Chad - Dreaming of نجامينا

Before you say anything, you're welcome for that Costa Rican station. It was awesome! That's two great stations in a row. Let's see if we can make it three...

It's Thursday and it's already been a hateful long week. We think we're in the mood for African music. So, back to the continent we go! Y'all want to tune in to Chad?

even resembles an anatomical heart...

A landlocked country with a mainly harsh desert climate, Chad's apparently been stuck with the unfortunate moniker of The Dead Heart of Africa. Doesn't exactly have the same ring as The Sunshine State.

well, it is kind of stark...

Chad is a veritable Tower of Babel with all the languages spoken there. There are over 200 ethnic groups in a population of just 10 million folks, and over 100 languages are spoken among them! We suppose that's the result of arbitrarily drawn colonial borders and unrepresentative statehood. You're begging for problems with that mix and Chad has seen plenty of them. For example, in 2008, they built a moat around their capital to protect them from rebels! That should give you a good idea of the political discourse. And, while we're on it, who the fuck builds a moat anymore?! (editors note: not enough people, in my opinion)

we can't find a picture of the moat (trust us, we're crushed, too). but here is a little glimpse of life in the capital

So, from what we can parse out, Chad is one of the poorest and most corrupt nations in the world. About 80% of the population lives on less than a dollar a day farming in a land plagued with drought and the occasional locust horde (what up biblical prophecies). Oil and cotton are the main exports and are used to fund the corrupt government, helping them fend off the various rebel groups.

omg. barf.

Chad is surrounded by nations with desperate economies, authoritarian rulers, or roiling civil wars and internal conflicts. Needless to say that these peripheral conflicts often spill over the border. Hundreds of thousands of Darfur refugees are still in Chad, and there are warnings that a genocide may yet occur within their own borders. With increasing water scarcity (look what's happened to Lake Chad!), conflicts are bound to only increase.

one of the many darfur refugee camps in chad

Though the situation seems dire there, We're sure there's a lot to love about Chad. As is true in most places, only the bad stuff get's reported.

So, let's tune in and see what amazing things we can discover about Chad. There are only about a dozen radio stations in Chad. Some of those stations are rebroadcast from international stations, and that is the case here. We'll be tuning into Africa N1 out of Paris again - but boy is it a good one!

Africa N1

Listen Here

you have to press the play button

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Liberia - Apropro for MLK Day

So, what did y'all think of Armenia? It was OK-ish... there sure was a lot of American pop music.

On this glorious MLK Day, let's tune in to Liberia!

Ellen is really bad with African geography. There are just so many countries!

Just to get you warmed up, here is a gratuitous Michael Jackson video. We lost you too soon, MJ. Too soon.

With that out of the way, Liberia (which means "Land of the Free") was founded by freed American slaves. A bunch of (mostly) Quakers started this group called the American Colonization Society, and their mission was to transport freed slaves back to the African continent where it was thought they could live better lives.

At the time (approx 1820), many abolitionists, including Abe Lincoln while he was a sitting president, thought emigration was the best option for freed slaves. They thought American society would never accept them. It's taken a very, very long time, and the good lord knows we aren't there yet. Anyway, the American Colonization Society was actively transporting freed slaves to Sierra Leone. In 1821 or so, they founded the colony of Liberia in nearby territory which became an independent republic a few decades later. 

how many pop culture references can we stretch in today's post?

There was friction with the indigenous population. Raise your hand if you're surprised. And, that conflict echoes among their descendants today. The colonists named their capital Monrovia after former president James Monroe, who'd been a large supporter. Pinky has always loved the name Monrovia. He used to go out to Monrovia, Maryland every now and then on business. It's such a pretty name. Ellen grew up next door to Mr. Monroe's hometown and loves to see Virginians in the world!

although not the most formidable of presidents from virginia, he decidedly better than all of the ones from texas. oooo, burnnn!

OK, we hate to skip so much, but let's move on up the timeline. So, there was a pretty successful American-emulated democratic rule up through the 20th century. In 1980, a coup was enacted by a guy named Samuel Kanyon Doe. Over the next decade, repression tightened and the political climate became heated enough to cause a civil war in 1989.

we know a bunch of tiny white girls who would kill for those glasses. fucking hipsters.

Charles Taylor, a former government minister, established himself as a warlord, and with the backing of Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi (who Ellen thinks looks like Fred Armisen), led an insurgency that eventually toppled the government. Taylor and his men tortured Doe to death. Taylor was elected president in '97. His slogan was "He killed my ma, he killed my pa, but I will vote for him." Daaaaaaaaaaaamn... Everyone voted for him 'cause they figured if they didn't, he'd resume the war. They were probably right. 

  

that's fred in the middle. dead ringer for muammar al-gaddafi.

Taylor did all of the dictatorial shit you'd expect: child soldiers, diamond smuggling (supposedly giving some to Naomi Campbell), backing (and allegedly directing) a nasty rebel movement in the Sierra Leone Civil War, and plenty of civilian atrocities. The complete and utter disfunction of his government led to another civil war in '99 and lasting until 2003 when Taylor was forced to resign.

campbell, taylor, and... desmond tutu?! what are you doing up in this mess?

A women's peace movement was instrumental in his deposition, forcing peace talks and creating an atmosphere for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to become the modern, elected female head of state in Africa. Taylor has since been charged with all sorts of war crimes and crimes against humanity and is on trial in the Hague.

yay! ladies in charge! in gold lame!

One of the most interesting stories to emerge from Taylor's rule is that of his son, Chuckie. He was raised by his mom in America until he was 17 and then went to live with his dad in Liberia during the Civil War. He became head of the "Anti-terrorist unit," which was a notoriously violent. When his personal chauffeur dented his car, he ordered him beaten "till you see bones and shit." We find that particularly chilling. "Bones and shit." It's such an offhanded comment. Imagine being a kid, finding out your dad is a warlord, going over and helping him take over a country, and then torturing a nation. We're sure Freud would have something to say about all of this. Rolling Stone did a fascinating article on Chukie Taylor a while back. It's really good.

Today, Liberia is a stable democracy and, under the leadership of Ms. Sirleaf, they're rebuilding their country in a transparent, cooperative manner, admirably addressing and repairing their country's problems and deep wounds.

So, that is a lot of heavy for MLK Day. We hope you find a moment to reflect on your freedoms and remember from whence they came. Can we get an amen?

Ok, let's tune in. This seems like a great station. Hope you enjoy it!

Radio Lib

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Bostwana - Gangsta Gaborone

Belgium? Smellgium! Na, just kiddin'. That station was alright. Not great, but alright. 


You doin' anything right about now other than eating week old pumpkin bread? Wanna go to Botswana? Great! Let's get going!

we'll meet you there! best get going!

When South Africa was formed in 1910, they expected Britain to tack on the territories that are now Lesotho, Swaziland, and Botswana. Britain was all "yeah, we'll get around to it." But, as those Brits so often are, they were non-committal and never did. There is more to it then that of course, but that's the abridged version. When South African apartheid and their ensuing abdication from the Commonwealth rolled around, South Africa lost all claim to Botswana, who was kept under British control of until the mid-60's, when the Botswana established independence.

zebras?! on your coat of arms?! it's perfection!

Massive diamond deposits were found shortly afterwards and Botswana remains the world's largest diamond producer to this day (1st in value, 2nd in volume.) Nice coincidence, huh? More than that though, they've had FANTASTIC governance. With smart macroeconomic policies and economic development, they've made their country a shining example for all of Africa. At indepedence, GDP per capita was $70. Today it's about $14,000. It went from one of the poorest countries in the world to a middle-income nation, square with Argentina and Chile. It's rated as the best credit risk in Africa, and though diamonds are an essential part of their economy, they still account for only 1/3 of GDP. Tourism, industrial, finance, and agriculture make up the majority of the rest. 

Good governance is the reason Botswana is in the position it's in today. No other African nation has done as much to preserve their democracy, and it seems that it's the only mainland African country to not have had a civil conflict since their independence. That's something to be proud of. America can't even say that!

Not all is well and good in Botswanna though. They have one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the world. Almost a quarter of their population has has HIV/AIDS. Their government is doing everything that it can to combat the problem, and HIV/AIDS drugs are provided free to all citizens. They have the best, most comprehensive HIV/AIDS program in all of Africa.

just remember: condomise.

With nearly 85% of their country as desert and because they are landlocked, water is pretty valuable in Botswana, so much so that they named their currency "Pula", which translates to water! It is home to the world's largest inland delta though. Only .065% of their land is arable. Dang! In a country the size of Texas, they can only grow food on about half a percent of their land... Drought and desertification are big problems there.

zebras on everything! love it!

Botswanna is also home to the Tsodilo Hills, a place known and visited by humans for about 100,000 years. Holy shit... that's a long time. There are about 4,500 cave paintings there, HUGE stone sculptures, plenty of evidence of ritual, and fascinating creation stories. Look it up if you get a moment. It's worth it.

sadly, no zebras here.

OK, let's tune in to the capital city of Botswana, Gaborone, and enjoy some sub-Saharan rap!

Yarona FM

There is a big play button near the top. You can't miss it!

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Djibouti - We're Digging جيبوتي

Oh my gawd, y'all. Sorry to leave you stranded in Montenegro with those state speeches and spoons tapping on glasses. We got a little snowed in yesterday. Even though it was a snow day and we didn't get to travel, we were still pretty productive. Ellen did a 1,000 piece puzzle all by herself in less than six hours. Who's a super mastermind now?

OK, what say we head to Djibouti (جيبوتي)? If Bangkok invaded Djibouti, would Greece help? Waka! Waka! Waka!

it's wayyyyyy over there on the right. the one in red!

Now that we've gotten all of that silliness out of the way... Djiboutui is a tiny little country - about the size of Massachusetts -  situated on the horn of Africa at the south end of the Red Sea. This place is desert-tastic! There's only about 5 inches of rainfall a year, and as a result, only about .04% of their land is arable. Less than half a percent! They've got to import the majority of their food, which makes them trickily dependent on pretty much everyone else in the world.

There's a good bit of ocean life, though. You can find everything from Whale Sharks, which are totally sweet, to Manta Rays and Hammerheads! Those are totally rad, too. Wouldn't it be wild to ride a Manta Ray around? Djibouti is also home to the crater lake, Lac Assal (Lake Assal), which is over 500 feet below sea level and is the second lowest land depression in the world after the Dead Sea!

Average schooling for their citizens is just four years. Imagine that! You'd be going to senior prom at ten years old! Na but really, it's probably because only a quarter of their population receives any education. They still have a 70% literacy rate, though. Sounds as if they are just more efficient educators maybe.

Argh. So, apparently there's no documented history of Djibouti prior to France's arrival in the mid-19th century, beyond passing mentions of traders. We find that pretty hard to believe. Perhaps Pinky's research is a bit too shallow, but he can't find anything more substantial than a few sentences describing their history before the French arrived. Weird. You'd figure a nation situated in such a geographically important area would have plenty of documented history. There were plenty of established and powerful civilizations in the area. We really can't fathom why nothing's written. Oral history is prevalent in Djibouti's nomadic tribes, but we really can't find anything beyond the name of a sultan or two. Bizarre. We guess everyone must've been chewing khat, like they do today.

yum, illegal/legal plants to chew.

Anyway, in the late 1800's, the French rolled in and hung around for about a hundred years, naming it French Somaliland, and later the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas. These are some epic names. They eventually gained independence in 1977, and Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the first president, served until he stepped down in 1999, at 83 years old. He died a few years ago at the age of 90. His nephew succeeded him and serves as president to this day. There was a nasty civil war throughout the 90's over political representation, but it ended in 2001 with the last of the rebels signing peace accords.

nice hat, sir!

With an unemployment rate of 40-50%, there isn't a whole lot going for Djibouti economically. They pretty much capitalize on there strategic location. Strategic location of Djibouti. That's what's he said! Hoo Wah!

Seriously, though, let's tune in and see what the Djiboutians are listening to. This is an Arab station broadcast throughout the Levant. Djibouti only has two domestic radio stations, and neither stream on the internet, so we'll have to listen to this one. It seems pretty good so far, beyond the occasional and completely out of place western song. For example, we just heard awesome Arab stuff transition into Ke$ha. 50% awesome, 50% not awesome.

Radio Sawa

Listen Here

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São Tomé and Principe - What a Steal!

Whoa. So, Turkmenistan was great! Who expected that?! Ellen liked how there were covers of English language songs - like when DJ Begga covered Sean Paul's Get Busy. Even the video is an homage to Sean Paul. Here are links to both videos for reasons of comparison. Ellen is now totally in love with all the skinny boys in Turkmenistan.

Begmyrat Annamyradow's (aka DJ Begga)   Şekero

Sean Paul's   Get Busy

OK, let's head back to the Gulf of Guinea and visit São Tomé and Principe!

Gotta admit, this is another nation we weren't aware of, but it seems to be a pretty great place to hang out and holy crap is this radio station good!

you have to squint to see it

Uninhabited until the Portuguese showed up around the 1470's, São Tomé and Principe was soon settled by Portuguese who were "undesirable" back home (read: Jewish folks.) They found out that sugar grew pretty well and began importing slaves to work the plantations. Within 60 years, they were Africa's largest sugar exporters - outta those tiny little islands! Who'd have thought? From just about 600 sq. miles of land! That's half the size of Rhode Island! And, only about 8% of that land is arable!

The equator crosses the São Tomé and Principe on Ilheu das Rolas

Sugar production proved easier in the New World though, and the competition hurt São Tomé and Principe to the point that they ended up transitioning their economy to become a slave trade transit point. That went pretty well for awhile, and by the time that the slaving industry was slowing down, they found out that cocoa grew pretty well there. By the early 1900's, they'd become the world's largest producer. Slavery had been abolished by then, but nasty labor practices continued well into the 20th century, culminating in riots in the mid-50's where hundreds were killed by the Portuguese.

mmm... palm trees!

An independence movement began fomenting around this time as well. And, by the mid-1970's São Tomé  and Principe achieved it. Politics haven't been all that smooth, a trend we're starting to see. Democratic reforms weren't instituted until the late 1980's. There's been plenty of leadership wrangling and two failed coup attempts. Their economy is still pretty dependent on cocoa, with little diversification, but recent oil explorations are promising. And, they're concentrating on developing their very promising - but fledgling - tourist industry.

holy shit! that stamp has dinos on it! we're in love!

Well, with a population comparable to Boise, Idaho, it looks like we're going to have to listen to a signal-boosted Afro-centric Portuguese station. But! This is a really, really good one! 


Enjoy your time in São Tomé and Principe - don't get too toasty there on the equator! And, we'll see y'all on Monday!

RTP

Listen Here

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Equatorial Guinea - Clearly Continental

Didja like Fiji? Great station, huh?

In keeping with our cannibal theme from yesterday, let's head to Equatorial Guinea where President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo allegedly engages in the cannibalism of his political opponents. No one's quite sure whether or not it's true, but it's enough of an accusation to make American rapper Eve dump his son, Teodoro Nguema Obiang. What would you do if your boyfriend's dad was rumored to be a cannibal? "Huh-huh! No thanks Mr. Obiang, I'm not hungry. I had a bagel on the way over. Don't eat me, please."

"it smells as though the cook has burned the small intestine scramble i ordered for breakfast. yuck."

The one that put her over the edge was when he allegedly ate a police commissioner's brain and testicles. Can you imagine the White House Chef cooking up something like that? Well sure, maybe for Cheney, but still...

Once inhabited by pygmies (of which there are only a few pockets left), Equatorial Guinea was transformed by migrants from larger and more powerful tribes in the 16-1800's. During this time, the Europeans started coming around. The Portuguese were first; they traded Equatorial Guinea to the Spanish. The British were there for a little bit in the late 1800's, but it stayed pretty much a Spanish colony until independence in the late 1960's. 

just for some perspective

Francisco Macías Nguema, the first elected president, quickly declared himself president for life and started a nasty 10 year reign of terror which resulted in the death or exile of 2/3 of the population. Apparently he had 150 prisoners killed on Christmas in '75 in a soccer stadium while this song played over the loud speakers. Classy guy.

In 1979, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, nephew to the president and former director of one of Africa's most notorious prisons, led a successful coup d'état, and has remained in power ever since. Francisco Macías Nguema is still regarded as one of the most corrupt, kleptocratic, and tyrannical leaders in modern African history, and he was sentenced to death "one hundred and one times." We like the extra death thrown in there. That's a pretty good "fuck you."

Although Teodoro has been a better ruler than his uncle, that isn't saying a whole lot. He's regarded as Africa's worse dictator, even worse than Mugabe. And, their state radio declaring him a god a few years back. Despite this, the current and former pope both invited him to the Vatican. Guess they just wanted to be sure. A lot of the population wears clothes with his face on it too, which is kinda weird.

What really sucks is that Equatorial Guinea struck oil a decade or so back, and instead of using those profits to help his destitute people, Teodoro pretty much just pockets it. He's regarded as one of the wealthiest heads of state in the world and literally hooked the national treasury to his personal bank accounts so that he could keep an eye on it. According to Teodoro, the whereabouts of these funds are a "state secret."


Though one of the smallest countries in Africa, it is also one of the richest. But, all that money is concentrated at the top. It's GDP per capita is rated at about 44 out of 185 nations, if you average the IMF, World Bank, and CIA's ratings, but the majority of the population lives in dire poverty.

totally irrelevant, but entirely necessary.

There was a failed coup attempt 5 or 6 years ago with financial backing from Margaret Thatcher's son and alleged support from the CIA, MI6, Spain, and South Africa's military, but there ain't a whole lot of proof out there. Our governments actually have a pretty decent relationship, though this may be due to the fact that Equatorial Guinea pays a lobbying firm at least $1.5 million a year to get them in good with Washington. Money talks.

Ok, let's tune in and see what folks are listening to over there. With a closed press and tight borders, this is the best we could find, one of the regional African stations with a continental presence. It seems to be a pretty good station though!

Radio Africa 1

Listen Here

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Seychelles - Boosted!

Did y'all enjoy Benin? Good! Us, too.

Alright gang, let's head on over to the Republic of Seychelles today! Gotta admit, this is one nation Pinky wasn't aware of, but don't they have a totally rad flag? Ellen totally knew about them because there is a shoe line named after this island nation. And, if there is one thing Ellen loves more than maps it's shoes.

totally rad!

For the past 500 years, it's been mainly a pit stop for ocean-faring vessels heading across the Indian ocean. Since there was no indigenous population, the French and British squabbled over it for a few hundred years. The English kept it as a colony until granting it independence about 35 years ago.

let's get oriented.

The Seychelles elected a president but a coup quickly occurred and they became a one-party socialist state until the early 90's when a new constitution was enacted and democracy was reinstated. They've done pretty well since then, winning high praise and ranking as one of the top performers in African governance, even delivering adult literacy classes to significantly raise the literacy rate.

so blue!

Their economy is mainly based on tourism, but the government has been trying to branch it out into more stable industries. They do everything they can to preserve their fragile and unique environment. As a result, they've become a world leader in "sustainable tourism." Every project has to undergo an environmental review, which makes a lot of sense when you don't have a whole lot of land to start with. Looks like there is a lot worth preserving there. Totally awesome giant tortoises, unique plant and bird species, some of the largest seabird colonies in the world, and some pretty great reefs, too.

visit Seychelles? don't mind if we do!

What do you say we tune in and check it out. This is a French afro-centric station that's boosted to the islands, but with a population only a little larger than Asheville, it's understandable that there isn't a web presence for the island's indigenous stations.

we have a sneaking suspicion this is where Lord of the Flies took place.

So! Pack your SPF 50, your Wayfarers, and your drug store paperback and enjoy your weekend in the tropics! We'll see your sunburned faces on Monday!

RFI

Listen Here

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Benin - Hijacked!

Did you like Romania? The morning was a little questionable, but they played some great old stuff in the afternoon, huh?

Hey! You busy? Just blowing up that balloon and letting it fart around the room while your dog gives you the stink eye for interrupting her nap? us, too. 

Wanna get out of here and head to Benin?

and away we go!

From what we're gathering, around the 17th century, a tribe consolidated power and created a state called the Dahomey Kingdom. It sounds like these guys were some real assholes. They were WAAAAAY into human sacrifice and would sacrifice people for just about any reason they could think up. Sometimes they'd sacrifice thousands of people at once and it would take daaaays to cut all their heads off. Most of the sacrificees were prisoners of war, but kings' wives didn't have it much better. They were ceremonially buried alive. 

These kings owned all the land and taxed all the crops, but an even bigger portion of their income came from slave trading. When the Europeans rolled around with slaving ships, they had a field day buying up the war captives. They remained a pretty powerful state for a couple of hundred years until the slave trade dried up in the mid-19th century and their economic power declined. 

The French took over and did their colony thang for awhile, as they were apt to do back then, and in 1960 Benin gained their independence. They went through a series of coups and in the 1970's a fella named Mathieu Kérékou took power stating he'd build a Marxist economy, not a capitalist, communist, or socialist one. 

Who knew the Grinch was Marxist?

Kérékou allied himself with the pariah states, scared off all the intellectual class, and financed his regime by taking France's nuclear waste. His government ended up running out of money in the late 1980's and since they couldn't pay the army, riots broke out, the banking system collapsed, and folks banded together and called for elections. 

Since then, it seems like they've done pretty well with democratic elections, and though they've got tons of problems, it appears that things are looking up for Benin. 

Let's tune in and see what they're up to today. (Yes, we acknowledge that this station is NOT based out of Benin. However, there isn't a station broadcasting out of Benin that has a reliable internet presence. Enjoy it, anyway; it's a good one!) We really didn't expect to hear all the Rastafarian chatter...

Africa 1

Listen Here

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Egypt - We're Moving to القاهرة!

So Monaco ended up being so much better than we'd expected. Wouldn't you totally preset that station if it was in your town? Maybe we should get bigger radio antennae for our cars...

Let's continue our trip around the world via radio and head across the Mediterranean to Egypt! Pinky's grandparents and aunt lived in Cairo for a little bit before his mom was born. His folks still have a resplendent gold and blue-striped robe hanging in a closet somewhere that his granddad bought. Pinky tried it on a year or two ago and it was so weird to have it fit. It always dragged on the floor when he was a kid; he's always been awe-struck by that thing.

Anyway, Egypt is one of the biggest time bombs on the world stage today and pretty much no one is talking about it. Hosni Mubarak, the president, is edging into his 80's. And, after almost 30 years in charge, he's still averse to relinquishing any power. His son, Gamal Mubarak, wants the presidency but everybody hates him, including a lot of the folks in his father's administration. Although his ascension would be the easiest, he'd have to really bust some balls to do it.


When Mubarak kicks the bucket, there's gonna be a giant power vacuum from his three decades of stymieing opposition and accruing power. As the largest Arab nation and one of America's closest allies in the region, it's gonna be interesting to watch it play out. Will Gamal Mubarak take the presidency? He's a really good pouter. Like, he could go pro...

but i want the presidency now, daddy! i want it now!

The Egyptian constitution has been meddled with so much, it would be tough for another party to take power via election and Gamal will be sure to carry on the autocratic tenure of his father. Will former I.A.E.A. head Mohamed El Baradei figure out a way to viably run as a candidate in emergency elections? Will there be a benevolent military coup? An organic velvet revolution? Will the Saudis attempt to influence succession with all the Egyptian media companies they've been buying up? Who knows. Certainly not us. (although, secretly our money is on the organic velvet revolution)

Anyway, let's tune in and see what Egypt sounds like today. Our station today is based out of Cairo (القاهرة), the capital city. Cairo in Arabic is al-Qāhira, which means "The Vanquisher." We are totally jealous that we live in towns names Asheville (Village of Ashy people) and Charlotte (Town With No Creative Naming Abilities). Hopefully the music is just as awesome!


Hey look! We lasted this entire post without making a "Walk Like an Egyptian" joke!

oh hey! Ellen is Cleopatra and Pinky is Anthony! and, even though you can't tell, they're walking like Egyptians.

OK! TUNE IN HERE! (YES WE'RE TOTALLY TRYING TO YELL OVER THE SOUND OF THE BANGLES!)

Nogoom FM

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DRC - Killer Kinshasa... literally

What did you think of that Qatar station? Music was OK, but too much talk. Plus, we got overheated just listening to the music.

Want to listen in on the Democratic Republic of the Congo today? Us, too! Pinky's second cousin served there in the Peace Corps back in the early 1960's, right after Kennedy started it. It was still Zaire at that point.

Currently the poorest country in the world, the DRC has had a pretty rough life, regardless of what moniker it's wearing. It was ravaged by slave traders in pre-colonial times, as was most of Africa. The king of Belgium took over in 1885, which one might think might not be so bad seeing as how tasty their waffles are, but hoooooo boy! Wrong! Around the turn of the 20th century he'd established rubber plantations for the world's burgeoning auto industry. If quotas weren't met, they'd hack off a limb. Like that'll make you work harder or faster... It's estimated that half, yes HALF, of the population died during this period due to exploitation and disease. Yikes. Bowing to international pressure, he turned control of the DRC over to the Belgian government in 1908 and they ruled until a nationalist movement declared independence in 1960. PS: Crazy Pants McGee (Leopold I of Belgium) would only remain king for another year until he his death in 1909.

he will seriously eat your hacked off limb.

A series of political crises and coups followed, until US-backed anti-communist Mobutu took over in the mid-60's and established a kleptocratic de facto dictatorship, complete with severe human rights violations and an insane cult of personality. 

how did we NOT know this guy was crazy?

He's thought to have squirreled away about 5 billion in Swiss banks. At one point in '75, he was the only person that the media could refer to by name. Everyone else was called by their position. He started renaming everything, and eventually settled on Zaire as the nations new name in the early 70's. He changed his own name as well to "Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga", which roughly translates to "The Great Unstoppable Warrior who goes from Victory to Victory, Leaving Fire in his Trail." Damn. We're kind of jealous.

Are you ready for this to get murky? Because here it comes: He continued to get lots of US support through the 70's and 80's, meeting with every president except Ford and Carter. When the USSR crumbled apart, relations between the US and Zaire cooled. A reformist movement smoldered during the 90's until it swept Mobutu from power with the support of Rwandan and Ugandan military forces. There was a whooooole lot of tension because of the Rwandan genocide, which Mobutu had supported (?!) and it factored into a lot of the politics of his government's overthrow. Mobutu even had the remains of the assassinated Rwandan president (who's assassination triggered the genocide) flown to Zaire so he could have them burned. What a crazy bird. Anyway, he fled to Morocco and died of cancer shortly thereafter. We're proud to report that Zaire quickly changed the name to the DRC.

A nasty civil war ensued, which soon earned the name Africa's World War. Eight African nations and about 25 militias were involved and about 5 and a half million people ended up dying, mostly from disease and starvation. That is the highest casualty rate of any conflict since WWII. Millions more folks were displaced; rape and horrible war crimes were systemic. Although peace accords were signed in 2003, the fragility of the government allows fighting and the worst sexual violence in the world to continue in the East driven by control of conflict minerals. Forced slavery is a reality here. No one is being held accountable for the atrocities that occurred. Rwanda and Uganda walk free. 

kids with guns

Once the 2nd most industrialized country in Africa, the DRC has suffered immeasurably under Mobutu and the ensuing civil war and is now rated as the poorest country in the world. (Although because of the devastation in Haiti next year the DRC might not be on the bottom.)

With all of that said, let's tune in to Kinshasa and see what it sounds like today.

Mangembo FM

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