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Erik Prince, The Military Industrial Complex and The DR Congo
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Erik Prince, a former marine and an active Republican went viral with his views on Africa last week.
In an interview which was seen several times around the world, the highly unintelligent military contractor made the case for the recolonization of Africa.
For millions of Americans who are incredibly uninformed about Africa and its post-war history, Prince’s points will have been music to their ears, but to those who are better informed, they will have been slightly embarrassed by what they saw in that footage.
So why have I written this?
The Democratic Republic of Congo.
The United States of America has had its claws in Belgium’s only colony in Africa, long before self-determination became a thing among the natives.
And America’s wealthy elite saw Patrice Lumumba as antithetical to its aspirations to control the multi-trillion resources, which this troubled country had (still has) in excess.
No sooner had the former trade unionist taken the reins of power from its former European colonizer, than its problems began, with the dearth of talent to administer its affairs and the power struggle between Lumumba and Moise Tshombe began, with the resource rich Katanga province, the bone of contention.
But Lumumba’s poor handling of the matters of state, post independence, gave America the much needed excuse to orchestrate his removal from power.
What was meant to be a straight forward exercise of regime change, ended up being a protracted conflict, which drew in the UN peace keeping forces, Ghana, and the Soviet Union.
And by the time our protagonist was captured and awaiting his fate, Dwight Eisenhower was rounding up his second term as President.
And it is no coincidence that Lumumba was assassinated on the 17th of January 1961, three days shy of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration…
