DR Congo-the Miracle country we can
learn from
One of my favourite artists of all times is the late Madilu-the
burly Congolese with a silky voice. When he was consumed in his art, Madilu
drifted along taking you with him that you would hum along as if you are a band
member of the mighty Madilu System. You need to listen to “Nzele”. Madilu truly epitomized what music is- “the bread of the
soul!”
His native country the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR
Congo) has many things coming with it. The DR Congo has one of the largest reserves
of diamond, gold and other top minerals. Its River Congo also has hydro
potential that if harnessed could supply the whole of Africa with power, large
reserves of forest cover, the prized mountain gorillas. These factors could
make DRC an economic power house globally.
But a confluence of armed conflict, geo-politics, tattered
leadership and a post-independence tragedy that they have never recovered from
have all conspired to deny this vast country the opportunity to realize its vast
potential.
Congo today is strongly held together by Lingala- a rich
African dialect that is widely spoken across the large country.
On Sunday, the DR Congo delivered Masterclass!
While Manchester United and Chelsea were flexing it out in
the English league thousands of miles away, there was a high level soccer going
on at the CHAN finals down here in Rwanda.
The DRC Leopards tore into Mali striking three clean goals without
any inch of controversy. No penalties, no claim of referee bias- It was just superior
Congo giving a demonstration of . The opening goal was a wonder, struck from
almost the left corner flag, stretching the keeper but leaving almost six men
watching it fly past them. You need to see it to believe it was a goal in the
final.
Then there was a second, then a third
And then they crowned it with the “bum dancing.”
How beautiful it was to watch! And now they are the most
successful country in the CHAN winning it twice while bacons of stability like
Tanzania did not even qualify!
Lessons
DR Congo provides good lessons for us. They live in the most
fragmented country, torn by war, with the East almost deriving its livelihood
from the rest of EAC states like Uganda. They host the largest contingent of
the UN peace keeping force anywhere in the world, yet war and pillage continue
with almost no end in sight.
But when they have to show up and live beyond these everyday
tragedies, the citizens have done just that- delivered using their greatest
strength. Yesterday, they did not let their heads drop. Even when they faced
the hosts in the quarter finals with a hostile home crowd. They won.
It was a real show piece, best done by the masters of
African music.
We too can rise above this adversity as Africans, because
all said, we have less difficulties to deal with than the state of Congo. Can
we find our strengths, and be known by them even when they rest of the world
wants to label us differently. What a great exhibition of DR Congo by their football
team that smashed the image of war they are synonymous with
