I am rereading A Bend on the River by Naipaul. In the novel there is a Belgian teacher, former adviser of Mobutu and now, disgraced, edits his speeches in the hope of regaining his favor. I tried to find if there was such book or it was the writer's invention, and voila! there it is on the internet (in French). The drama of the Belgian Congo has been forgotten, and as is my boss M. Portalis's Latinoconsult project in Katanga. See the documentary on YouTube.
In the movie there is an interview with the CIA agent who tells how they tried to identify potential leaders around Lumumba, and how - later - he received the order to eliminate Lumumba. Lumumba was trying to align his strategic, copper and uranium mining country, with the socialist camp. The order was carried out by Mobutu, whose faithful service was rewarded with firm support from the West. that allowed him to steal millions and enjoy it undisturbed in Europe.
When later the mining province of Katanga tried to secede with the assistance of the Che, the rebellion's leader Kabila was persuaded to change sides and the rebels were liquidated by South African soldiers. Kabila became President of the Congo, and after he was assassinated, his son Joseph inherited the post. El Che said that the rebels were not serious and moved to start a guerrilla in Bolivia. Naipaul's Indian trading families are back in Stanleyville (whatever it is called now). The book has been accused of pro-colonialism, in my opinion, rightly. Moreover, it is racist, he explains the riots, the massacres and the rage of the Africans "for being what they are" - an enigmatic yet crystal clear diagnosis of postcolonial Africa. And not only Africa.
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