Crisis in the Congo (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781937592226)

A New CIA operative, Tom Russell, continues his adventures in Africa. First introduced in Madness in Liberia... when the United States needs a tough man to count on in Africa, they send in a Marine-Russell. One of the most tragic stories in the history of Africa unfolded in the dark abyss of the Congo. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could not escape widespread and unprecedented violence from rogue rebel forces, mercenaries, and criminal enterprises. Corruption, illegal smuggling, and ungoverned regions in the deep jungle helped ruthless thugs exploit the Congo's vast, untapped mineral wealth. One of the world's most remote locations, the Belgian Congo, could not move beyond the epic inhumanity inflicted by its former colonial ruler. Under Belgian rule the practice of cutting off arms to maintain order was a common occurrence; just one example of brutality beyond conception inflicted on the Congolese. Even after emerging from colonial rule in 1960, a despot, Joseph Mobutu, forced his way to power after the assassination of Patrice Lumumba. Under Mobutu's rule, death became commonplace and widespread violence blanketed the Congo and spilled over into neighboring peaceful countries. Western countries stood idly by as Africa's first large-scale war claimed nearly five million lives over its nine year period. In 2006, American Marine Corps officer, Tom Russell, on loan to the Central Intelligence Agency, arrives in the Congo. His mission: to help keep the peace in preparation for the upcoming DRC Presidential election. In Kinshasa, he finds a nation on the brink of destruction. As the country and region spiral out of control, many factions transform the Congo into a blood-drenched powder keg: Belgians still play a vital economic role in their former colony; former Soviet Union KGB funnel blood diamonds out of the country; North Koreans and Iranians search for black market uranium; al-Qaeda wants a foothold in Africa; Hezbollah operatives smuggle weapons, and corrupt government officials seek personal gain. Greed governs everyday life and fuels the obliteration of hope for the Congolese. Russell faces those determined to keep the Congo in utter chaos and he is not about to let that happen. He encounters an old lover, an Israeli Mossad agent, who arrives in the Congo searching for a missing atomic bomb sold in the early 1970s to South Africa; believed to have been traded to the former Congo President Mobutu for blood diamonds. Raw emotions from their torrid and never fully forgotten love affair further complicate a mission whose stakes have grown exponentially higher. His mentor, a British Colonel who works for MI6, arrives in Kinshasa to provide much-needed assistance and Russell comes into contact with two retired CIA agents who served in the Congo during the 1960s-they teach him more about Africa than he would ever find out and learn on his own. The focus on stopping the spread of the highest grade of uranium on the world's black market quickly shifts; as the race is on to track down the loose nuclear weapon first and then control access to the uranium deposits. The fast paced action illustrates the true nature, challenges and complexity of clandestine operations in the Congo and highlights the struggle for stability in modern day Africa.