To all of you who so lovingly followed us in our journey on the DRC election observer mission, I am happy to report that I arrived safely in Winnipeg last night, after a long few days of re-scheduling missed flights. It cost me an extra couple hundred dolars to re-book one of the flights, but with good connections and a lot of patience and sweet-talking negotiations I was quickly back in the relative safety of downtown winnipeg (!). I did have some trouble trying to leave Kinshasa, as the violence around the release of the provisional election results temporarily paralyzed the city and closed the airport on the day I was to leave. Lukily I had the foresight to move to an area of the city much closer to the airport prior to the results being released, and once the airport was opened a couple days later it was a relatively simple task to get to my plane. Michael, on the other hand, remained where we had been staying in the home of an American former missionary. I spoke to him repeatedly throughout the violent last few days that I spent in the country, and he assured me that he was staying safe. He should be returning to Winnipeg in the first week of September.

I you will permit me a brief commentary on the situation in Kinshasa...

There was a general sense amongst the people I was able to talk to that the kind of violence displayed over the last few days was just a part of politics in the Congo. Many had an unreflective (though altogether understandable) cynicism about the entire process, often questioning the legitimacy of the electoral process, and its overall utility in improving the situation there. There was plenty of rhetoric going around about the election being "stolen" or "rigged" (most likely by "white people" - foreigners), and few felt that their vote was actually contributing to much.

This mentality is a compound of many factors, not the least of which is a long history of dictatorship and colonial rule. The high degree of involvement of international forces, coupled with minimal access to information and knowledge on the transition process and democracy, and crippling levels of illiteracy, result in a population highly susceptible to propaganda and rumors, all of which are manipulated for political motives.

Much of the resignation can be attributed to the political and socio-economic situation in Kinshasa, particularly in its differentiation from the rest of the country. With a high degree of support from the Eastern provinces, incumbent president Joseph Kabila, who originates in the East, is viewed as an unwelcome outsider by many Kinois (people of Kinshasa). His 44% showing in the first of two rounds of voting clearly upset the majority of Kinois (still a minority in the country) who perceive him as representing outside interests (especially those of the US) more than those of the (Kinois) Congolese. In contrast, the Eastern provinces see him as the man who stopped (or at least slowed down) the war, and brought democratic elections to the country. These factors surely played a part in Monday and Tuesday's violence, fueling a population that has, for at least the last decade, only known violence as a means of resolving political problems.

But these outbursts of violence must be seen in a larger context. That context includes over a decade of fighting, almost no legitimate, functioning government, and certainly no government that could be said to be held accountable to its people. As the Congolese people slowly find their footing in this new political landscape, we can expect a few stumbles and missteps along the way. Though we should hardly take them as signs of a collapse in the long-term goal of building a lasting peace and Democracy. I am extremely grateful to all those that made it possible for me to hold their hand for a small step in that journey, and I will continue to support my Congolese brothers and sisters in whatever constructive ways I can.

Keep your eyes on the news, and the occasional commentary on my blog , as well as a new blog I am developing in partnership with a group of Congolese students at <>. This blog is still under construction and is at the moment very preliminary (and in fact does not yet contain any content), but it will eventually be a forum for student commentaries on issues ranging from peace, development, democracy, rights, conflict (and its resolution), poverty, and the Congo in general. If you would like to be updated on the development of this or other related projects please let me know and I'll put you on a list (which I promise will only be emails related strictly to these projects).

Thanks again to all for the kind words of encouragement! In addition to more kind words (and even constructive criticisms), financial contributions are also still welcome, as I now have to figure out how to pay for this effort while still being a student ;).

cheers,

-joel