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Settling scores on Congolese soil

From Genocide to Continental War: The 'Congolese' Conflict and the Crisis of Contemporary Africa Author Gérard Prunier Reviewed by Jamila El Abdellaoui London: HURST Publishers Ltd, 2009 ISBN: 978-1-85065-958-7

Frenchman Gérard Prunier's latest book provides an extensive and critical overview of the crisis that has engulfed Africa's Great Lakes region since the mid-1990s. Emphasising the fact that the 1994 genocide in Rwanda did not serve as a cause but rather as a catalyst of the crisis in the region, the book provides a chronological overview of the developments following the Rwandan genocide that led to what is often referred to as 'Africa's World War'; basically a period in time during which many countries in the region settled scores with adversaries on Congolese soil. Prunier continues this overview by discussing the negotiation process that was designed to end the crisis, as well as the transitional political dispensation it put in place in Congo.

In doing this, Prunier candidly discusses the problems with the involvement of the so-called international community in the crisis, most importantly France, the United States, the United Nations and international NGOs in general. For instance, Prunier argues that the fact that the international community's treatment of the genocide was humanitarian as opposed to political contributed to the eruption of a 'global war' in the genocide's aftermath.

Prunier also uses a considerable amount of space to analyse the actions of the RPF rebels who took power in the tiny, hilly country after they had driven out the génocidaires. In his account of the post-genocide events in both Rwanda and Eastern Congo, Prunier is rather critical of the new Rwandan regime. This is a clear move away from his previous, more sympathetic stance, something which the author admits and attempts to explain towards the end of the book.

Although commencing with the genocide in Rwanda, the author includes some fl ashbacks to historical events in the region which explain, amongst others, the complexities of the Kivu provinces, the eastern region of Congo that witnessed a huge infl ux of Rwandan refugees and génocidaires following the military victory of the RPF rebels. Referring to the region as the 'Kivu cockpit,' Prunier explains the demographic, agrarian, ethnic and economic dynamics in these provinces, as well as the importance of looking at these issues in that order specifi cally.

Lastly, in tackling the scale of the confl ict that erupted towards the end of the 1990s, Prunier discusses the interests and positions of the so-called 'interlopers' and 'onlookers' in the crisis. Belonging to the fi rst group, relevant developments in Sudan, Uganda and Angola are discussed in detail. A number of other countries in the region, amongst others Zambia and the Central African Republic, are discussed as the 'uneasy onlookers.'

Prunier's extensive chronological overview of the events in this highly complex region is extremely useful. Although the book covers more or less 13 years of developments in a highly complex situation, it does not lack detail and provides extensive and sometimes startling statistics on certain issues. And indeed, with some arguments Prunier remains true to his reputation as a 'maverick historian.' Given the fact that Eastern Congo has remained unstable even after the transitional period came to an end and has recently witnessed various 'milestone' developments, this book will assist those who are ardent on having a better appreciation of how we got to where we are today in this truly beautiful part of Africa.