The Foreign Service Journal, June 2013

60 June 2013 | the foreign Service journal riveting series of vignettes about millions of civilians living in the midst of a deadly war. Yet while the daily struggle to find food and safety shapes their lives, it never completely defines or overwhelms them. Although the book contains ugly scenes, Rawlence prefers to focus on the hope displayed by ordinary Congolese going about their lives: “In their faith that life will continue and, moreover, that things can improve, a peaceful future for Congo will be found.” The book touches only briefly on the fighting that broke out in the DRC in 1996 (a spillover from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda), and continues to this day. Per- haps as many as four million people have died as a result, but no one knows for sure. Rawlence tries to put a human face on the suffering and the societal breakdown that ensued. Near the city of Goma, for instance, he lunches with a Congolese Army colonel who suddenly interrupts their meal to beat two soldiers for trying to steal food—and then darkly hints Raw- lence may be next. Outside Virunga National Park, he runs across two girls detained by park rangers for collecting charcoal. The girls wail hysterically at their plight, and Rawlence fears what will happen to them once the rangers get them alone. His traveling companion warns him not to interfere. Later in the book, Rawlence meets survivors and ex-members of the Congolese Mai-Mai (not to be confused with the Kenyan Mau-Mau), a militia that “ate infants, burned parents and forced sons to kill their fathers and rape their mothers.” The Persistence of Hope Radio Congo: Signals of Hope from Africa’s Deadliest War Ben Rawlence, Oneworld Publications, 2012, $16, paperback, 300 pages. Reviewed by David Boyle In 2007, while planning a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ben Rawlence, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, came across a 50-year-old brochure promoting the city of Manono, in the country’s southeastern corner. He decided to visit “to see how people are coping after the war…in villages that nobody hears about.” The result is Radio Congo: Signals of Hope from Africa’s Deadliest War, a This brutal backdrop only serves to underscore the generosity Rawlence repeatedly encounters. After a punishing motorcy- cle ride, he stops at a village where “the people do not know us, yet have dropped everything to talk to us, warm us, feed us, house us.” Near the Zambian border, he speaks with Congolese refugees who risk their lives to return home to regain some measure of autonomy and self-respect; their children ask only for the opportu- nity to attend school. And in an isolated town, he finds an immigration officer with polished shoes and impeccable manners, prompting him to reflect: “Self-respect, manners and hospitality are makers of hope, refusals to capitulate” to the war. A captivating narrator, Rawlence man- ages to find humor in the most unlikely places. A difficult aid worker “may work for a charity, but won’t exercise any char- ity herself.” On the door of a bar, he sees a sign, “No vests, no sandals, no machine guns,”—and adds, “in that order.” And he concludes one misadventure with this sage advice: “Often, the best way to solve a difficult problem in Congo is to get drunk.” Near the end of the book, Rawlence finally reaches Manano, a hollow shell of the prosperous city that existed 50 years ago. He doesn’t shy away from describing the ruins he found there, or the human suffering 17 years of war have inflicted on the whole country. But he chooses to spotlight the signs of a still-vibrant society brimming with hope, and held together by the heroism of ordinary men and women. n David Boyle is the deputy chief of the po- litical section in San Salvador. He has also served in Toronto, Malabo, Manila, Lagos, Lima and Kinshasa. You Are Our Eyes & Ears! Dear Readers: In order to produce a high-quality product, the FSJ depends on the revenue it earns from advertising. You can help with this. Please let us know the names of companies that have provided good service to you — a hotel, insurance company, auto dealership, or other concern. A referral from our readers is the best entrée! Ed Miltenberger Advertising & Circulation Manager Tel: (202) 944-5507 E-mail: miltenberger@afsa.org Rawlence shows us a wartorn, yet still vibrant society.