Essential The Africa the Media Doesn't Tell You About

Red Shield

Red Shield

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Premeditated

Premeditated

MANDE KANG
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IMMIGRANT TETHERS
any south Africans in here?

What's the deal?
Why did Zuma resign and what is the general feeling around with the new president and can his policies positively affect black South Africa in terms of helping towards gaining more control of the economy?
 
Frangala

Frangala

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Le Grand Congo (Kin)
Civilisé said:
When I talked about population density and ethnic tensions I was referring to the country as a whole. Taking Kin as an example is not really a good thing because it's a city. Just like in Brussels you'll have Wallon and Flams living together just fine, but you have cultural problems when it comes to the whole country and regions. My concern is, with the growing population you mentioned, you'll start having ethnic clashes at region scale (kind of what you have in CIV or Nigeria, both having higher population density). That's why I was thinking: divide it before you have these problems (I always keep in mind that most African nations are artificial creations made by Europeans and Congo is one of them).

My point about Congo's census : sure other African countries have census issues but not at the same scale. RDC last census was made in1984 (correct me if I'm wrong) and even then it was stopped in the middle of the process (hard to access the countryside, they just multiplied their numbers by 2...). My friend working in Kin told me they have actually no idea how many people live in Congo. It seems to be a big issue to me when you want to organize your country.

I see your point in general, I just feel you're kinda too idealistic when it comes to Congo, especially when you talk about the past and its "harmony". Or I'm just too pessimistic...
Click to expand...

Taking Kin as an example is actually perfect because that's where the occasion of ethnic/tribal violence or micro aggression would most likely present itself it is a melting pot in contrast to some homogeneous village or remote town or province where everybody is of the same background hence you don't even have the opportunity for ethnic tensions to take place since everybody is of the same background. Lubas from Kasai and have lived in Katanga for years. I can go on and on. Congolese universities back in the day educated Angolans, Rwandans, Congolese from Brazza and everybody from the sub region post independence used to come and live there permanently without worry of xenophobia/tribalism.

You can only look at history in order to understand patterns and answers of the present. It does not mean you are enamored with it or nostalgic about it. One cannot look at the tensions surrounding the current Igbo separation movements in 2017-18 without the context of Biafra.

This artificial creation of African nations as the source of conflicts is not universally applicable on the continent and it is a lazy argument in my opinion. Again, Congo is not Nigeria, Kenya (where voting literally splits down ethnic/tribal lines between Kikuyu & Luo), CIV and it has never been when it comes to the tribal/ethnic question presently. Everybody has come to the political maturity that no ethnic/tribal group has a monopoly on good or bad behavior. Corruption affects everyone and not one ethnic group as a whole is benefiting from the status quo hence there is no envy or vindictiveness directed toward one group. The overwhelming majority of citizens understand that the political class irrespective of ethnic origin is a mediocre and bad one and are mobilizing against it. Congo does not have the history of countries where ethnic groups were treated with preference by colonialists at the expense of others in the country (i.e what the British did with the Northerners in Nigeria).

When Leopold II was instilling terror in that country, no ethnic group was spared or getting preferential treatment/everybody was getting their limbs chopped off if they did not meet their rubber quota Kikongo, Luba,Pygmy etc... No one was spared. The country has and has had a lot of problems to overcome but tribalism is not one of them.

Nobody is feeling too idealistic. I am actually analyzing because I have been on the ground as of two weeks ago and lived there. I clearly highlighted that in my previous posts that the country has a lot of problems but tribalism is not one of them, and it's quite lazy to play the same tribalism argument as the source of conflict in Africa especially if not knowledgeable about the situation. I highlighted specific of example of what tribal violence and conflict looks like (i.e Biafra and the Igbos in Nigeria, the continuing fights including political between the Kikuyu and Luo in Kenya, Darfur In Sudan). This (being ethnic/tribal violence among Congolese) does not happen in DRC. The source of conflict is occupation with West being complicit, resources, and bad govt not TRIBALISM.

Making this analysis does not mean being enamored with the past or being overly optimistic. I usually refrain from talking about things I have no in depth knowledge about and this is NOT one of them. I know that country inside and out.
 
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