In the Middle of It

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has a complicated cultural history due to the effects of colonialism. Before gaining independence in 1960, the DRC was a colony of Belgium. Under the rule of King Leopold the people and natural resources of DRC were exploited. Since gaining independence the people of the DRC have been working on decolonization and finding ways to preserve their culture. Now there are approximately 200 ethnic groups in the DRC. Some of the tribes include Luba, Mongo, Kongo, Mbuti, Batwa, Baka, and Mangbetu-Azande. These tribes are often referred to as “indigenous pygmy people” and they make up only 1% of the population. Some of them live as nomadic groups and some are semi-nomadic, they are geographically distributed throughout the whole country. They practice traditional practices of medicine as well as hunting and gathering. However, these cultures are facing external pressure and losing their native lands, forcing them into poverty. The displacement of Indigenous people increases the risk of ethnic identity loss and socioeconomic issues. In September of 2007, the DRC supported the declaration of the United Nations on the Rights of Indigenous People. This was a declaration that outlined the framework for the basic rights and freedoms of Indigenous people. This declaration also is linked to the climate change movement in the DRC. In 2016 political dialogues on Indigenous people in the country took place. The International Fund for Agriculture and Development was a major financial contributor to this initiative. Groups like The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and The International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs also were involved in the implementation of the declaration. In 2020 the DRC continues to promote indigenous rights though new law proposals and other breakthroughs. 

Works Cited: 

“Cultural Awareness: Democratic Republic of the Congo.” ReEstablish Richmond, www.reestablishrichmond.org/cultural-awareness-congo. Accessed 23 Oct. 2022. 

IWGIA – International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. “Democratic Republic of Congo.” IWGIA – International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, 28 Apr. 2022, www.iwgia.org/en/democratic-republic-of-congo.html. 

DRC: Indigenous Peoples Involved in Natural Resources Management With. wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?308950/DRC-Indigenous-peoples-involved-in-natural-resources-management-with-WWF-support. Accessed 23 Oct. 2022. 

Nationalism in Chad is difficult to label. Despite previously being a territory of France, there is no apparent remaining connection between the countries. On top of that, France did not attempt to unite the diverse territory they colonized, and only effectively governed the southern region. So, unlike other former colonies who were forced into more homogeneous cultures, Chad remained almost as divided as it was before it was made into a colony, and then country.  The results from this remain present to this day: Chad is considered to be one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse countries in the world. As nationalism often relies on excluding other nations or people, Chad’s diversity and lack of unity make it difficult to draw support under a single government, idea, etc. 

(Former President Idris Déby)

Moreover, while Chad’s history of government after gaining independence is mostly dominated by a pattern of authoritarian rulers and military regimes, no one group or person has held power for more than a few decades, and opposition, while not strong, is rampant. Chad, in very basic terms, is divided into the Arab-Muslim North, and Christian South. After becoming an independent country in 1960, Chad was ruled by authoritarian leader Tombalbaye for fifteen years until his death in a coup. This was followed by a short three-year military rule, and then several years of civil war. Following this was Habré’s eight years in power, in which he struggled with French and Libyan troops occupying parts of the country in response to his violence and brutality of perceived opponents. In the 1990s, Habré’s general Déby overthrew Habré’s government and became recognized as the new president. He remained in power until recently, 2021. His rule was characterized by several coup attempts, false elections, attempts at modernizing the economy, and civil war. He was allegedly killed in clashes with rebels in the northern region of Chad, and his son is now technically in a temporary position as the country’s leader. This abbreviated history of Chad’s government highlights the fact that unrest and disagreement are strong, and nationalism is not exactly a large aspect of the country.

In fact, Déby’s recent death poses a large potential for even greater division. Déby’s large spending and involvement in the military, and his careful organization of the army to avoid clan and family rivalries, means that his death could lead to a huge breakdown in any remaining stability. 

In regards to inequality, the majority of Chad’s population is controlled by the military, or historically, authoritarian-like leaders. Women especially are affected. There are minimal laws protecting people’s right to owning property, and these laws are not observed for women. Girls receive less education than their male counterparts, and do not have the same opportunities when working. 67% of women are married before they turn 18, and genital mutilation is far worse than other countries in the region. From these facts, it should not be surprising to hear that gender inequality in Chad is ranked among the highest in the world. 

Prior to 1950 there was little sense of nationalism in The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as the region was divided ethnically and under Belgian rule of King Leopold II. Before Belgian rule, in the late 19th century, the country was known as “Congo free state” and was being violently exploited for its natural resources and native people. Inequality was a significant issue in the country due to colonial rule, and the process of decolonization started with nationalism. The cruelty that the indigenous Congolese people were facing, and the economic standing of the country, pressured Belgium to officially take political control in 1908. The country became Belgian Congo and developed into a more urbanized country that become recognized by the US and Russia for its natural resources. Everything changed around 1959 when movements against the colonial Belgium rule began. Many groups and movements were formed, the most significant of which was the Mouvement National Congolais (MNC). The MNC was an organization with the goal of independence led by Patrice Lumumba. This movement began a call for nationalism across the country, however parties were still divided, and many criticized the MNC. Nationalist parties began demonstrations and riots, in many cases turned violent and resulted in citizen casualties. In light of these events, a high-profile round table conference was held in January of the next year in Brussels. Important Congolese leaders gathered, including those from the MNC to discuss issues regarding politics, ethnicity, and Belgium-DRC relations. The conference was inconclusive, however in June of 1960 colonial rule was terminated and the Independent Republic of the Congo was formed.  

Shortly after independence was declared, Lumumba gave an unscheduled speech in response to that of king Baudouin. The speech praised the success of the nationalist movement and its path to independence, additionally he criticized colonialism. The speech was not well received by some Congolese politicians and brought to question if the element of patriotism was necessary and how it intersected with the idea of nationalism. Despite almost creating a diplomatic conflict with Belgium, the country continued its celebration of independence.  

(Patrice Lumumba)

Works Referenced: 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo | World Civilizations I (HIS101) – Biel. courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-fmcc-boundless-worldhistory/chapter/the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2022. 

Image detail courtesy National Archives of The Netherlands (2.24.01.05)

Despite the large distance between Ukraine and The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the war in Ukraine has had a lasting economic effect on it and on most of the world. Sanctions on Russia and export bans have created consequential inflation in the DCR and other neighboring countries in Central Africa. Imports are crucial to the economy of the DRC because of its geographically remote location that limits its agricultural production. The war created social unrest in the DRC as the people questioned the authorities and their lack of action on the matter. The main consequence of the war on Ukraine in the DRC was the rising fuel prices, though rises were also seen in other products such as sugar and rice. The country has already suffered record losses due to inflation. Considering that Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of vital resources like grain and fertilizer, the war has had a substantial impact on the agricultural market. This created social distress when fear of food shortage and rising food prices arose in the DRC. This shows how even distant countries can be affected though globalization and how the war between Ukraine and Russia is having unpredictable impacts on the world. Other countries in Central Africa are experiencing similar issues with importing and exporting goods since the war. As the war develops and the economy continues to shift, Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to battle the threat of food shortage and social panic. 

Works Cited:

AfricaNews. “DRC: War in Ukraine Sparks Food-security Fears.” Africanews, 16 Mar. 2022, www.africanews.com/2022/03/16/drc-war-in-ukraine-sparks-food-security-fears/.

“Central Africa | History, Countries, Climate, and Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/place/central-Africa. Accessed 7 Oct. 2022. 

“Democratic Republic of the Congo | Culture, History, and People.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2022, www.britannica.com/place/Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo. 

 “Democratic Republic of the Congo Ukraine Locator.png.” Wikipedia, 5 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo_Ukraine_Locator.png#filelinks.

Fournet-Guérin, Catherine. “Everyday Cosmopolitanism in African Cities: Places of Leisure and Consumption in Antananarivo and Maputo.” SpringerLink, 2021, link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-67365-9_7?error=cookies_not_supported&code=d0fdbf42-5f8b-4dde-a298-badb821c2db5.

Hi! I’m Allison and I will be writing about Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from the region of Central Africa. The DRC is the 11th largest country in the world and has a population of 108 million people. The capital city, Kinshasa, is the largest city in Central Africa and serves as an economic and cultural center (“Democratic Republic of the Congo | Culture, History, and People”). As global trade increases rapidly, the DRC has experienced significant overall economic growth. However, despite the growth it remains one of the poorest countries in the world (“Globalization and the Democratic Republic of Congo”). Within the country there is an ever-growing socioeconomic gap between class levels. Additionally, there is a large economic margin between the DCR and other countries. This is one factor that affects the individual globalization of the DRC. Cultural values also are influential to the globalization of a country. “Globalization in terms of the opportunities provided by technological advances can only improve culture in DRC” (“Globalization and the Democratic Republic of Congo”). As the region experiences more cultural globalization it also adapts to cosmopolitan lifestyle trends across the counties. This can be expressed differently throughout varying areas, cultures, and communities. I am excited to learn more about this country and share it with the blog each week! 

Works Cited: 

“Central Africa | History, Countries, Climate, and Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/place/central-Africa. Accessed 7 Oct. 2022. 

“Democratic Republic of the Congo | Culture, History, and People.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2022, www.britannica.com/place/Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo. 

Hello! I’m Claire and I’ll be covering Chad. Chad is currently a country I know very little about, and I look forward to taking you with me as I learn more. The Republic of Chad is a landlocked country, with a population of 16 million and 23 provinces. It’s capital is N’Djamena, and also the largest city. The official languages of Chad are Arabic and French, being a formerly a French colony until 1960. Currently, Chad is a Presidential Republic, and is ranked as one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world. However, Chad is a culturally and ethnically diverse country, with over 200 distinct ethnic groups , and over a 100 different languages. As someone who is especially intrigued by economics and culture, you can likely expect my posts to cover those topics in some capacity, intermingled under the common theme of globalization.

The war in Ukraine, while centered in Europe, has far-reaching effects in countries around the world, and Chad is not an exception to this. As some of the biggest producers and exporters of grain in the world, Russia and Ukraine’s war means that the countries that rely on these exports, like Chad, are left in a food crisis. In June 2022, the Republic of Chad officially declared a food emergency due to a lack of grain supplies from the ongoing Russo-Ukraine War. Chad also imports fertilizer from Russia, which means that their own agriculture has experienced a slow-down.

In April 2022, the President of the African Development Bank said the bank would pledge $1.5B to help the food crisis in Africa. The Head and the Chairman of the African Union each pledged $3M. UN aid is ongoing, but according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, only 21% of the $2.57B needed for humanitarian aid in the Lake Chad Basin has been obtained. Help is ongoing, but even efforts attempting to address short-term effects are falling short, and the larger issue of stabilizing Chad’s chronic food instability remains unsolved. 

Chad’s current position has been made especially precarious these last few years. In 2020 and 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic sent the entire world into economic and social strife. Chad saw significant impact on various facets of life, including a deterioration of agricultural harvest, which by itself, was expected to have significant influence on the country’s malnutrition levels, especially on children, measuring an expected increase of 2 million children affected. On another hand, climate change has shortened the rainy season, making agriculture more difficult, while simultaneously raising the frequency of extreme weather, as droughts and floods become more commonplace. A recent flood in August has affected 11 of 23 provinces, totaling around 340,000 people. The damage to homes, agriculture, and livestock, is great, and further escalates the food crisis.

To conclude, the culmination of Covid-19 effects, climate change, and the Russo-Ukraine war has put Chad in an extremely worrying food emergency that, thus far, remains unsolved.

Central Africa is a geographically rich region that lies on the equator and borders the Atlantic Ocean. It has a hot and wet climate that cultivates a diverse rainforest ecosystem. The Congo River system supports this ecosystem and provides the region with navigable water. Besides having over 1,000,000 square kilometers of rainforest, central Africa also has vast savannas and valleys that are home to a variety of exotic species.

The region of Central Africa includes Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, The Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and São Tomé & Principe. The languages spoken in this region all originate from the Bantu group of the Niger-Congo language family, along with some European languages (Birmingham). Central Africa started technological advancement around the same time Europe did during the iron age. This social and economic innovation was crucial to the development of the agricultural and hunting communities (Birmingham). Iron production became an important skill not only in the local communities but also for interregional trade. Shortly after, copper production also became a large demand for the region, and it became one of the main copper mining locations on a global scale. These industrial developments led to the growth of trade in Central Africa, later leading to larger trade industries like long distance salt trade and the growth of the textile industry.

Works Cited: https://uoregon-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/agordon8_uoregon_edu/EXmPxEGBXXBKuhuzal5LUl0Bh_K9nQvSdh_Ujg5WpENAnw?e=HiZper

Central Africa is an important region to look into when considering globalization. Every week, we offer you a different perspective on various topics from one of the countries in this region. Stayed tuned for more detailed information on Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Cameroon. 

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