Congo: Imperialist intrigue and disinformation (The following article was published in "The Guardian", newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, June 4th, 1997) By Rob Gowland The liberation struggle that has brought down the 32-year dictatorial regime of President Mobutu Seso Seko in Zaire has been misrepresented and vilified in the Western bourgeois press almost without let up. The TV news coverage could not avoid showing the cheering throngs that welcomed the "rebels" at every stage, but no opportunity was missed to speculate about genocide, massacres of refugees or wholesale looting. In fact, the real perpetrators of atrocities and looting were the troops of the retreating Mobutu forces. After a serious battle fought at Kenge, only 120 miles east of Kinshasa, the French medical charity, Doctors Without Borders, said an entire local church choir was killed by retreating government troops. Mobutu was installed as ruler with CIA backing in 1965, to suppress the national democratic forces that had led the former Belgian Congo to independence. His regime also served as a reactionary brake on progressive governments and movements in neighbouring countries. As long as imperialism perceived the threat of socialist revolution hanging over central and southern Africa, Mobutu's extreme corruption was tolerated. France cultivated a relationship with the dictator in an effort to oust US and British imperial influence in the country. When the international situation changed, however, Mobutu's corrupt and bloody rule became a hindrance to the efficient exploitation of the country's wealth. Congo (Zaire) has enormous wealth in deposits of gold, diamonds, copper, zinc and other minerals, the sale of which provides the country's major source of foreign exchange. The mineral industries have plummeted under Mobutu's misrule. As popular discontent grew, and local rebellions simmered, US and British imperialists tried to stay ahead of the play by covertly aiding the rebels, hoping to replace French influence with their own and to dominate or control whatever new government came to power. It has even been reported that the US did the training and equipping of the Alliance army, chiefly at bases in Uganda, whose President, Yoweri Museveni, has been highly praised in the West, for making Uganda fully compliant with IMF-World Bank demands. Uganda has certainly played a major part in aiding Mobutu's overthrow and it is probably not insignificant that in April Uganda became the first African country to win IMF-World Bank approval for debt relief. Nevertheless, the continuing press attacks on Kabila ("Kabila grabs full control ... acting like the dictator he deposed" -- "The Australian" 30.5.97) suggest that he is not following the course imperialism hoped for. US Marxist economist Victor Perlo noted in "People's Weekly World": "The new government, having already established a state mining company, Gecomines, has started contracting out operation of mines to capitalists with technical equipment, skills and markets. A US company, American Mineral Fields Inc, has been awarded a contract of over $800 million for processing zinc tailings. The Anglo-American Corporation of South Africa, which has virtual monopoly for distribution of African minerals, has agreed to supply $100 million of capital in exchange for a 20 percent interest in this contract. "That practice is in accord with anti-imperialist, progressive governments in today's world -- dealing with capitalist corporations in order to obtain funds and technology for development while retaining control and majority ownership. "This aspect conforms with the policy of establishing state ownership of basic industries and transport. The Congo (Zaire) has nationalized a key railroad that was owned by a private company with South African, Belgian and Zairian interests." Imperialist intrigue and disinformation campaigns would seem set to continue to loom large in the immediate future of the Democratic Republic of Congo and its new government. The Guardian | Phone: (612) 9212.6855 65 Campbell Street | Fax: (612) 9281.5795 Surry Hills. 2010 Australia | Email Webpage