In this engaging dialogue, Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, a noted expert on Congolese history and former UN diplomat, delves into the Congo's tumultuous past. He dissects the brutal colonization under King Leopold II and the catastrophic impacts on the Congolese people. The conversation also highlights Patrice Lumumba's short-lived leadership and the rise of Mobutu, illuminating the ongoing struggles with neocolonialism. Georges’ insights on the region's complex political landscape offer a profound understanding of its historical and contemporary challenges.
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Leopold's Acquisition
King Leopold II, Belgium's second monarch, secured the Congo as his personal colony.
He exploited treaties with illiterate chiefs, promising development but claiming ownership.
insights INSIGHT
The Congo's Colonial Fate
Leopold's success stemmed from rival powers' fear of each other's control over the Congo's vast resources.
They underestimated Leopold, granting him control, assuming his failure would benefit them.
question_answer ANECDOTE
The Reach of Slave Raids
Arab slave raids extended from West Africa to the Great Lakes region, impacting even Iraq.
Congolese slaves played significant roles, even leading an 18-year rule in Basra, Iraq.
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In 'White Malice', Dr. Susan Williams uncovers the covert operations pursued by the CIA from Ghana to the Congo to the UN, aimed at frustrating and denying Africa’s new generation of nationalist leaders. This book challenges the conventional belief that African nations failed to establish effective, democratic states on their own accord, revealing instead how the US intervened to control the region as European powers withdrew. The book is based on extensive archival research and numerous written and oral sources from eight countries and the United Nations.
The Congo from Leopold to Kabila, A People's History
The Congo from Leopold to Kabila, A People's History
Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja
With this episode of Guerrilla History, were continuing our series on African Revolutions and Decolonization with an outstanding case study on the Congo, looking at the process of colonization, how decolonization unfolded, Lumumba's short time as Prime Minister, and the transition to the Mobutu regime. We really could not ask for a much better guest than Prof. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, who not only is one of the foremost experts in not only this history, but also served as a diplomat for the DRC. We're also fortunate that the professor will be rejoining us for the next installment of the series, a dispatch on what is going on in the Eastern Congo and the roots of the ongoing conflict there. Be sure to share this series with comrades, we are still in the very early phases of the planned ~40 parts, so it is a great time for them to start listening in as well! Also subscribe to our Substack (free!) to keep up to date with what we are doing. With so many episodes coming in this series (and beyond), you won't want to miss anything, so get the updates straight to your inbox. guerrillahistory.substack.com Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja is Professor Emeritus of African and Afro-American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and previously served as the DRC's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Additionally, he is the author of numerous brilliant books, including Patrice Lumumba and The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People's History
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