The rise of the Congo cannibals

“The Fall of the Congo Arabs” is an interesting but also slightly bizarre book, written by Sidney Langford Hinde. The author was a British explorer, doctor and military officer. The book was first published in 1897. Several new editions exist.

Hinde served in the so-called Congo-Arab War (1892-1894), which pitted the Congo Free State, the private colony of Belgian king Leopold II, against Arab and Swahili slave-raiders. The latter were led by Tippu Tip and his son Sefu. Tippu Tip was a Muslim warlord based on Zanzibar who had carved out a major sphere of influence for himself in East Africa. When Tip extended his power to the eastern parts of the Congo, a clash with the European colonial interests became inevitable. The war ended in the victory of the Congo Free State Forces and the resultant expulsion of the Muslim slave-traders from the region. Tragically, the humanitarian aspects of the mission (such as they were) were quickly overshadowed by Leopold II's insatiable greed, as the Congo Free State became a virtual slave society in its own right, with millions of Blacks being killed by forced labor. This sad state of affairs lasted until 1908, when an international campaign forced Leopold to cede control of the colony to the Belgian government.

“The Fall of the Congo Arabs” is written in narrative form, and often reads like a travelogue or novel, rather than a “serious” study. Hinde describes the hellish conditions in eastern Congo in a matter-of-factly and sometimes almost lighthearted way. This gives the book an absurd touch. Hinde describes areas depopulated by constant slave-raiding, “silent” rain forests stripped of most higher animal life, caravans constantly ambushed by Arabs or Pygmies, and even boy soldiers serving in the author's own detachments. Above all, he describes the horrendous practice of cannibalism. Most native peoples in the war zone were cannibals. Hinde's attempts to curb the practice were pretty feeble and came to nothing. Indeed, one of the Free State's foremost allies, Gongo Lutete, was a cannibal of some standing, apart from being a former slave-raider in Tippu Tip's service who had switched sides for reasons of Realpolitik. It seems everyone (except maybe White colonialists) run the risk of being eaten: slaves, children, the sick, fallen Muslim enemies, even the dead and the wounded on “our” side. “They are going to die anyway, so why not eat them?” Hinde even reveals a number of culinary tips on how to make human flesh extra tender…

The question of cannibals was apparently a contentious issue already during the 19th century, which may explain why the original publisher included an appendix further discussing the issue. The conclusion reached is that the cannibalism in the eastern Congo wasn't the result of starvation conditions due to the constant wars (which, of course, is the explanation that most readily comes to mind), but a genuine cultural tradition. Apparently, some European explorers had encountered natives who had plenty of food, yet preferred to consume fellow humans. It's also interesting to note that accusations of cannibalism are still common in war-torn eastern Congo today, and that these accusations have been taken seriously by UN officials.

To sum up, “The Fall of the Congo Arabs” is an interesting and disturbing book about an almost forgotten part of African, Muslim and colonial history. Recommended. Just don't do anything foolish after reading it…