This is another great book bu the Flemish author Lieve Joris.

She puts all her knowledge of and love for Congo/Zaïre in this beautiful bookabout a sa, very sad reality. It is the reality of the warzones in the eastern parts of Congo. Not only groups with Congolese roots are involved in the bloodshed and the terror, but also factions from Uganda, Trwanda and Burundi are involved. We know several poeople who have left this zones of perpetual bloodshed. 

The protagonist is Zikiya / Assani who is raised in the east of Congo and during the reign of Kabila junior he rises to a high militairy rank. Always he has to watch his back. Whom can he trust? Is he himself the only one he can trust? How does he relate to Hutu and Tutsi and related people? Who is a victim and who is agressor? 

Lieve Joris shift from the past to the present and back again. Ik had to concentrate very much to track the different main lines in the story and the many names that passed by. But the effort was worthwhile, very much so. I was helped by a few good maps of the described areas and a few addenda with relevant information. 

This book gets place of honour among the ten books by Lieve Joris that I have on my shelves.

Lieve Joris – Het uur van de rebellen – Amsterdam 2006 – 256 pages