Africa's Longest War & the UN's Greatest Failure: Chaos in Congo - Untangling Africa #12
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
- What we now call the Democratic Republic of Congo has had many names over the past century and a half, but again and again, it has been failed by those who were supposed to be its protectors. On this episode of Untangling Africa, we turn our attention to Congo, and to one of the most tragic tales in the history of the continent - a tale that is sadly not yet at an end.
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🎬Video Credits:
Narrator - Cam
Editors - Kshitiz, Shantanu koli
Researcher - Daniel
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:11 Sowing the Seeds of Violence
4:21 An Independent Congo, and Immediate Strife
9:23 UN Intervention, and Katanga’s Secession
15:59 The UN’s First Failure
21:07 Perpetual Bloodshed, and the End of Mobutu
23:05 What Did the UN Get Wrong?
25:42 A Cycle of Bloodshed, and the United Nation’s Great Shame
The way the returning Irish soldiers were treated by their own people was bad, but dumped out there by their own government, roasting alive in ancient uniforms, armed with weapons belonged in a museum and with only a couple of crappy vehicles was worse
Well they were the bad guys, but they werent treated badly for the right reasons sadly.
@@FortuneZer0 Sadly there are no bad guys or good guys in war, and not these men, as they were only dumped out here in a strange continent so their government could brag to the rest of the UN and not given credit or cared about by anyone, their leaders included, but continued to earn the respect of any countries they were sent to the following years
@@FortuneZer0 literally no
@@FortuneZer0 there’s no such thing as good guys or bad guys just people fighting for what they believe. They were there trying to provide humanitarian aid. A French mercenary group attacked them with the help of the locals. And even though the Irish were outnumbered they held them off for a long time. Maybe learn the history before jumping to a conclusion. Nothing is ever black and white/ good and bad.
@@BailableBody Well said buddy, I got blocked from my reply for saying the same
The UN generally limp from one failure to another.Lets not forget Rwanda.
Palestine Bosnia Syria ….
Are they paid to be incompetent?
"Idk mate me rations aren't up to snuff lately, I don't think my rifle's zeroing properly anymore consequently"
@@omaraa5476 UNWRA operates in Palestine and his a refugee program only, In Bosnia it was only a police Task Force and on Syria like Rwanda it withdrew when fighting became intense- in other words useless
@@omaraa5476 LIBYA
Even many Americans are sick of America always interfering with foreign affairs, especially when it comes to war, but it seems like if the US doesn't take charge and manage the whole affair the UN can't get much done.
For those interested in Congo history please look out for Kindu Airport incident happened in early 60's, where 13 Italian airmen got hacked to death being mistaken identity as Belgian
The Kindu Massacre, or Kindu Atrocity, took place on the 11th or 12th of November 1961 in Kindu Port-Émpain, in the Congo-Léopoldville (the former Belgian Congo). Thirteen Italian airmen who were members of the United Nations Operation in the Congo, sent to pacify the country ravaged by civil war, were murdered by locals.
They were hacking away at anything that wasn't black until "Mad Mike" Hoare and a few other European mercs put them in their place.
Theres lots of other stuff in Congo history too
Around blacks never relax
Based
My grand uncle was a soldier at Jadotville. His family got his medal long after he died.
That is interesting
What was his name?
Yeah... you're gonna wanna have some tests run on that thing...
To label anything as the UN's "worst" failure is really saying something.
When was the last time the UN did something good?
@@akumaking1 theyr not bad at helping after some disasters here and there. Not much more though
@@akumaking1 To my knowledge, never. Which is why I say labeling something as the "worst" failure of an organization known for little other than cataclysmic failure, is really saying something.
Maybe they could not start killing each other other in ridiculous religious or tribal loyalty, actually build the place up and stop blaming the UN and 'the west' for the state of their countries. Look at the state of mali and sudan ffs. We have people wailing that the west needs to step in then wails even more if they do anything
Leave these morons alone for a century and let darwinism do its job until the competent people take over, people who dont blame france or whoever for the fact they kill with a machete over nothing, and a governmrnt who doesnt think its a brilliant idea to bring in fuckin Wagner group to 'peacekeep'.
Personal responsibility. Everybody should try it and take a look to their inside, see as to why these problems come up, not desperation to blame others.
@@hughjass1044 If UN peacekeepers were successful in preventing a war, or shortening it, we would not know as it is impossible to predict the future. We can only look back in history at their failures.
To be fair it's hard for the people on the ground from the UN to do anything when there's a bunch of armchair politicians handicapping them
The unconscionable thing being the un does this by design, preventing peacekeepers from being able to help or even defend themselves in a meaningful way. Srebrenica was a culmination of this disastrous culture at the UN, and only those who can’t remember it still trust the UN at all. They’re criminals in suits, and their intent is purely imperialistic in essence. This is why people who flaunt them are usually heroic in the eyes of their nations.
Yea, folks on the grpund might WANT to do something about it, but can't.
And thats sad
Exactly! And the same can be said for the Yugoslavian war.
Yeah but not handy capping people on the ground is how a lot of warcrimes happen
@@nerdwisdomyo9563u.n. apologist spotted
I have to correct you on the timing of the United Nations in the Congo. My father was the United Nations Chief Communications Officer in the Congo from July 1960, yes 1960, until 1964. My father accompanied the UN Secretary General on his travel around the Congo bar, the final trip. He was also captured, together with another Dutchman, by the Congolese Para Commandoes. The UN threatened to withdraw its presence in the Congo unless its two employees were freed alive. This can be confirmed by Dutch newspaper reports at the time
@@allopinionsstatedaremyown5056 left via Brazzaville in the French Congo
The U.N. threatening to remove its presence is hardly the threat they think it is!😂
@@jamjardj1974 it was in 1963 as my father and the other Dutchman were freed alive, and it was no laughing matter, tortured for four days
@@yolandabrinkman2653 I wasn’t attempting to make light of what your father and his colleagues went through. Merely the ridiculous nature of the U.N.
UN is being used to hide dirty games of the so called world's powerful countries.
Some things that I don’t think you mentioned was Operation Dragon Rouge, the Simba Rebellion, and the full extent of mercenaries by several factions. I know this was just an overview and you couldn’t cover everything, but the video is still excellent regardless 👍
Or the offensive operations of the UN forces, like Operation Morthor (which led to the Siege of Jadotville) and Operation Grandslam. You are right, though, that the Simba Revolt was a major wrinkle to the story, with the mercenaries now backing the Congolese government, with Tshombe as prime minister. That leads to the Simba's siezing Stanleyville and threatening to execute all of the white Europeans, leading to the combined operations of the Belgian Paracommandos, the US Air Force and a column of Congolese, under command of mercenary Colonel Mike Hoare, known as Operation Dragon Rouge, which succeeded in liberating Stanleyville. This period coincides with Mobutu's second coup and the exile and eventual capture, of Tshombe, probably with CIA assistance.
Really, the role of mercenary soldiers in African conflicts is a video unto itself, covering the Congo, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, The Biafran Secession from Nigeria, the civil war in Angola, and things like Bob Denard's coups and counter-coups in the Comoros Islands, as well as Mike Hoare's attempted coup in the Seychelles, with the backing of the South African Apartheid government and intelligence services. Add to that, the later era mercenary companies, like Executive Outcomes, in Sierra Leone.
@@jeffnettleton3858Did excellent work those mercenary fellows.
Especially the defeat of UNITA within a few short months with a few hundred men.
Something the Cubans failed to achieve in 16 years and 75 000 troops.
Great lesson video!
I am Portuguese and my father fought, mandatory, in Angola and Moçambique before I was born.
He never mention much from that war even less about killings.. but we all learn in school half the atrocities done there in what we call Ultramar.
He did thou mention South Africa, despite never been there himself, the respect he showed (militaristic) to the Dutch.
He never mentioned Belgium or Congo oddly since he was in East and West of it.
Odd fact, US was supporting both sides, "rebels" and Portuguese military. Go figure!
The UN died with the murder of Dag Hammarskjöld. He was the one that truly drove the UN towards action in the name of creating and preserving peace and prosperity. With his death UN lost their teeth.
As a Swede I agree and I'm very proud of Mr Hammarskjöld.
There's a book written by the Commander of the Swedish UN troops. It's named _"Katanga"_ and you get an eye witness view of the conflict. Sadly is isen't translated to English.
@@DEATH-THE-GOAT I wonder what Dag thought of the Swedish Empire?
I note that you like to name and accuse other European nations, naturally.
.
I expect the usual Swedish BS reply on the matter.
@@toonmag50 are you done?
@@DEATH-THE-GOAT only just started.
Sweden's history and the present BS from certain Swedes is full of of hypocrisy.
The 20th century in particular.
How's the ball bearing sales going?
His murder? It has been investigated several times and has never been ruled murder.
My south African grandfather was there as a mercenary in the 1960s. I've always wondered about this conflict. Such a tragic story 😢😢😢😢
Our countries army really was strong back than 🇿🇦🔥🔥
I did community outreach to isolated DR Congo villages between 2004-2014. Actors had changed, but it's the same script and the same show. Many phantoms in this opera!
I think that no country in recent history has suffered more than the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Afghanistan, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Somalia, Haiti, Ukraine, North Korea, Libya, Syria, Iraq, etc. The Congo isn't that special in the "everything sucks" league
@@thecommunistdoggo1008snuck Ukraine in there
@@thecommunistdoggo1008 The DRC got the worst possible colonial overlord: King Leopold II. They had Africa’s deadliest war, one of the world’s most corrupt dictators, famines, decades of low-intensity conflict in between wars. All the other countries had these, but none as bad as in the DRC. North Korea is at peace, Afghanistan has a somewhat functional, but still tyrannical government. Myanmar did not have as many devastating famines, Haiti doesn’t have a civil war or insurgency, Syria hasn’t experienced a civil war nearly as long as the Congo, Ukraine hasn’t had a famine in a long time, Iraq is improving.
@@NearQuasar Haiti does have gang violence though which is acting the same as a insurgent group (never had a functional economy either) and I can promise you Somalia and Ethiopia have had worse famined and even worse and more brutal wars (per capita/more frequent). Somalia is wayyyyy worse then the DRC, atleast the DRC has a government. You could also make the argument Rwanda has had way worse wars. Afghanistan has had war for 40 straight years calling it functional right now is uh bold to put it lightly. The only real point you have is the occupation by Belgium
@@thecommunistdoggo1008 Rwanda is doing fine right now.
It didn't start in the middle of the 18th century. Prior to the arrival of the Belgians, the region was rife with warlords and ethnic conflicts - for many centuries.
Strange how that's never mentioned. It's like these people think africa sprung into existence in the 1800's lol.
People think they were nice and prosperous before whites came lmao
Yeah but they were black so it doesn't count.
They brought all the strife upon themselves
NEWS FLASH.....They also enslaved each other & sold their enemies to Whitie.
I get the feeling the Congo should've been broken up into many smaller nations once it gained independence.
In the aftermath of WW2, in 1947 I think, the international community all signed a treaty that basically froze borders where they were at that time, no matter how little sense they made in some cases. I think the idea was that with borders frozen, no one would try to start a war to take territory from another country, because the international community would never accept it.
This fetish for established borders was ridiculous in some cases, but it was feared that once you let one or more countries change it's borders, it would result in chaos. If you let one group in one country break away to try to form it's own separate country, it would lead to independence movements and civil wars in numerous other countries.
Nations very rarely break up peacefully. Look at Yugolsavia, the partitioning of India, the post-soviet conflicts and countless others.
They literally were lol with Katangan Independence but no, the Communists had to intervene. As an Anarchist as much as I hate the CIA, I don't think they were in the wrong putting some lead into Lumumba. Also fuck the UN, the Mercs/Katanga did nothing wrong.
it will eventually happen, either the southern katanga region or the Kivus will start to secede and the entire house of cards will come crashing down
F U!!!
This is an everlasting piece of story to tell. Im from Uganda, a country bordering DR Congo in the East. Born in 1980, ive lived to read about most of this interesting but painful story. Thank you for the information.
I've been waiting for this particular episode, about the Congo specifically :)
This was a great video. I really liked it.
I'm currently working on a documentary about the entire Congo Crisis from 1960 to 1965. But I must say, I've never come across a very complex national history like the Crisis in the Congo.
@Bisi..I have just read the book by mercenary Mile Hoare....Congo Mercenary.The book has great information on the Congo crisis from 1960-1965.
Super important history, thanks for your hard work as always!
Thank you so much for doing this video!
Probably a good idea to mention the CIA in the list of possibilities, if you're going to talk about Hammarskjold and Lamumba. You all but did by mentioning Lamumba reached out to the Soviets. Also the Uranium mines in Congo, which fueled the Manhattan project, were probably the key issue for CIA and State Department, I would hazard a guess.
Roland was a warrior from the Land of the Midnight Sun
With a Thompson gun for hire, fighting to be done
The deal was made in Denmark on a dark and stormy day
So he set out for Biafra to join the bloody fray
Through sixty-six and seven they fought the Congo War
With their fingers on their triggers, knee-deep in gore
For days and nights they battled the Bantu to their knees
They killed to earn their living and to help out the Congolese
Roland the Thompson gunner
Roland the Thompson gunner
His comrades fought beside him - Van Owen and the rest
But of all the Thompson gunners, Roland was the best
So the CIA decided they wanted Roland dead
That son-of-a-bitch Van Owen blew off Roland's head
Roland the headless Thompson gunner
Norway's bravest son (to even up the score)
They can still see his headless body stalking through the night
In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun
In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun
Roland searched the continent for the man who'd done him in
He found him in Mombassa in a barroom drinking gin
Roland aimed his Thompson gun - he didn't say a word
But he blew Van Owen's body from there to Johannesburg
Roland the headless Thompson gunner
Roland the headless Thompson gunner
Roland the headless Thompson gunner
Talkin' about the man
Roland the headless Thompson gunner
The eternal Thompson gunner
Still wandering through the night
Now it's ten years later but he still keeps up the fight
In Ireland, in Lebanon, in Palestine and Berkeley
Patty Hearst heard the burst of Roland's Thompson gun and bought it
Hell yeah, Warren Zevon
BIAFRA is/was not part of Belgium Congo/Zaire/DRC. The Biafran War was a totally different conflict in Nigeria. The FIRST Time starving children were shown to raise money for a famine relief on British TV.
"The Siege of Jadotsville" is an interesting film of the Irish Soldiers abandoned by the IRISH Government and UN in the Belgium Congo/Zaire/DRC.
@@trevorhart545 the song certainly isn’t historically or geographically accurate in its mention of events but it’s still a great song!
Aah nice one mate!
If you want good version of the song, listen to Lauren O'Connell.
It boggles my mind, how sinister people can be...
Excellent documentary...and you presented it quite well!
Thank you.
Mm re rhe small, outnumbered Irish UN force at Jadotville (where they inflicted major losses on the opposing force of mercenaries), they only gave up and surrendered when their limited ammo supplies ran out.
Africa being Africa I'm afraid. It's entirely true that it's been abused and exploited by other countries. But it's no better now with the locals in charge and people always love to blame colonialism.
This.
Because no one cares. Look at the world outside the whhyte West. Sh**holes. Congo still has cannibalism, violence, slavery, disease, poverty, corruption. These countries are like that. Mauritania continues to have slavery. In 1989, the Arab/Berbers stripped 75,000 blaq Mauritanians of their citizenship. Beat and tortured them. Took their land. They have been in refugee camps ever since. No one cares. Look at Myanmar. Look everywhere. Horrible.
Because colonialism did play a part a huge one and to say otherwise is foolish, hell my Grandfather had marks of torture from the British. People don't realize how recently that was some of these countries are barely 40yrs old. However unfortunately most Africans are stuck in doing this when we're our own worst enemy. Our whole system is rotten to the core at least mine is.
Unlike many I actually blame our disgusting first president instead of whites whom so many venerate because he had the best opportunity to take this country to new heights since the country was completely united during independence with the whites gone but instead projected and elevated tribalism, corruption and political assassinations. The rest is history.
People are absolutely correct blaming prolonged colonial atrocities in the current miserable situation in Africa. Not enough time has passed to heal the scars left by the collective "Belgians", who are now mostly famous for having human zoos as recently as 1960s. And I would say, Europeans in general did not see anything yet that could resemble a payback. But times are changing, especially in Europe, who knows - maybe "Belgians" will be needing to rely on African humanity one day?
@@dionysusbacchus4321 Anything can happen
outstanding work , good job entire team
Even tho they failed to held Jadotville, it is still quite an amazing spectaculair on how they didn't lost a single life just a few wounded, i have the up most respect to them.
My father was a peacekeeper there from Canada. Still suffers from PTSD because of it. Messed up my childhood because of it.
poor westoid
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
In Africa everything revolves around tribe. We don't understand that. We think in terms of country, democracy, capitalism, communism. Even those things we are abandoning for globalism, and universalism. None of that in Africa, there it is tribe. That's the most important thing. The well-being of the tribe. I believe that before the 1950's under European colonialism, there was much more peace in the world, and happiness. The tribes were doing good. There was work, the families lived in peace. The claim of suppression of black tribes came mainly from the people who opposed Western influence and christendom. Don't forget that the presence of the West in Africa was a guarantuee that there were no tribal wars. After the beginning of the 1960's it was revolution and everything changed. Europeans withdrew, and the tribal wars started. It is still revolution to this day. Peace will return to the tribes, when this revolution stops. When we begin to understand what is important. It is these revolutions that caused the harm, not the European presence. Our revolutions of the 1950's and 60's against christendom, have caused this great misery in Africa. And with the mass immigration of blacks to Europe, it will become even worse. Because these people are encouraged to abandon their tribes altogether, which for them is the ultimate catastrophe. Same as with the American Indians. When will we understand, what matters to these people, and what will restore peace in the world. That is when the tribe is at peace.
The imperial powers basically destroyed the tribal systems of government and as soon as they left, in most colonies there was suddenly a power vacuum and that led to civil wars.
@@NearQuasar Westerners were being forced to leave, because of communist revolte after World war II. So the colonial powers didn't destroy anything, it was the communists who destroyed the tribal authority. Before that, there was peace.
@@joni3503 The British basically only build a railway there and allowed the locals to keep their tribal form of government. Botswana would become one of Africa’s wealthiest countries. Look at what happened to other colonies that where the colonial powers were more hands-on.
@@NearQuasar The Western colonial powers very much relied on the tribal system, and where the colonial powers respected this system, it worked very well, and there was mutual understanding, progress and subsequent prosperity. It was the communist powers that destroyed this, and caused wars and famine in Africa.
@@joni3503 The British would empower one tribe and marginalise the rest and assist them with their own bureaucrats. Once they withdrew from Africa, the bureaucrats were gone as well and the empowered tribes were incapable pf governing their new territories and civil wars erupted. Communism didn’t destroy Africa, European colonial powers did that by just leaving colonies without any transition.
I must admit you told world known truth instead of many other commentaries about congo, congratulations.great analysis on this matter brilliantly. Thank you
Hey mister the front.
I love your content been watching for years wondering if you could cover the second Falklands war in 1985 when the Canucks went down and sorted out her Majesty's rock collection
I didn't know there was a round two. The Falklands Conflict is my favorite non-American Conflict too. Kinda makes me feel like a poser. Haha.
😀😆
Yeah it happen sent them Arg's of that baron British isle
There's a book called 'King Leopold's Ghost," that brought this to my attention, I appreciate the work you put into this, it's a shame how little of this is taught.
Look at the Heart of Darkness. It inspired Apocalypse Now.
I’ve been waiting for this one for ages. Also 21:40 😂 LMAO
Very well done, this is a strong short film.
Disagree with all your three points
Thank you for sharing.
Dope series because it can be updated in modern times with how the state of the continent is. Gotten better but not perfect
Good times. We need to bring this back.
How many times thru history do we hear of one leader being taken out and a worse dictator being put in. It's happened enough that you'd think they do their homework before putting someone in.
It's quite understated how much of a logistical nightmare the DRC is. Most of the country is jungle and where it isn't there steep rugged terrain. Couple that with the sheer size of the country and over 250 ethnic groups, and you see why this is a country doomed to failure. It's only shred of unity was not in genuine need of statesmanship but rather in opposition to their Belgian overlords. The moment they left, tribalism took hold and the central government's ability to exert control would ultimately be thwarted by an impossible logistical situation and a collection of diverse cultures of which most almost certainly saw each other as traditional enemies from a bygone era
It's no wonder the area was ruled by a bunch of desperate tribes, petty kings, and warlords prior to colonization when some people thousands of kilometers/miles away divvy up a continent they never even visited using a 2D map. The DRC was basically just a lump of land that was leftover when the coasts all got claimed.
As a Belgian I’m very glad you made a video on this. A lot of the things you brought up were interesting. I am however disappointed that you didn’t touch much on foreign intervention (mostly Belgian and French ones).
They were too little and too late; maybe because there was nothing else as far as monetary gains to be gotten by those rotten french and belgian ba$$@d$
What do you think he should've touched on regarding that, my fellow belgian person?🙂
@@CamouflageMaster operation dragon rouge 1964. Would’ve been great if he used this as example my fellow Belgian.
Belgian destroyed de place . What do u want amigo
@Kamal ibrahim the Congolese destroyed it.
King Leopold asked, and the Congolese people responded with unchecked brutality.
Stop removing accountability from the people who committed the crimes just so you can place it on some historical figure you've been conditioned to hate.
This is great work, but i wish the music wasn't so loud. It is hard to listen above the music. Anyway, thanks for a great iteration👏🏾👏🏾
And then white people get offended when blacks think that they are literal demons from Satan. I seriously can't get on board with whiteness being anything other than what it is.
My grandpa was a french mercenaries in Katanga during this time,it’s kill me that people saying UN troops was outnumbered when you only had something like 100 white mercenaries against all UN troops and Congolese with air support.He told me that most of his katangese guys never hold a rifle before going to fight
When a country has a prefix as a "Democratic Republic", it aways isnt 😂😂😂
lol so true, I don't know who they are trying to fool
My uncle told me that my father, who served in the USAF as a radio cryptologist in the late 50s/early 60s, was part of an American radio outpost in Katanga. His job, apparently, was to serve as a radio relay operator for western pilots who were landing military aircraft that were going in to evacuate western citizens (French, Belgian, US, British) out to safety.
I can't confirm this as my uncle told me this after my father died. I can confirm that my father did serve in the USAF before I was born.
I Remember movie Siege of Jadotville about Katanga.
The UN is deeply concerned, and also totally uselss
Really hard to pick the Greatest Failure from soooo many. Equally hard to pick Any Successes from sooooo few..
Congo is still in turmoil, its leadership holds little say in terms of countries natural resources. Most of the wars are still funded by powerful countries with the introduction of more mercenaries.
this is a sad situation indeed and it needs to be taught more.
man, fact that you take the time to pronounce their names correctly is amazing. Thank you.
I think one of major issue Africa and especially democratic republic of Congo is tribalism and failure of building of common culture and identity. Least with what Roman did to Europe was create identity which Europe took forward to modern day . Also trying to create a modern and stable state akin to USA or modern European nation taken Europe centuries to achieve and a lot of common identity and values . Clearly colonialism does have a lot to answer for as one group was often favoured by colonial government and this bread resentment. And obviously encourageing violence to keep control of mineral rich Congo is one of driving factor behind the war.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is basically the Yamcha of Africa.
The War That Never Ended
Might want to take a look at Fearful Master, concerning the Katanga debacle.
The book by John Cohen (1966) "Africa Addio" is a treasure trove of ground level info on the combat and brutal massacres of both Europeans and Blacks during the period. If you think the Mercenaries were brutal, when you read about what the rebels did to unarmed innocents and what they were up against, you will change your mind!. If anything, the Mercs where not brutal enough with these rampaging murderers!...
Appreciated and shared.
"The bloodiest conflict since the second World War . . ."
Not starvation. Not plague. Men deliberately murdering each other and serially abusing the survivors so another round of abusive, rapacious, governance can gorge itself on the blood of a nation.
A lot of the destabilization is directly attributable to European* influences and oppression, western/eastern capital, foreign whispers in greedy ears.
Tech has advanced wonderfully, but, deep inside, some of us are still killer apes. And apes in Armani suits are giving those killer apes guns and money; and issuing to them orders to create chaos.
Killer ape is a theory that was debunked decades ago. Please keep up and join this century
Apes in armani suits lol.
Africa has never been stable.
Wakanda isn't real lol.
Well said.
It seems like this video tried to lay the blame at the feet of everyone: Belgians, the UN, the US/USSR global chess game, etc. But the fact is that none of these dictatorships, horrors, and wars could have happened without the Congolese actively participating in them. It's as if you've given them absolutely no agency when in fact they are the main actors at every single step. Mabuto Seke Seko can't come to power or stay in power without the Congolese, the internecine war that split the Congo isn't the fault of the US or Europe, the massacre of the Rwandans that came across the border was done by the Congolese. The Congo is the Congo because the people there have willed it so, nations rise and fall on the strength of their people.
I would absolutely agree with that point. If everything that the people put up with is true that is sad because even the fed up get fed up. Unfortunately their own leaders betrayed them as well by not doing what was right as opposed to their own greed. And unfortunately it is still prevalent today.
PM Lumumba probably would have eventually stabilized modern Congo with time but he became a political football between the Cold War super-powers...USA and Soviet Union...which eventually resulted in his overthrow and assassination...
I am afraid it is the assassins and murderers who are responsible in the "overthrow and assassination" - not his free choice that all human beings should be able to make.
Cabinda was Portuguese Congo and was annexed by Cuban troops for Angols.
Thanks for the videos on Africa. Commentator sounds like he's from South Africa or Zimbabwe. Am I right?
"What the UN influenced by other nations influence?" Well yes thats litteraly what the UN is.
Patrice Lumumba University, in Moscow, ostensibly focuses on educational opportunities with the 'Third World', especially Africa.
It does, however, have alumni who became publicly-known spies or terrorists. Just two are Carlos the Jackal and much more recently, Anna Chapman. She's one of the Soviet agents uncovered in New York City in June 2010.
If the USSR was dissolved in 1993, how come they were still Soviet agents in the 2010's ?
@@exaggeratedswaggerofablackteen, you're correct. I should have said Russian agent.
13:00 it's a classic case of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" How the arrogance of my continent was such that they couldn't read the room! Now for the past 50-70 years we have "donated" and held charity events to "support and rebuild" but we never say its because of us! No wonder many African countries either went to the USSR or were non aligned, didn't want anything to do with the former colonial overlords.
Lumumba was already a communist, it was only a matter of allowing the Soviets to support him covertly or publicly like they decided to do after we refused to double his paycheck.
I never knew henry cavill was there too.
Colonial powers screwed up so many countries and human lifes it's simply mind boggling how Belgium and the rest of the bunch got away with this all.
Those countries were nothing before colonial powers went there, they returned to nothing after the colonial powers gave up on building civilization there. And now colonial powers are blamed for because civilization doesn't work in those countries.
How come most of you lads are floating over the English channel paying £5,000 to smugglers , and beaching up to live with your hated colonialists in the heart of their homeland?
@@paulcrooks6008 Blud you need to learn some history. There was a Congo civilization before colonialists came by exploiting slave trade. Belgians did make a genocide there and it's funny how you're denying it
@@paulcrooks6008 those countries were at peace before they came and became destroyed once they left... don't forget to leave that out in your comment next time
@@johnxina53 if by civilization you mean selling your children into slavery while living in the stone age.
If an African President is fighting for there rights they will give them the name a (dictator ) if they fight through someone help and the name will change he will be the hero
That's happening right now. Uganda passes a law for its own people. Joe Biden calls for sanctions. 🤷♂️ wtf?
Having worked for the UN and spent time in all of the major peacekeeping operations they have been involved in over the past decade, I can say without doubt that they have become part of the problem and not the solution. For far to many UN staff (i'm talking peacekeepers here rather than other agencies like UNICEF who I have little experience with) peacekeeping ismone massive gravy train. Staff are employed long term in one mission, such as MONUSCO. Consequently. they have no interest in bringing a mission to an end because if they do, they lose their job. Most UN staff are recruited outside the developed world, and a job at the UN represents for most the best paid job with the best pension they will ever have. I'm not suggesting everyone should be recruited from the developed world, but there is an understandable pressure on the individual to preserve their job.
I have to say whenever I hear Congo mentioned the second thing I think about is the genocide of Leopold. He is not far behind Pol Pot, Mao etc. The first thing I think about is the Rumble in the Jungle. It was huge, I was a kid, a massive boxing fan - and Ali and Foreman, two of the greats.
In terms of deaths, Leopold is far ahead of Pol Pot.
@@NearQuasar Pol Pot just enjoyed hos more. And made it so personal.
@@tonylove4800 What difference does it make if a killing is personal? The outcome is still the same.
@@NearQuasar Absolutely. I guess Leopold was a long way away and lobbing grenades. Pol Pot was stabbing people in the throat. If they were lucky.
@@NearQuasar I wonder how much of the reports are lies though
this war is should be covered more
😢
Congo was not ready for independence in 1960, but the Congolese got what they wanted despite Belgium's wishes to stabilize the country for several years more (which would've benefited both Belgium and Congo).
DRC: A potential powerhouse all but a smoldering jungle...
Heart Of Darkness...
12:53 to the right is UN's general secretary Dag Hammarskjöld
Is this Geetslys? 🤯
T.I.A...This is Africa....and South Africa is heading in the same direction...sad but invertible.
It is probably a controversial take but I have always thought Leopold II was a convenient cover for a lot of the horrible stuff that happened in the Congo. Was he a callous and greedy individual? Yes. Incompetent and negligent? Yes. But he wasn't the ironfisted tyrant micromanaging all the cruelties that were done under his stewardship and afterword. However, he sure is used as a alibi / cover / explanation / excuse for a lot of horrible things done in the Congo that a lot of other people should have to answer for / be held accountable for.
Spent 4 months on the Zaire what it was called in 1975 governed by Mobutu even then the people were subjected to cruelty and the people were very poor, all the riches were in Kinshasa.
This is why Africa should be cautious having Russian Merc's in the midst of Them!
Didn't know Chris Prat was in this
A little later then the rather disjointedly narrated events of Lumumba and his assasination it is told that he also led an army against the democratically elected president Kasavubu in September 1960. In fact , its that which allowed Mobutu to gain power and maneuver himself into the big boys club, by tacit support of the assasination. So was the much lionized Lumumba just someone who played a dangerous game and lost? Appealing to the other side in the cold war and then raising a rebellion is dangerous business.
Thumbnail guy looks like that 50 Shades of Grey guy
How many times did that Wettin Sachsen Coburg und Gotha prince came to Congo?
Perhaps the Congo would be a happier place if the Congolese stopped fighting each other?
Your map at 8:06 shows the Central African Republic not the DR Congo.
Enjoyed this but I wonder why you sneakily inserted a photo of Robert Mugabe and the then Prince Charles?
"Rooooooo-land the Thompson gunner!"
“My beloved companion,
I write you these words not knowing whether you will receive them, when you will receive them, and whether I will still be alive when you read them. Throughout my struggle for the independence of my country, I have never doubted for a single instant that the sacred cause to which my comrades and I have dedicated our entire lives would triumph in the end. But what we wanted for our country - its right to an honorable life, to perfect dignity, to independence with no restrictions - was never wanted by Belgian colonialism and its Western allies, who found direct and indirect, intentional and unintentional support among certain high officials of the United Nations, that body in which we placed all our trust when we called on it for help.
They have corrupted some of our countrymen; they have bought others; they have done their part to distort the truth and defile our independence. What else can I say? ‘That whether dead or alive, free or in prison by order of the colonialists, it is not my person that is important. What is important is the Congo, our poor people whose independence has been turned into a cage, with people looking at us from outside the bars, sometimes with charitable compassion, sometimes with glee and delight. But my faith will remain unshakable. I know and feel in my very heart of hearts that sooner or later my people will rid themselves of all their enemies, foreign and domestic, that they will rise up as one to say no to the shame and degradation of colonialism and regain their dignity in the pure light of day.
We are not alone. Africa, Asia, and the free and liberated peoples in every corner of the globe will ever remain at the side of the millions of Congolese who will not abandon the struggle until the day when there will be no more colonizers and no more of their mercenaries in our country. I want my children, whom I leave behind and perhaps will never see again, to be told that the future of the Congo is beautiful and that their country expects them, as it expects every Congolese, to fulfill the sacred task of rebuilding our independence, our sovereignty; for without justice there is no dignity and without independence there are no free men.
Neither brutal assaults, nor cruel mistreatment, nor torture have ever led me to beg for mercy, for I prefer to die with my head held high, unshakable faith, and the greatest confidence in the destiny of my country rather than live in slavery and contempt for sacred principles. History will one day have its say; it will not be the history taught in the United Nations, Washington, Paris, or Brussels, however, but the history taught in the countries that have rid themselves of colonialism and its puppets. Africa will write its own history and both north and south of the Sahara it will be a history full of glory and dignity.
Do not weep for me, my companion; I know that my country, now suffering so much, ‘will be able to defend its independence and its freedom. Long live the Congo! Long live Africa!”
-Patrice Lumumba’s last letter to his wife Pauline Lumumba (1960)
UN today: You can't fail if you don't do anything in the first place
Interesting, I’ve heard of very little paid reviews for D4. I wonder how many trusted reviewers have bent the knee.
I have to declare not only was the Congo a failure so was and is the UN. Off the top of my head I cannot recall one alleged peace keeping mission as a success.
Unless of course it's the UN keeping their own peace by not defending n protecting the persecuted and not allowing the truth to be told through mainstream media. World bank's private army more true, ensuring those resource rich 3rd world countries repay the loans and support granted out in return for the rape of resources which I imagine will keep them as 3rd world countries!!!
Touchę
Hope for 🇸🇴. Coming from the 🇺🇲
It's not the only UN disaster, they've been in a few, it's designed to work for the richer countries over weak ones.
Nice documentary.. imagine United Nation forces are responsible for keeping the large money powers in a position of advantage throughout the existence of Congo, Zaire and whatever it is today.... As Chinese colonial domination engulfs Africa 🌍
12:39 RIP Patrice O'neal
Between heavy dependance on the US, mass bureaucracy, corruption and lobbied interests at higher levels, and a complete inability to 1. agree on anything fast enough to respond effectively. and 2. complete powerlessness to actually maintain peace and stability whenever things get bad, the UN and NATO have started to resemble the league of nations recently, they look desperate and theyve proven they arent reliable leadership, no hate on troops or anything its just all gotten way too political and driven by money to be a reliable stabilising force in the world, should be re assesed and broadened into a real force for global peace, lead by experienced and reliable military officers and held to the highest standard possible, but i doubt it will ever happen
Whoa Lubumba first asked the US before he asked ussr
Yes the same thing that ho chi Minh did
Doesn’t this guy have a Star Wars channel??
The miserable history of the Congo basin goes back way before colonialism. It’s always been a horrible place.