Many of us may be familiar with Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness that portrays the evils of colonialism and imperialism. We see in the novel, and we know historically how brutal the Belgians were in treating the natives in the Congo. As the crown colony of Belgium, Congo was declared the personal property of King Leopold. you think that's crazy? Check out the other crimes he committed.
The Democratic Republic of Congo today is well, lacking. The nation struggles with internal warfare and strife between groups all trying to claim land and resources. There are fights between Christians and Muslims too, bringing in even more trouble.
After the Belgians left Congo, they took their infrastructure and modernization with them as well. The buildings are now dilapidated. Technology is weak compared to other nations. The problem is money. There is no way for Congo to efficiently divert and manage its funds, because of widespread corruption and other problems. Since then, Congo has seen a decline. Though rich in resources, Congo was exploited, and thus was not able to develop economically. With poor infrastructure, the economy is tanking, and it is getting more and more difficult to secure long-term foreign investments.
The economy of Congo has the potential to succeed. Of course it would be unwise to borrow a lot of money. Countries like China are now making their way in. It seems promising for Congo in the future because as soon as the infrastructure is fixed, then the other pieces will just fall in place. It all starts with connectiveness.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cg.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/sunday-review/congos-never-ending-war.html
check out Achebe's article
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