congo line

i ended my recent trip to rwanda with a visit to the border town of gisenyi, on beautiful lake kivu. a bit like being in lugano, this verdant region of western rwanda lies at the doorstep of the democratic republic of congo (drc), or simply, 'congo'. the town of gisenyi literally ends at the border post, and on the other side is the city of goma. currently at the center of conflict, it is a veritable hotbed of violence that has bubbled over like the nearby volcano that almost destroyed this town some years ago. not one to be easily frightened, this was one place that made me feel incredibly vulnerable, and for once, i had no desire to cross the border to get another stamp in my passport.

i was intrigued by a front page article in yesterday's new york times, which outlines the current civil war which continues to take shape in this place. more than the geopolitical discussion, i was intrigued by the differences in rwanda and congolese culture which is in part a point of the article. the following is an excerpt:

the fighting is also rekindling the kind of ethnic hatred that previously dragged this region into the most deadly conflict since world war II. it began with the rwandan genocide, in which hutu extremists killed 800,000 tutsi and moderate hutu in 1994. many of the genocide’s perpetrators fled into congo, igniting regional conflicts, lasted for nearly a decade and killed, by some estimates, as many as four million people through violence, disease and hunger.

the current battle is in many ways a throwback to the earliest and most difficult questions at the heart of the congo war, and also a reflection of longstanding hostilities toward tutsi, who are widely viewed here as being more rwandan than congolese, and as foreign interlopers with outsize economic and political influence.

in many ways, congo’s tutsi are a people apart, an unusual minority with influence but also problems beyond its size. these differences are reflected in a unique way of life. when the congolese army routed rebel forces in one of the strategic towns they occupied in a recent, ultimately failed push, the army celebrated with stiff pulls of rotgut whiskey. but when the rebels routed the army with a much smaller force a few days later, they toasted their victory with cups of milk from the most prized of tutsi possessions, dairy cows.

this reputation for sobriety and determination helps explain why tutsi have been so successful in business, according to tutsi community leaders in goma, the regional capital. “when we were investing and working, the congolese were listening to music and playing football,” said modeste makabuza ngoga, a tutsi who is one of goma’s richest men, with investments in transportation, telecommunications, tin ore and the gasoline trade, among other things. “are we to be blamed for that?”.

some of goma’s wealthy tutsi feel so unsafe that they sleep in gisenyi, a town just inside the rwandan border, a fact that reinforces the common perception that congolese tutsi are more rwandan than congolese.

rwanda’s history is a powerful touchstone for congo’s tutsi. similar disparities — a small group controlling considerable wealth and influence, amid a powerful sense of grievance from the majority — helped create the conditions that led to the genocide in rwanda in 1994. until the rwandan genocide, congolese hutu and tutsi coexisted relatively peacefully and in many ways faced the same kinds of persecution from other ethnic groups that considered them outsiders. but when the hutu perpetrators of the rwandan genocide flooded into congo, tensions rose between congolese hutu and tutsi as well.

joseph dunia ruyenzi, a human rights activist in goma, said that despite this history, tutsi must put their trust in the fledgling democracy of congo. “all congolese must see themselves as congolese first, and as having a stake in peace and prosperity,” he said. “our only option is to be in this together.”

black clouds

political and ethnic loyalties have long intertwined in kenya, and the violence that erupted after president mwai kibaki claimed re-election shows how volatile the mix can be. as in previous ballots, candidates campaigned using a mix of direct and indirect ethnic appeals. phrases like "it is our time to eat" were understood by voters who know that whoever controls the presidency has power to allocate money, jobs, and other benefits to his own group.

barely one week ago, i pass through nairobi on my way to bruxelles. fantasies of frolicking zebras, statuesque giraffes, and nightlife of mombassa dance like sugar-plum fairies in my head. yes, an impending election, scheduled for two days after my brief interlude, roots my fantasies, but that is just a passing thought.

here we are, one week on, and kenya has erupted in complete and utter violent chaos! oh me, oh my. feeling a bit like the kiss of death! hope my presence on this east african nation's soil didn't spark this civil unrest! i keep thinking that i was attempting to maneuver a day or two in the capital on my way back, at the serena with a visit to the national park - that would not have worked out so well, given the current circumstances!

tragic, really, that a country as prosperous and stable as kenya has descended into what will hopefully be a short-lived spree of killing and looting. having met many kenyans recently, i can attest that they are warm, cultured, and extremely civil - so the images flashing across the tv screen seem incongruous with my own developed experiences.

it is jarring and frightening, nonetheless, to see people wielding bloody machetes in the slummed streets of nairobi, and in other parts of the land. the root of most of this, beyond the alleged fraudulent election results, seems to be ethnic tension which manifests itself along political lines (what else is new?!). having spent a good deal of time in rwanda this year, which suffered horribly as a result of the genocide, and whose own violence was in good measure carried out with said machetes, i am personally horrified at any repetition of this brutality in africa (whatever the circumstances).

as a new year begins, my thoughts are with those who are, sadly, ringing in a new era under the pessimistic shadow of internal strife and violence.

h

rwanda civic

For those of you who have not yet booked into Costa Rica for Christmas, please consider the following, as noted in today’s edition of the New Times:

“At the first sight, Jambo Beach Muhazi, one is immediately attracted by its new grass-thatched huts, different from the previous look. Under the new management, Jambo Investment Group, renovations have been made giving the place a new ambiance. Despite the fact that the beach misses the lake side sand and is also very small, people enjoying the remaining option of boat riding and sitting by the side of the lake as they share a bottle or two, a buffet, or some sort of snacks. Nothing is as exciting as taking off in one of the two available boats, or seeing the crane bird that has attracted foreigners to take its picture”.

So, let me get this straight. There’s two boats, a crane bird, and a partridge in a pear tree, right?

Before I get into the day, which was amazing, let me start with my late afternoon. Today we worked through lunch so we could get Sifa, my peer, back to her family at a decent hour - the resulting and unexpected benefit for me was my early arrival back to my luxurious home (how will I ever cope with Windex again!). On the way here, we had passed through a different part of the center of town (ie. one block away from where I was the other day) and it was mobbed with people. Don’t forget, we’re just below the equator, so even though it is light out well into the evening at home, the sun sets (pitch black!) at 6:30 at night. So, at 4:30, the city took on the certain orange glow, with the light changing rapidly minute by minute. I quickly changed and walked back into town, so happy to see a bit more in the daylight hours.

When I reached the main commercial area, I was in heaven. Even I, who as you know, can blather on and on, was at a loss for words. There were so many people out, just hanging, strolling, shopping - sharply dressed (now I know where the men get those great pointy shoes!), eating, meeting, greeting... it was, to be quite corny, a literal kaleidoscope! I cannot possibly describe it ... suffice it to say, it was balmy, sunny, relaxed, and easy. Although it was completely full of life, it was not noisy, polluted, or ‘scary’ - on the contrary, I felt secure and really enjoyed myself, photographing everything I could to savor the flavor of the day (eat your heart out Baskin Robbins).

After walking for a couple of hours, I headed to an indoor ‘mall’ which contained an Arab run supermarket - actually, more like Target Kigali. Very cool, with every product organized in an orderly fashion - German toothpaste, Kenyan yogurt, candies from Uganda, and lots of stuff from Dubai. As my lone bag is stuffed with work clothes and a small wardrobe for Paris, I limited myself to purchases which were flat (there were none). There is not ONE t-shirt to be purchased in Rwanda that actually says Rwanda! No bumper stickers! No national flags - frustrating, as my usual purchases are unavailable ... sorry, kids!

Back to square one ... an early wakeup call, down for a huge breakfast at 6:15 (I’m addicted to the roast tomatoes with cheese - yup, 6:15 in the morning - don’t ask!). Off to the workout room overlooking the pool, which incidentally puts any ‘centre de remise en forme’ I’ve seen anywhere else to shame! Malheureusement, the South African gentleman on the treadmill next to me was humming loudly, almost chanting whilst walking, throwing off my rhythm and obstructing my audible association with BBC playing on the tv. It’s always something ... never mind about global warming! Let’s sweat the small stuff!

I may have lead you astray yesterday. I’m not so sure they say ER-wanda here ... I’m beginning to think it’s actually ‘RANDA’ ... you say potato, I say potato, etc... We had a very productive meeting with the architects yet again, they have mysteriously switched back to setting the conference room with bottled water and not the short-lived mango nectar I had briefly grown accustomed to. A good choice I think, despite the article I read in the New York Times the other day detailing the efforts of Alice Waters is spearheading - upscale and socially conscious restaurants should only be serving tapwater. Bottled water uses additional resources (plastics, transportation to deliver the water, energy, etc.) and she has encouraged others to follow suit. As restauranteurs produce more profitable income from the sale of this beverage than any other item on their menu (so much for seared foie gras!), they have decided to let her lead the way. Go ask Alice.

I digress. As we were preparing to leave for our working lunch, Kiki (the grand patron) informed us that a retaining wall in Kigali had tumbled over, burying alive 20 people. It was directly across the street from the Indian restaurant that we were going to, so P-Diddy, our driver, immediately rushed us to the scene of the accident. Horrible, as they were using bulldozers to dig out the survivors or deceased. As it turns out, 3 people were killed, not 20, but obviously tragic nonetheless.

We had a great Indian lunch, in a faux Indian temple with Rwandans dressed up in faux Indian clothes (does this mean the chicken was actually tofu?). Yummy, and we got a lot accomplished, before speeding off to meet the contractor for our project. Their anacronym is FAIR - let’s hope say. They seemed happy to receive us, even though the scale of our very large project is minute compared to the tower blocks they are constructing. At any rate, they were gracious and set us up in yet another conference room with the obligatory beverages (I had loaded up on Indian chai masala at lunch so I had reached my quota). They pledged their assistance and commitment to this venture which is helping to build their country (although everyone is actually from Congo, Uganda, or Kenya). After a tour of the concrete mixing facility (conjuring up nasty images from the episode of Six Feet Under when someone meets their untimely demise in a similarly scaled mixer), we hit the road for a grand tour of some of the contractor’s other projects. I rode shotgun in the right-driver-sided BMW ... no wonder it feels like home! We walked through the sites, and Fred, the contractor, was a real pleasure. He and Kiki actually had traveled to Israel a while back to visit Yemin Orde, the model for this project ... they loved it there! I am looking forwarding to my own visit to the village next month when we are in Herzliya.

When I returned to the hotel after my grand afternoon stroll, I was totally invigorated! I did some more work, then Alain (aka Will Smith) called and said he’d drop by for a drink. I was just going down for a light bite on the terrace, so I enjoyed my samosas (delicious!) and beer while reading the paper. Alain joined me and we had a very lengthy discussion about Rwanda’s reconstruction and recovery ... how the country has banded together, but every April, when the rains begin, it is difficult for people to forget the horrors of the genocide. We discussed the great economic opportunities that exist here, in the ‘virgin economy’ (sorry Richard Branson, hope I’m not infringing on the trademark!). The Rwandans are constantly being encouraged by the press and the government to continue to elevate the standards of their work ethic, and to strengthen their resolve to help educate, make women equal partners, wipe out malaria, fight poverty and ignorance, etc.. There is even a model for the three child household - the first three are free (school, medical care, etc.), the you pay for the services of the children born after... Jane, we could actually live here after all!

And speaking of Jane, we had a little phone conference, and she’s off to Paris tomorrow. I, on the other hand, am traveling to Butare to see the countryside, visit the Kings House, and see the museum. It is actually the architects that are taking me on my excursion - when we return to Kigali in the late afternoon, I have been informed that I will take a shower (okay, I guess I will then) and we will all go out for a farewell dinner (with Alain and Sifa too, others joining I’m sure). Too soon to leave, not enough time, but overall, extremely fulfilling and fascinating!

Kisses from Kigali,

Harley

Hello from Kigali, Rwanda

Hello all!

Greetings from Rwanda's capital Kigali. I arrived a few hours back from Bruxelles, after having a wonderful 18 hour visit with our dear friends Debbie and Dino. We had a terrific time catching up - we haven't seen each other since we were in Amsterdam together in November - so it was great arriving to their home in Belgium, hanging out, i-chatting with Jane, and enjoying a glass of real Belgian beer and frites with them. So nice to have such good friends, even if they are a plane ride away! Thanks Debbie and Dino for your hospitality, warmth, and good times!

I left Bruxelles this morning for my flight to Africa ... after arriving with my characteristically lone piece of luggage, I was able to pass immediately through security so I could quickly grab my second café - the first was with my bleary eyed hosts this morning in their kitchen, poor souls! I enjoyed my latté and was able to quickly write to the kids in camp, espousing the virtues of Belgian chocolate, beer, and frites!

At the gate for my Brussels Airlines flight, I felt like a real schlepper! Although the majority of those flying seemed to be non-African (a good number of American missionaries, young people, and Europeans), the Rwandans boarding stole the show. Talk about grace! Youthful, incredible smiles, humble, yet confident, it was clear to see what I was going to experience this week in Kigali. Each person was dressed more fashionably than the next, and not in a self-conscious or pretentious way ... simply gorgeous. Slender, fit, and with the most glorious chocolate colored skin I've ever seen, they boarded the flight with charm and ease, wearing Roberto Cavelli belts, Prada shoes, ties and slim fitting jackets - very 'cool' looking, ipods in hand. I had been warned in all honesty - recently I attended a meeting for the project I am working on here, and as it was an advisory board conference, I uncharacteristically wore a suit. At the end of the afternoon, I remarked that I knew I wouldn't be doing that in Rwanda, to which my colleague Sifa responded that the people I would be meeting with take their positions seriously, and dress accordingly! (So off to H&M I went, looking for business attire!).

We left Belgium a bit late this morning, but flew through fantastic weather with clear skies, affording me the opportunity to peruse the landscape below ... I was surprised to see that we were flying over the Greek islands, directly above Mykonos, Crete, Santorini - then across the azure Mediterranean to what I thought was Libya, but was in fact Alexandria, Egypt. Down the Nile we followed our flight path, into Sudan just to the east of the infamous Darfur region. After reading a book yesterday by a survivor of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, it was disheartening to think of what is going on in that area, and eastern Chad, while the world seemingly stands by. For those who have not had the chance, Vanity Fair is running a series of articles addressing this, and other issues in Africa this month, which makes worthy reading.

Upon leaving Sudan's airspace, it was a quick hop over Uganda, just to the west of Entebbe, and at that time the sun set (it goes away early here, 2 degrees south of the Equator - around 6:30pm, as opposed to Northern Europe - last night in Bruxelles the sun set at 10:30pm!). From there, it was a final jaunt into Kigali ... a smooth approach, quick disembarkation to the terminal, and very quickly through immigration (and yes, that French is really coming in handy!). I was met immediately by my colleague Sifa, and her brother Alain - they are native Rwandans who's family were touched by the horrors of 13 years ago, yet retain the characteristic grace and good nature of the Rwandan people. It was a comfortable 70 degrees when I landed, and having traveled to India and Morocco recently, I can guarantee that Rwanda is tame relatively speaking! The people are gentle and solicitous, warm and friendly (that ever present smile!) - Kigali is a city free of plastic bags (to eliminate trash and to be 'green' this was ordered by Paul Kagame's government last year). Today was a monthly 'cleanup' day for the city - similar to what I used to do at summer camp as a kid (the 'sweep') - anyone out before noon is required to work on beautifying the city by picking up trash, gardening, etc.. Even foreigners, if out and about, are required to participate!

I arrived to the hotel, which is gorgeous in an urban/resort way, and was offered fresh orange juice while checking in (which took no more than 30 seconds!). I was quickly shown to my room, on the top floor overlooking the grounds, with all of the amenities one could imagine from a 5 star hotel ... wifi, fluffy robes, oversized safe, etc.. After unpacking, I went down to the pool for a large 'pression' of Rwandan beer and had a light dinner (10pm) of more frites, and a baguette sandwich stuffed with Rwandan grilled vegetables - aubergines, tomatoes, and particularly good sweet green peppers.

Off to bed now, as I'm going to visit the site for our inspiring project at 9 am tomorrow morning ... wishing you all the best from Africa, and looking forward to sharing the rest of my story with you during the week!

Love Harley