MetaFilter posts tagged with Congo

All aboard for the Africa Express

criticalbill — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:07:02 -0800

A preview version of a 20-minute film following Damon Albarn as he and other western musicians (including Franz Ferdinand and Fatboy Slim) travel to Mali, Nigeria and Congo as part of the Africa Express, a sprawling musical collective collaboration between Africans (including Toumani Diabate, Baaba Maal and Tony Allen) Americans and Europeans. The film includes a visit and concert at The Shrine for last year's Felabration. I don't know how long this will be up for. But some more videos of Africa Express performances can be found here

Madoff Congo scandal

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 06:07:10 -0800

The US Attorney's office has submitted email correspondence between Bernie Madoff and his victims, some of whom are more deserving than others. Via

Scorched huts and crushed skulls

IvoShandor — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:46:50 -0800

"The Lord’s Resistance Army is now on the loose, moving from village to village, seemingly unhindered, leaving a wake of scorched huts and crushed skulls. Witnesses say the fighters have kidnapped hundreds of children and marched them off into the bush, the latest conscripts in their slave army." Apparently, Ugandan and Congolese forces failed to seal off rebel escape routes and heavy fog took away the element of surprise in what was to be the death blow for rebel resistance in the ongoing violence in Uganda. The result was that the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group led by accused war criminal Joseph Kony, adhered to their standard operating procedure and began slaughtering civilians, many of which had no knowledge of who their attackers were. No U.S. troops were involved in on the ground fighting, at least according to the Times article, but by all accounts this operation was botched. These massacres are nothing new. And there are those who aim to stop it .

Welcome to Katanga

Pseudology — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:35:30 -0800

General Laurent Nkunda is a Tutsi warlord in Katanga who was recently interviewed by the Huffington Post. The BBC believe he is nothing more than your standard African rebel with a long list of atrocities to his name. An opinion supported by the UN and some human rights groups. The War Nerd has come to his defense, however, suggesting that he's just angered the UN by refusing to disarm and allow the Hutu "refugees" from the Rwandan Genocide to terrorize the lands under his control. Previously on Metafilter. The lack of information makes it difficult to decide which side I'd rather be cheering on but the concept of government control in any part of the Congo, especially Katanga, is nothing more than a bad joke and any foreign military aid that has ever been sent there was sent with the sole purpose of making sure that the mines stay operational. There is no reason to believe that the newly elected government (A Congolese election has also always been a bit of a joke) will provide any better management of the region. The general could also be full of shit, though. If he brings the rule of law to the places he occupies, even if it's marshal law, it would be a welcome improvement to the anarchy that he replaces (military feudalism > Congolese Anarchy).

Out of Africa

netbros — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:55:43 -0800

Out of Africa. As award-winning Globe and Mail Africa correspondent Stephanie Nolen bids farewell to a place she's come to love, she reflects on how it has changed, and how it changed her. Africa photo gallery

Goma, DRC

gman — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:47:54 -0800

Covered in lava, Goma in the DRC, was destroyed by the Nyiragongo Volcano a few years back. Since then, the aid hub has seen a lot of turmoil. As Rebel General Laurent Nkunda of the CNDP nears Goma, 250,000 have fled the area and disease is rife.

Who saves the saviors?

cal71 — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:57:47 -0800

In the field of humanitarian aid, personnel decisions are life and death business. The UN knows all too well the costs of poor oversight, but aid worker and blogger Michael Kleinman makes another observation, far more disturbing. In the multi-billion dollar humanitarian aid business, some lives are worth less than others, and not only among the populations served. Local staff are the lifeblood of international charity organizations, and a lifeline for those they serve, yet they too rarely make the headlines, either to celebrate their work or to acknowledge their sacrifice. Is this a symptom of neo-colonialist attitudes in global aid or the evolution of aid into anything but neutral charity (or ngo-colonialism)? Simple racism? Or are the economic conditions in many of these places so dire that the relatively well-paying jobs for international organizations make the risk seem worthwhile in countries where civil society and the middle class have been destroyed or never existed in the first place?

More gorillas exist than previously thought

Daddy-O — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:03:32 -0800

A previously unknown population of 125,000 lowland gorillas have been discovered in the swamps of the Congo Republic. Enjoy them while they last.

The Cramps and The Gun Club

ornate insect — Mon, 05 May 2008 16:10:17 -0800

Give it up for The Cramps and The Gun Club. Two of the greatest bands to come out of the late 1970s/early 1980s punk scene, they (wikis here and here) shared a few things in common: guitarist Kid Congo Powers as well as a penchant for re-invigorating the raucous, carnal, primal spirit of American popular music--i.e. early garage rock and rockabilly (what the Cramps dubbed "psychobilly") and blues. Start with this screamer from The Cramps, and this blistering classic from the GC's first LP. &featureHere are some other great distractions and mischief making from these two legendary, seminal bands: Cramps--Garbage Man, Cramps--Goo Goo Muck, Live at Napa State Mental Hospital, Cramps--Devil w/Blue Dress/You Got Good Taste, Cramps--People Aint No Good + Interview, Bikini Girls w/Machine Guns,.....etc Gun Club--Preachin' the Blues, Gun Club--Sex Beat, Gun Club--My Dreams, Gun Club--Moonlight Motel, Ghost on the Highway trailer, Gun Club--The Lie,......etc

Staff Benda Bilili

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:30:19 -0800

The other day I happened to come upon a music video that is just so grooving, so human and so real, that, well, it moved me, darling. Just check it out. After watching the clip, I learned that these guys are mostly disabled by polio (that's why several of them are in those rather unusual wheelchairs) and that they were living on the grounds of the Kinshasa zoo, which is where the clip was filmed. Then I learned that last year they were seeking to bring a lawsuit against the UN. Then I found some other clips. And now I am a major fan of Staff Benda Bilili. And how 'bout that totally awesome ultra-high-pitched musical bow that young man is playing? Is that not the coolest instrument ever? Here's a short interview I found, with UN press officer Kemal Saiki, concerning the allegations against the UN by Staff Benda Bilili. Here's an article concerning African disabled musicians, including Staff Benda Bilili, called Music from the Motherland. And this recent article from The Independent mentions Staff Benda Bilili in its last paragraph. Referring to "Na Lingi Yo" (the tune featured prominently in this FPP) the article says: "It was worth coming all this way just to hear that one song." A blog entry that I came across, on the video, from last year.

Penis-Theft Victims Get Testy

Navelgazer — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:51:12 -0800

Koro, previously, has gripped the streets of Kinshasa, Congo. Unlike the 1967 Koro Epidemic in Singapore, which was blamed on tainted pork, the afflicted men in Kinshasa have blamed the psychosomatic penile shrinkage on witchcraft by a rival sect, and responded with attempted lynchings. In order to prevent bloodshed of the kind seen in Ghana a decade ago, police have responded by apprehending the alleged sorcerers. Note: this post is about the historical epidemics, but I suggest going to the "previously" for greater discussion of the actual disorder. If, you know, that's your thing.

Congo Cookbook

Upton O'Good — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:38:23 -0800

The Congo Cookbook is a collection of recipes from Africa. (Easiest to view them all here.)

Big Deke

John Smallberries — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:25:15 -0800

He is a sports character for the ages. At 41, he is the NBA's oldest active player. Number two all time in blocked shots, he is probably best known for his trademark finger wag and ~~unimitable~~ deep gravelly voice. His current team's 20 game win streak has led him to gleefully suggest that their critics pucker up. And all that pales in comparison to what he really should be known for: he is a great humanitarian. Capping the laundry list of his charitable activities, he has spent more than 15 million dollars of his own money endowing and ensuring the completion of the Biamba Marie Mutumbo Research and Teaching Hospital outside of Kinshasa, the first modern medical facility built in the region in forty years. He is an example for all professional athletes. He is Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo, and he is what a true sports hero should be.

music videos from West Africa

nickyskye — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:28:51 -0800

#1 African Music Website. Africa Hit offers an extensive and varied selection of great music videos from West Africa. Africa Hit news, in French and English, mostly music biz news in West African countries: Cote D'Ivoire, Congo(R.D.C), Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroun, Mali, Guinée and Senegal. Happy New Year!

Papa Kourand: Roots of Konono No. 1

flapjax at midnite — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:33:44 -0800

The full-on, amped-up sanza sounds of Konono No. 1 have been celebrated here at MeFi not once but twice, and they are indeed wonderful. Björk's been working with them a bit lately, too. But let's go back a few decades, and take a listen to the unplugged version of this type of music: mesdames et messiurs, Papa Kourand, the grand old man of the sanza! By the way, that video clip from the Kourand link: in case it's slow-loading or no-loading, I also found it in one other place, a tacky little website where you'll get a pesky little popup window, but once you've sent the window on its way, click on the WATCH VIDEO button. There you'll find the same clip, a video of his song "Tout Restera Ici Bas".

Hearts of Darkness

sy — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 21:00:32 -0800

This article, about rape in the Eastern Congo, (nytimes, bugmenot here) makes for hard and disturbing, yet important, reading. In addition to the stories reported, one paragraph from the article stayed with me: "Many Congolese aid workers denied that the problem was cultural and insisted that the widespread rapes were not the product of something ingrained in the way men treated women in Congolese society. 'If that were the case, this would have showed up long ago,' said Wilhelmine Ntakebuka, who coordinates a sexual violence program in Bukavu." I understand the work these sentences are trying to do, allowing the Times to bear witness to rape without letting its readers draw easy conclusions about the "savagery" of distant, alien Africans. But I wonder if a better way to do this, though beyond the scope of a newspaper article, might have been to reflect on the ubiquity and ineradicability of violence in all times and places, from the Mongols to John Atchison. My hope is that, if we all hold the possibility for so much evil within us, that the places that seem most wretched must also hold the seeds of resilience and recovery.

Sex like a handshake

imposster — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:48:49 -0800

Sex like a handshake (even baby sex?) Titilation and humor from Vanessa Woods, researcher at the Lola Bonobo sanctuary. (Previously)

Hail Abacha

infini — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 13:29:59 -0800

Dear Friend, I am a Swiss Banker currently in possession of over $ 1 Billion in funds stashed away by the late dictator Mobutu Sese Seko of the Congo. Our Swiss Confederation President Micheline Calmy-Rey said her government is holding just $6.6m frozen in accounts. "We discussed the question of Mobutu's funds and my government is prepared to restore the money to the DR Congo as soon as possible," Ms Rey told reporters in the DR Congo capital, Kinshasa, after talks with Mr Kabila. But we can help you get the rest of the 92.4 million dollars if you will just send us your bank account number and call to confirm your ID and pin number.

Giant, lion eating chimps not mythical after all

rongorongo — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 04:39:55 -0800

There is a remote part of the Congolese jungle, called the Bili forest, where local legend has long told of a breed of giant apes that eat lions, catch fish and howl at the moon. To his surprise Dutch researcher Cleve Hicks found them. In fact they are large chimps but they appear to have a number of behavioural differences from other groups seen in the wild. (More information from Wikipedia).

Gorilla warfare

gsteff — Fri, 25 May 2007 18:01:32 -0800

A band of Congolese rebels is threatening to kill all of the Virunga mountain gorillas. Two-hundred Mai-Mai fighters attacked conservation posts in the violence-prone Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in response to government efforts to protect Virunga National Park from settling and poaching. Virunga is home to roughly half the world's 700 remaining mountain gorillas (and was the workplace of Diane Fossey). Last year, Mai-Mai fighters killed nearly half of the park's hippos, eating the meat and selling the teeth as ivory, and in January they killed and ate two silverbacks. The increased violence is part of a trend that has accompanied attempts to integrate the area's independent militias- mostly remnants of groups that fought in the Congo civil war, then refused to disband- into the national army, and some observers believe that the war, which already killed 4 million, may reignite.

Congo forests sold for $100 worth of sugar

growabrain — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 21:20:14 -0800

The world's second largest forest and one of the oldest on Earth, was traded for bars of soap and bottles of beer: Logging companies negotiate with local chiefs, walk away rich

The missing minister mystery...

theemperorhasnoclotheson — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 05:37:05 -0800

The missing minister mystery...

The Society for Leisure Lovers and Elegant Persons

maryh — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 22:40:52 -0800

To be a Sapeur in Kinshasa is to treat every trash-strewn alley or muddy street as a fashion catwalk. Inspired by Congolese rumba star Papa Wemba* and his Société des Ambianceurs et Persons Élégants* (le Sape), urban peacocks cheerfully adopted "Religion Kitembo”, literally the worship of clothes. "The Pope of the Sapes" himself appears to have undergone a conversion since his recent legal troubles. Photo gallery by Héctor Mediavilla. *sound

More Vicious than Rape

WCityMike — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 14:22:33 -0800

"More Vicious than Rape." Thousands of Congolese girls and women, among the hundreds of thousands of rape cases, who have been deliberately harmed following their rape in a particular way with a brutality that staggers the mind. [more inside]

The Other Election

cal71 — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 08:28:38 -0800

The vote count with a death toll in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the other election to watch right now. Joseph Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba, both of whom command large private armies say they will accept the results of the poll, though the truth of that remains to be seen. Bemba is implicated in war crimes (previously discussed here); and Kabila's inner circle controls much of the wealth of the DRC. Either way, a successful election would be better than a return to the war that killed 4 million people. And contrary to the paltry coverage the Congo receives in the news, what happens there matters to the rest of the world. But will the election results change the lives of Congolese civilians?