The Discovery of Congo: Journey to the Heart of Africa

Henry Morton Stanley travels to Africa in 1874, commissioned by British and American newspapers, to explore the Congo River. The whole world reads along. Later, Stanley claims large parts of Congo in the name of Leopold II. That is also world news. These historical journeys form the common thread in the new book by Rudi Vranckx: The Discovery of Congo.
More than a century and a half after Stanley, the Belgian presence in Congo is a distant memory. The country is a mess, prey to corruption, political arbitrariness and a new generation of colonizers, this time from China. Over the past ten years, a major African war has raged that has cost the lives of millions of people and pushed important parts of Congo over the edge of the abyss. Rudi Vranckx seeks out the last witnesses in Congo to let them give their view of history. The Congolese themselves have their say.
On his extensive journey through Congo, Rudi Vranckx discovers a country that we actually no longer know. As always, his erudition and storytelling talent guarantee a story that makes many others redundant.