In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz
Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo
by Michela Wrong · first published 2000
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Known as "the Leopard," the president of Zaire for thirty-two years, Mobutu Sese Seko, showed all the cunning of his namesake -- seducing Western powers, buying up the opposition, and dominating his people with a devastating combination of brutality and charm. While the population was pauperized, he plundered the country's copper and diamond resources, downing pink champagne in his jungle palace like some modern-day reincarnation of Joseph Conrad's crazed station manager.Michela Wrong, a correspondent who witnessed Mobutu's last days, traces the rise and fall of the idealistic young journalist
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If you're interested in learning a little more about the Congo's history, I highly recommend Michela Wrong's book In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo. Ignore the sensationalized title and apparently cliche reference to Heart of Darkness, the writing is much smarter than that. She wrote it shortly after…
on “The Dark Side of Congo’s Cobalt Rush” ↗The book "In the footsteps of Mr. Kurtz" [1], is a fascinating account of the post-colonial Congo region, which comes up several times in the OP article. 1 - https://www.amazon.com/Footsteps-Mr-Kurtz-Disaster-Mobutus/d...
on “The Frenchman who pioneered the modern mercenary industry” ↗> Perhaps surprisingly, the least sympathetic characters post-independence in In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz might be the World Bank and IMF employees. Could you elaborate?
on “The Dark Side of Congo’s Cobalt Rush” ↗