a story that could be told about any place in the world - a brutal struggle for power and control of wealth and resources, with those blessed to dwell in such lands finding their blessings to be a curse at the hands of those who foster the worst in mankind (the greedy). I highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in Africa, or anyone with an interest in a clear case study in greed and those who suffer as a result of it.

This is a very well written book and has a nice flow to it. It is highly informative and the writer gives some meaning and understanding to the extremely complex socio-political make-up of Congo DR. Having been there twice, I can say this book gives me a clearer picture of Congo DR.

This was a gift for a friend who was born and grew up in Congo. She thought it was excellent.

very good interesting read

Very sad to see a rich country destroyed because of its wealth. One wonder what the future holds. God save Africa !!!

This is The best book I have read that explains the complexities of DRC's history and current state. A must read.

Very informative

Michael Deibert has undertaken the gargantuan task of unraveling the tangled web of players and perpetrators in the DRC. There is one constant throughout the shifting alliances and rhetoric detailed in this book: lust for control and money always trumps the most basic right to life. Unlike many conflicts of this nature, the Congolese people are not pawns in this vicious game; they are incidental and disposable which makes the crime even more profound and evil.Mr. Deibert does not make an emotional appeal to his readers. Rather he forces you to confront meticulously detailed (and footnoted) facts. As a primer, he provides a brief history of the DRC that sets the stage for what has become one of the largest killing fields in the world. Ground truth exposes that all the key players in the never-ending "peace process" either have a vested interest in promoting conflict or lack interest in dealing with the true causes of the suffering. The United Nations, ICC and the Clinton administration are shown to have lacked any conviction or moral compass. Each of these groups function in the murky shadows of political expedience and demonstrate their mastery of giving the appearance of doing something when actually doing nothing (or worse). Museveni, Kabila and Kagame waver between competition and collaboration in an effort to gain control over valuable swaths of the DRC's abundant natural resources. The covers are finally pulled back on the lie that is Paul Kagame. He is neither democratic nor morally grounded. Like so many despots in the developing world, he has packaged his particular brand of evil in a persona that appeals to the more shallow senses and sensibilities of the United States and European countries.The story of the oxymoronically-named Democratic Republic of the Congo needs to be told; it needs to be heard; it needs to motivate us to act. Mr. Deibert has made many of the gruesome details and history of this country accessible to us. The victims now have a voice.As a secondary comment, Mr Deibert touches on how Belgium established the foundation for human rights abuses that have become the norm in the DRC. Upon finishing his book, I would encourage the interested reader to pick up a copy of Adam Hochschild's "King Leopold's Ghost" for a more comprehensive overview of the Belgian "contributions" to the DRC.

After reading this book, it would be nigh on impossible to leave without a sense of the complex, tangled web of militarized politics that has swept and continues to sweep across the DRC. Deibert forensically maps out the actors on the ground and traces their evolution over the preceding decades to explain how we end up where we are today. There is a clear sense of shifting loci of power and control, and reams of evidence to shock and appall. The Rwandan government comes in for particular criticism and Deibert makes a compelling case to shatter the illusion of Kagame's innocence in the eyes of the West - which began to come crashing down with aid suspensions as a result of involvement across the border.An excellent, in-depth and insightful sweeping history of the DRC. Some familiarity with the region's history, particularly that of Rwanda would be useful but by no means a compulsory requirement. It is not a light read and quite easy to get tangled up - this is by no means criticism of the writing, simply indicative of switching allegiances, shaky peace agreements and (as always) a plethora of acronyms. At times, it lacks a certain human element (there is little attention on the agency of the Congolese themselves - or reflection on their perspectives of the conflict), with attention focusing almost entirely on the politics, economics and militarization of life. Overall, an authoritative text and recommended for a deeper understanding of the issues affecting the DRC today.

Loved this book. Nicely detailed the situation in the DRC.

Good Read but not thorough enough. Dancing in the Glory of Monsters and (particularly the excellent) The Congo: From Leopold to Kabila: A People's History, are great supplements.

Excellent reading. The writer has an impressive background. Full of facts. Excellent interpretation. Highly recommendable for people interested in DCR.