Congo: a journey to the heart of Africa

 

BBC documentary on Congo, the giant country the size of Europe in the middle of Africa. 

The team travels from Kinshasha, on the western coast of the nation bordering the Atlantic Ocean to Lumumbashi, on the eastern coast. The country is huge but racked with numerous problems from corruption, to poverty to lack of development. 

The colonizers looted the country like anything forcing its citizens to become slaves and get beaten or killed. Belgium was the worst offender with King Leopold a brutal king greedy of the riches this country had to offer. 

Then Mobutu Sese Seko, the Zairean leader who ruled the country with an iron fist for more than 4 decades was an autocratic dictator and kept its citizens on impoverished state. He had Patrice Lumumba the only popular leader of Congo, killed. The country is rich in minerals like copper, cobalt, gold, diamonds etc. which is why even the eastern neighbours like Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda have eyes on those natural resources. 

The country has immense potential to tap hydro electric power with raging rapids along the Congo river, but very little development. Then there is fighting on the eastern part of the country in Goma, where the government is not to be seen at all. Local leaders have sprung up destroying the peace and potential of this country. There are about half a million refugees within the country itself.

Interesting documentary this, the presenter goes from Kinshasha to Mbandaka, Gbadolite (which was the home town of Mobutu) Kisangani, Goma, Beni, Kalemie and finally to Lubumbashi. The country is breathtakingly beautiful with its rain forests, rivers, mountains, wild life, gorillas, its rich minerals but poor state of governance. 

Great Zimbabwe

 

BBC four part series on the lost kingdoms of Africa, this is part 3 where Dr. Gus Casely-Hayford goes to Greater Zimbabwe. 

Greater Zimbabwe is a city in the southern part of Zimbabwe which was the capital of a kingdom but not certain which king ruled here. They have stone walls with narrow passages that had some significance. 

Before that he went to Manyikeni an architectural site in Mozambique which has got some connection with the Greater Zimbabwe style of buildings. 

The Kingdom of Mapungubwe in present day South Africa is also another place where gold trading used to take place and there were links to the Swahili Coast of East Africa. Its a world heritage site 

Two other places that Gus visited were Kilwa Kisawani and Rhapta and both were gold trading centres. Kilwa Kisawani is in Tanzania and now a World Heritage Site. Moroccan traveller Ibn Batuta apparently visited Kilwa and was mightily impressed by it. Lot of trade used to take place in the ancient past between the east coast of Africa and the Gulf Arab regions, India and China. 

Good series to watch so far. 

Ethiopia

 

A BBC four part documentary on the lost kingdoms of Africa takes us to Ethiopia, known as the cradle of civilisation from where ostensibly the first human beings came out of Africa and traveled by foot to various parts of the world. 

Ethiopia has a rich history dating back to pre Christian times when King Solomon and Queen Sheeba's son had connections with Ethiopia. There are legends that it is the birth place of Judaism. 

Dr. Gus Casely-Hayford, art historian and narrator of this documentary takes us to various places in Ethiopia which could possibly show the connection to King Solomon and Queen Sheeba. The kingdom of Aksum probably contains the ark which is zealously guarded by the local administration there. 

Dr. takes us to Harar, Lalibela, Gondor, Dire Dawa which has rock cut caves dating to the pre historic and pre Christian era. Ethiopia has more religious history behind it and tied to it are the monuments of the past built by the kings of that era. There are rock buildings carved out of a single piece of rock, like those found in Hampi and Ajanta in India and hieroglyphics giving messages of the kings of that era. Interesting documentary to watch.