A Tale of Two Congos Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pygmies

By definition, pygmies are a native population where the males average less than five feet in height. There is some debate as to whether pygmies were the original inhabitants in the area, but they constituted the main population until somewhere between 3000 B.C.E. and 1000 C.E. (Sources vary on the dates). Pygmies still live in the forests and jungles of the two countries, but as with most short people, they are a repressed minority. Disturbingly, they have been the victims of cannibalism by some Congolese who believe pygmy flesh and organs have magical powers.

Answer: Bantus

Sources vary widely on the dates of the Bantu migration, with most placing it between 3000 B.C.E. and 1000 C.E. Interestingly, the Bantu classification is actually tied to language rather than ethnicity or culture. Regardless of tribal affiliation, people whose language is in the Bantu group are considered to be Bantus (and the word itself means "The People"). Some of the most widely spoken Bantu languages include Swahili, Zulu and Lingala, the latter being one of the main languages of both Congos.

The term Bantu, as it applies to people, does have a negative connotation in parts of Africa because it lumps together people of different cultures and because it was used derogatively during apartheid. Still, this is the term used to describe the people who participated in one of the world's great migrations.

Answer: Portugal

Portuguese explorer Diogo Cam is credited with discovering the Congo River (although the natives probably already knew it was there). The initial relations between the Kingdom of Kongo (for which the river was named) and Portugal were friendly. The natives accepted Christianity, and Portugal accepted King Nkuwu (Joao I after his religious conversion) as the ruler of the territory. Things fell apart however, when the Portuguese began raiding the area for slaves in the early 16th century.

The Bantu kingdoms in the area initially profited from the slave trade, using it to remove hostile tribes, but with the establishment of Brazil in South America, the Portuguese need for slaves grew, and they began abducting citizens of the kingdoms, much to the displeasure of the kings.

Answer: Henry Morton Stanley

Welsh by birth, Stanley traveled to the United States in his teens and fought first for the Confederacy and then the Union in the American Civil War. (He had been captured by the Union troops and apparently decided if you can't beat them, join them). After returning to Britain, he took a job as a journalist and was sent to Africa to locate David Livingstone, a Scottish explorer who hadn't been heard from for a number of years while on an expedition to locate the source of the Nile. Together, Stanley and Livingstone explored much of eastern Africa, and after Livingstone's death, Stanley continued his exploration, moving to western Africa where he is credited with mapping the course of the Congo River.

Incidentally, his famous quote may have been concocted; Livingstone never mentioned it.

Answer: To divide Africa up amongst the European powers

The division of the continent continued into the 20th century as borders were re-drawn and the colonial nations exchanged parcels of land. The conference had long term effects on the African continent. Besides subjecting the indigenous populations to colonialism, the countries were established without regard for ethnicity, culture or language divisions, resulting in internal conflicts within the new nations.

These conflicts created turmoil for not only the colonial overlords but also for the independent nations that emerged during the next century.

The repercussions were felt in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as inter-tribal violence continued to plague the nations into the 21st century.

Answer: France and Belgium

The area surrounding the Congo River was battled over for a number of years, with the Portuguese, French, Belgians and English all trying to take control of it. The French were successful in gaining the land north of the Congo River to include present-day Gabon and named the area French Congo. By 1910, they had expanded their holdings to include the area of present-day Chad and the Central African Republic, and they renamed the entire colony as French Equatorial Africa.

King Leopold II of Belgium gained control of the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo and called it the Congo Free State. He ran the country so oppressively that, according to a Belgian government commission, half the population of the country perished during his rule. The Belgian parliament took control of the country in 1908 and changed the name to the Belgian Congo. French has remained the official language in both countries although many other indigenous languages exist, and the two countries have remained separate despite overlapping ethnic groups.

Answer: Nationalist leaders who died under mysterious circumstances

Andre Matsoua had originally trained as a priest in the early 20th century but instead decided to pursue political activities. He founded an organization called Amicale with the goal of self-improvement and unionization for citizens in the Republic of the Congo; this didn't go over very well with the colonial government, and he was repeatedly imprisoned. He died in prison, reportedly from natural causes, but due to the fact that he was buried secretly, his followers were never satisfied with that explanation. He has become legendary since his death, with Matsouanism emerging as a mixture of political activism and religion.

Like Matsoua, Patrice Lumumba was also a promoter of unionization and spent time in prison. He was directly involved in the attainment of independence for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was the first elected Prime Minister, but he was forced out of office within a few months and imprisoned. He was secretly executed thereafter, although the official report stated that he was killed during an escape attempt.

Answer: 1960s

Both countries celebrated their independence in 1960. Unfortunately, they both decided to take the name Republic of Congo, which resulted in some confusion; hence the Republic of the Congo was known as Congo-Brazzaville or simply Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo was known as Congo-Kinshasa or The Congo.

In 1966, the latter country adopted Democratic Republic of the Congo as its name only to be renamed Zaire in 1971. Both countries were affected by much internal turmoil following independence as the different factions within tried to grab control of the countries, not only along tribal lines but also on ideological grounds, with Communism being pursued by some leaders.

Answer: Adoption of democracy

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Communist factions within the countries found themselves without funding, reducing their activities. Meanwhile the conversion of many of the former Communist dictatorships to democracy was also mimicked in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, although it was largely symbolic, particularly in the latter. The dictator, Joseph-Desire Mobutu, who had been in control of that country since the 1960s, retained his position until 1997 when he was forced out. The country name was then changed from Zaire back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to remove any connection with him.

The Republic of the Congo started off on the right path, with elections and a change of leadership in 1992, but suppression of political opposition and disputed elections in future years led to the establishment of several rebel groups. A peace agreement with most of the rebel groups was signed in 1999, but elections continued to be disputed into the 21st century.

Answer: Angola, Namibia, Uganda and Rwanda

The nations surrounding the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo took sides in the internal strife in these countries. Some provided military assistance at the behest of the ruling parties; others supported rebel factions in the hope of gaining access to the abundant natural resources in the countries.

The mid-1990s conflict in Rwanda spilled over into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with Hutu refugees fleeing into the latter, and Hutu militia conducting raids in Rwanda from the refugee camps. Oppression of Congolese Tutsis followed. According to an International Rescue Committee survey, over five million people were estimated to have died during these conflicts.