The Congo Wars: Conflict, Myth and Reality - Softcover

Turner, Doctor Thomas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1842776894 ISBN 13: 9781842776896

Publisher: Zed Books, 2007

Synopsis

This book, by a lifelong authority on the Congo, makes sense of the world's least reported and least understood major war. Since 1996 successive waves of armed conflict in the Congo have left behind at least 3 million casualties, overwhelmingly civilian. Turner throws new light on partisan and economically self-interested military interventions by Uganda, Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia. And he cuts through the highly tendentious historical myths that have been used to make sense of the unfolding catastrophe both in the region and beyond. The book also indicates the changes required of the international community, neighboring African states and Congolese political leaders if this hugely resource-rich region of Central Africa is to build peace and economic security for its people.

About this title

About the Author:

Thomas Turner is Professor of Political Science at the National University of Rwanda

Review:

'The Congo Wars is the work of a master Africanist. Turner's synthetic analysis of Congo's conflicts is multi-faceted yet completely compelling. This remarkable study is destined to be the standard monographic reference on Congo's recent tragic conflicts for the foreseeable future.' John Clark, Florida International University 'Thomas Turner unravels in masterful fashion the tangledskeins of recent events in Congo-Kinshasa. His deft analysis and rich detial provide the best account yet published of the two Congo wars from 1996-2002, particularly in the two Kivus.' M. Crawford Young, University of Wisconsin-Madison 'Thomas Turner's book will likely be the point of reference for anyone interested in the Congo wars, their origins and dynamics and why, in spite of the carnage, they remain a largely ignored and unknown conflict outside of Central Africa.' Ian Taylor, University of St Andrews 'The most lucid and detailed analysis of the complexity of the internal and interregional wars that have plagued this vast country since 1996. A remarkable and highly readable book.' Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, United Nations Development Programme '..is helpful in demonstrating the basic tribal nature of the recent Congo conflicts.' Duncan Bowie, Chartist 'The Congo Wars is a concise, well-written history of this often confusing conflict. Thomas Turner is particularly impressive when analysing the actions and motivations of the many African states involved in the fighting.' Peace News

About this edition

• Publisher: Zed Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1842776894
• ISBN 13: 9781842776896
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256