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Brief History of the Congo as it relates to the setting of The Poisonwood Bible1840-1872? Scottish explorer David Livingstone explores the Congo River and surrounding area. (Portuguese)1878? King Leopold II of Belgium makes plans for colonization of Congo. He commissions former journalist Henry Morton Stanley to ink treaties with local chiefs.1885? Congo Free State established under Leopold after being formally recognized by European powers at Conference of Berlin.1890-1908? Belgian forces annex a number of areas of the Congo basin, forcing control of trade. Congolese are pressed into forced labour to harvest rubber and ivory and to build transportation and other infrastructure. Millions of Congolese are killed by Leopold's enforcement squads.1908? Reacting to outcry over atrocities committed against Congolese, the Belgian Parliament annexes Congo Free State, renamed The Belgian Congo. Mostly, churches control education and reflect Christian and Western values, ignoring Congolese culture.Early 1960 Riots in Leopoldville and Stanleyville prompt independence. In 1960, the country was very unstable state—regional tribal leaders held far more power than the central government—and with the departure of the Belgian administrators, there were almost no skilled bureaucrats left in the country. The first Congolese university graduate was only in 1956, and virtually no one in the new nation had any idea of how to manage a country of such size.June 30, 1960? The Republic of the Congo gains independence from Belgium. Patrice Lumumba, leader of the Congolese National Movement (the country's first nation-wide party), wins the first national election. He is deposed within months by army leader Joseph Désiré Mobutu and killed by secessionists on Jan. 16 of the following year. ?July 1960-June 1964? Up to 20,000 UN peacekeepers are sent to the Congo after the newly independent country asks for help resisting Belgian troops. The UN Security Council asks Belgium to withdraw. In the years immediately following independence, a number of secessionists (including foreigners and Congolese nationals) clash with the provisional UN forces for control. ?November 1965? Mobutu installs himself as president, for 5 years.November 1970? Mobutu officially elected president in national elections. ?Source: Brief Modern History of the Congo, Post - The Poisonwood BibleThe First Congo War (1996-7)The Second Congo War (1998-2003)Transitional Government (2003-6)Conflicts spilling over from Rwanda and its genocide and conflicts over mineral rights and fishing ponds continue still today, from tribal and global demands for resources. ................
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