DR Congo-the Miracle country we can learn from

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