Congo vs. Congo: ‘let a serpent live, but kill the Zairean’ is a tradition long practiced in Congo Brazzaville

Recent events between the two Congos – RC and DRC – have prompted controversial reactions. To many, Brazzaville’s expulsion of ex-Zaireans is a deliberate attempt to insult a country whose resources they rely upon heavily. It should be highlighted from the start that there’s an estimate of over 80,000 expelled since the beginning of April 2014. The purpose, it seems at first, was to clear irregular immigrants from DRC; for ‘security’ matters. However, the reason why it has escalated to the serious violation of Human Rights and the torturous methods undertaken to send these people back to their country is what the DRC government is yet to explain to its citizens.

It is not in vain we raise our voices to deplore such cruelty. Humanity has to read Martin Niemoller’s poem whose first lines read ‘First they came for the/ Socialists, and I did not speak out/ because I was not a Socialist…’ to understand that only when death strikes your own home do you realise how much others endured when going  through grief. We cannot expect the West and its media to propagate the enormity of the calamities imposed on our people. We cannot condemn them either; the principle being that everybody should be responsible only for their own. It is a sign of cowardice and eternal dependency; to always rely on BBC, CNN, RFI and the likes. At least we have the so-called freedom of press now, and the whole media platform to say that it is utterly wrong what Brazzaville did and is still doing. The focus, however, is not so much on Brazzaville. If anything, we should blame our government, the DRC government, for the constant sign of immaturity in political affairs and the lack of will to intervene in such life-threatening abuses against its people.

When the first rumours fell upon our ears that Brazzaville embarked on a conflicting approach against Zaireans, we could but believe it was only a small wave that would soon be over. Yes, we were very naïve to underestimate what they were truly capable of. But why were we so naïve? The reasons reside in these facts. First of all, the difference in population between RC and DRC is nearly 75 million with DRC having approximately 77,433,744 million inhabitants compared to 4, 75 million in RC. Of course a country’s strength doesn’t rely on its size, but it is a factor that cannot be ignored. Secondly, Brazzaville’s SNE depends on Inga from DRC to receive electricity. And thirdly, most of its goods come from DRC; with Ngobila playing an important role for its survival. Given these elements only, one was persuaded that a simple move from our government would suppress whatever Nguesso and his government are doing. We did not ask for much, this problem didn’t require loud trumpets and war declarations whatsoever. A simple act only would have shown Brazzaville that they have no right to put our people alive in mortuaries, and to expel families under such brutalities. In fact, hadn’t it been for the colonialists and the scramble for Africa, RC would be included in DRC to date. In RC we find the Ngala,Teke, Kongo… all of which came from DRC – we should be realistic that Zaireans have just as much the right to live there as their natives. But since they have managed to create their own history claiming to have De Brazza for founder and separating themselves from DRC, we have gradually accepted them as an independent country – this nevertheless gives them no right to mock us so openly.

Despite our cries, it is very shocking the reaction of the DRC government. Well, not so surprising because one cannot be surprised anymore given all this government’s previous doings. While the population very much expects an efficient response and solution from Kabila and his people, the country’s spokesman, Lambert Mende comes on stage to play the saint and blur reality. According to him, near 95% of all Zaireans are still untouched and live peacefully in Brazzaville so it would be wrong for the government to react against the ‘few’ cases and endanger the lives of those who are still on the other side of the river Congo. A reasonable argument, it seems. But only those who do not know the malignance of this government will swallow such humiliating statements. What we need right now is not the usual Zairean attitude of a warm and tender-hearted saint who always says the most High will recompense those who inflict pain upon them. We do not want to be retold over and over that Brazzaville and us are ‘brothers’. Even if they were our ‘brothers’, they deserve a very clear correction for not respecting their elders. After all, they need to learn how to not bite the hand that feeds them.

How to punish them is a question to which an answer is not so clearly defined. The government should be the essence to back the population’s demand for a punishment. But of course our government isn’t called ‘Momemi maki’ in vain. As long as we rely on them for change, our people will continue to die and suffer and that not only in Brazzaville but in the whole world. There is no respect whatsoever for the Congolese people, because nobody can respect you if you do not start by respecting yourself.