A People Destroyed

Blood continues to flow despite the signing of a peace agreement intended to stop the horrendous violence in the eastern provinces of the Congo. The agreement has been largely ignored by the alphabet soup of militias, army factions, guerilla bands, and outright criminal enterprises terrorizing the region. It is a humanitarian nightmare that may never end. Here is a short passage on the subject from Heart of Diamonds.

I hope you will make a donation to help the victims of rape, terror, and violence in the Congo. Women for Women International is one organization doing great work there Any bit you can send them will be appreciated and do a world of good for some people who really need it.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

The Machete

Armed militias and criminal gangs control their territories by intimidating the civilian population. Exploitation of the Congo’s natural resources is their true goal, which they achieve by using brutal violence to enforce their demands for money and supplies. Here is a short passage on the subject from Heart of Diamonds.

I hope you will consider a small donation to Women for Women Internationalto help the victims of rape, terror, and violence in the Congo. Your gift will be greatly appreciated and do a world of good for some people who really need it.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Tribal Rivalry Easy To Blame

Every time I read how "tribal rivalries" have sparked another outbreak of violence, my B.S. detector goes off. It's a sure sign that someone (mainly the reporter) is taking the easy way out.

Ascribing violence in Kenya (or anywhere else in Africa) solely to “tribal rivalries” is little more than a simplistic dismissal of complex reality. It’s also denigrating to individuals whose lives consist of much more than looking for ways to enhance their tribe’s fortunes. Finding a job, educating their children, putting food on the table are important to most of the people I’ve met in my travels to Africa.

When I was researching Heart of Diamonds, I found tribal identity an important but not dominating factor. It was there, it could be exploited, but it didn’t particularly define a person. Family ties were much stronger, for example, than membership in the tribe.

However, when an individual’s economic and social interests are suppressed by another group—be they a tribe, a religious group, or a political party—people complain. When institutions, governmental or otherwise, fail to respond to those complaints for various reasons, individual complaints are channeled into group protests. Tribal membership isn’t the cause of violence, it’s simply a facilitating device exploited by power-hungry leaders.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds

Tags: romantic thriller, Congo, blood diamonds