Travel into the Democratic Republic of Congo began from Lake Bunyoni, Uganda, a beautiful lake surrounded by high mountains heavily cultivated with terraces throughout its valleys similar to the highlands of Nepal and Ecuador.

The high mountains run all the way to Kisoro where the Virunga volcanoes come in sight and tower over the landscape marking the border with The DRC. The road passes through the lush countryside and along the western reach of the Great Rift Valley, the dividing line between Central and Eastern Africa. Driving southeast from the bustling town of Bunagana, Mt. Karisimbi rises high into the clouds setting the presence for the land.  Looking out the window at the lush green hills, the history of this vast land began to unfold through the mud and bamboo huts on the side of the road and the children waving hello as we passed them by.

The centerpiece of Central Africa and the third largest country on the continent after Sudan and Algeria, The DRC is roughly the size of Western Europe. The Old Kongo Kingdom flourished here in the 16th century but was then divided by the boundaries of the Belgian Congo, The French Congo, and Angola.

The Congo's origins as a state were different than any other African country, beginning its life not as a colony, but as the personal property of King Leopold 2 of Belgium. In 1885, Leopold obtained international approval for his empire calling it Congo Free State assuming the title King sovereign.

While 23 years of rule led to Leopold becoming one of the richest men in Europe exploiting the country’s ivory and wild rubber, The Congo had lost an estimated 2-8 million people, half of its population.

International condemnation of the rubber regime forced Leopold to hand over the Congo to the Belgian government.

With huge risks involved, The Congo was granted independence on June 30, 1960 and within 6 months of independence erupted into violence and conflict leading to a split of the country into four regimes each with its own army and foreign sponsor.

Encouraged by the CIA and U.N officials, Joseph Mobutu assumed power amidst the confusion and violence.

Joseph Mobutu took the name Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga which in his own Ngbendu translation meant "The warrior who knows no defeat because of his endurance and inflexible will and is all powerful, leaving fire in his wake as he goes from conquest to conquest". He assumed grand titles such as "The father of the nation", "Saviour of the people" and imposed rule by his own party putting down any opposition who might dare challenge his authority.

Mobutu next turned to a government that many call one of kleptocracy unsurpassed nowhere else in Africa. He acquired a massive agricultural empire seizing some 2,000 foreign enterprises without compensation that provided money straight into his pocket. Mobutu funneled huge amounts of money, mainly from the copper, diamond, and cobalt industries into his personal Swiss bank account. In the 1980's he was estimated to be worth $5 billion owning houses in France, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Italy, Cote d I’voire, Senegal, Morocco and Brazil.

While 30 years of rule made Joseph Mobutu one of the richest men in the world The Congo was in a horrible state.

As 1 million refugees and thousands of Ex-FAR, Interhamwe (Those who kill together), and Hutu extremists responsible for the genocide in Rwanda came flooding across the border into Eastern Zaire, a region already brimming with ethnic tensions, nowhere was more combustible than Kivu province in the far east of the country.

Organizing themselves about 10 miles from Goma, the genocidaires (Ex-FAR, Interhamwe, and Hutu extremists) carved out their own area plotting another war in Rwanda. The lack of international aid and assistance that surprisingly left Rwanda to fend for itself in its darkest hour despite heavy requests from the UN mission on the ground, international aid agencies and foreign governments were quick to take action in Zaire. Perhaps in part of a guilty conscience after 800,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsi’s and moderate Hutu’s were slaughtered in 100 days of madness at the hands of the genocidaires who now began to take control of the camps in Zaire. They held refugees hostage by brute force, murder, and propaganda directed at Tutsi’s. They inflated refugee numbers to feed their army and sold the food in local markets to finance another war on Rwanda. More than two thirds of aid went into the pockets of Hutu bosses and not into reconstruction of the camps and its people.

The resounding spark came in North Kivu when Zairian Hutu militants joined forces with the Interhamwe killing thousands of Tutsi’s living inside of Zaire. This ignited the largest war in the continents history, dragging in as many as 9 countries at its height and killing an estimated 5 million people in almost a decade of one of the deadliest wars since WW2.

 In July 2002, a peace deal was signed requiring the forces from Rwanda, Uganda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan to withdraw from the country, and in 2006 The Democratic Republic of Congo held its 1st democratic elections in nearly 40 years narrowly electing Joseph Kabila as head of state.

Despite the peace deal and fresh elections, 800,000 people have fled their homes in Eastern Congo due to the sustained conflict. The violence has mainly been from different mai mai groups, warlords, tribal heads, traditional tribal elders and politically motivated groups allied with different domestic and foreign governments and guerilla groups at different times. The army has been accused of widespread human rights abuses and both sides are accused of murder, mass rape, the abduction and use of children as child soldiers, theft, cattle rustling, and illegal activity.

The longstanding fighting in North Kivu Province has found its way to Parc National des Virungas which encompasses rain forest and bamboo jungle and is home to some of the last mountain gorillas remaining in the world today. There are thought to be less than 700 mountain gorillas in the world today all found in a small area of East Africa along the borders of Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC. The gorillas have been caught in the crossfire of war and poaching making them a critically endangered species. Along with poaching the gorillas are being impacted by deforestation which threatens their natural habitat sending them deeper and deeper into the jungle where resources are less plentiful. Like some of the other great animals of our world their very existence lies on a delicate thread that will eventually rely on preservation and awareness.

Watching the landscape weave through greens and summits, the villages that sprinkled the highlands came in focus with a woman in colorful dress and her baby wrapped around her back putting up the laundry to dry. Dried veggies and meat lay outside the huts drying in the sun to be made ready for sale at the markets. The herders rounded up their cattle along the side of the road as the farmers tended to the crops in the fields of the countryside.

Beyond the war and darkness in the country’s history for more than half  a century, there is a whole other side to the country and its people. The DRC was more than just a war, it was a country with a rich culture and diverse tribes and peoples including the Bakongo, Baluba, Banyamulenge, Lunda, Hemu, Luba, Bembe, Garangaze peoples as well as pygmy tribes that continue to practice a nomadic hunter gatherer lifestyle in remote parts of the northern Congo basin. They are all found in different regions of the country connected by many languages and dialects laced with Lingala and French, the national language.

Musically, DRC is one of the most influential countries on the continent. The home of Rumba and Soukous, these two genres originated in the 1930's and early 1940's between the neighboring countries of the Belgian and French Congo. The music spread across the continent and became a huge influence on many of the styles of modern African music. In West Africa, rumba spread powerfully to the sounds of Afrobeat born in Nigeria. A fusion of Rumba, jazz and funk created by Fela Kuti, afrobeats percussive vibrations rumble through the body as its improvisational layers of trumpets and horns weave with woman vocals and inspiring grooves that move the soul to the deep rhythms of the land.

Renowned for their carvings, masks, and crafts, The Congolese share a ubiquitous reputation with the Makonde of Mozambique for their quality and spiritual symbolism expressed in their art. The design and quality of Congolese art is a reflection of tradition, culture, spirituality and the history of the people through the times of light and darkness.

Entering the country from Uganda we made our way south to Goma before crossing the border into Gisenyi, Rwanda on the beautiful shores of Lake Kivu.

Bunagana is a bustling village along the slopes of the volcanoes near the border with Uganda. The shops and market are abuzz with villagers, traders and loads of trucks packed with everything from fish, oil, veggies, and goods coming and going from as far as Mombassa on the east coast of Kenya. The low rumble of rumba could be heard from some of the shops while the scent of meat and ugali passed through the air of the setting sun. At night the candles in the shops and houses radiated the sounds of the town as the sky illuminated the endless stars along the shadow of Mt. Karisimbi standing patient atop the landscape.

Walking through the market in search of some Cassava to snack on, we talked to a few of the locals in the village. They were very interested in who we were, where we were from, and why were in the country. At one point it seemed like the entire village was around us talking and laughing as I tried communicating to some of them with the little French I know. As always the people of Africa are incredibly strong, warm, and outgoing and The DRC is no exception.

With the largest UN mission in the world acting as a buffer zone between the army and the rebel factions, the texture of North Kivu becomes a bit more tense south towards Goma with the heavy presence of army and UN military patrols.

Goma is the capital of North Kivu province and a bustle of activity on the blue shores of Lake Kivu.  On June 17, 2002, Mt. Nyiragongo erupted displacing thousands of people and covering the town and surrounding landscape in molten lava that still runs all the way to the shoreline of the lake.

Talking to some of the locals it was evident that there was a severe lack of jobs in the area. The breakdown of infrastructure has left many people trying to survive on subsistence farming and trade, some hardly being able to support their families.

Potentially one of Africa’s richest countries, The DRC is currently one of its poorest.

The rich resources of copper, diamonds, uranium, cobalt, wild rubber, coltan, and gold have for the most part had the same consequences as other countries on the continent to exploitation, conflict, and violence. With attacks from both Government military and rebel factions still active, security and development are moving at a slow pace. Inflation, deficits, and falling mineral production hamper development and in turn resources and conditions for the people of the country.

Allegations against UN peacekeepers in illegal dealings in gold and the arming of different militias that the mission there is supposed to be monitoring has brought to question the operation on the ground and the efforts needed to help rebuild the country.

There are very good efforts both domestic and international that are making a difference in the country and signs of improvement can be seen in different areas in North Kivu.

The International Red Cross, US AID, Oxfam, Doctors without Borders, Save the Children, World Vision, The WWF, and Heal Africa are just some of the NGO’s and organizations making a difference on the ground.

In the end it is the innocent lives that are most impacted by the situation in the country. After being dragged into a long and brutal conflict, The Congolese are looking towards a future of peace and possibility from the shadows into the light and are trying to find ways to reach that end. Inspiring to see that people faced with some very hard situations are so quick to help, talk, or just laugh.

An enticing place if even to catch a glimpse of this vast land.