A Congolese soldier stands next to the chared body of a Mai-Mai militant in Kirumba. Fighting has broken out between Laurent Nkunda's rebel forces and the pro-government Mai-Mai militia in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo. (AFP/Roberto Schmidt)From The New York Times:
GOMA, Congo — Didier Bitaki, a Mai Mai militia leader, stood in his yard on Thursday with two baby-faced soldiers behind him and a little glass bottle in his hands.
“This is it,” he said.
The “it” was a nasty-smelling concoction of mashed-up leaves and water that looked more like a week-old mojito than anything else.
But according to Mr. Bitaki and thousands of other armed men still wreaking havoc in the eastern Congo bush, magic potions like these give them power to fight for their land. And he handled the little glass vial incredibly carefully, doing a secret-handshake-like-motion each time his soldiers slipped the bottle into his hand, making sure it was always covered.
Read more ....
My Comment: Tribalism ... the curse of Africa .... is on full display in the Congo conflict.