What do you think?
Rate this book
The Rebels' Hour
In The Rebels’ Hour , world renowned journalist Lieve Joris illuminates the dark heart of contemporary Congo through the prism of one lonely and complicated rebel leader who becomes a high ranking general in the Congolese army.
When Assani, a young cowherd, leaves his remote village to pursue his studies in the city, he learns that he is ethnically Tutsi; though uninterested in politics or military life, he is forced to take sides in the bloody conflict rocking the Congo in the wake of the Rwandan genocide. Strong, clever, and trusting of no one, he becomes a fearsome rebel leader. With his cadre of child soldiers he traverses the war-ravaged country, dodging death at the hands of competing rebel factions in the bush, angry mobs in the capital city of Kinshasa, and even the rebel-turned-dictator Laurent Kabila himself.
The Rebels’ Hour thrusts us into Assani’s world, forcing us to navigate the chaos of a lawless country alongside him, compelled by an instinct to survive in a place where human life has been stripped of value. Though pathologically evasive, Assani--in Joris’s horrifying and brilliant zoom-lens portrait--stands out in relief as a man who is both monstrous and sympathetic, perpetrator and victim.
When Assani, a young cowherd, leaves his remote village to pursue his studies in the city, he learns that he is ethnically Tutsi; though uninterested in politics or military life, he is forced to take sides in the bloody conflict rocking the Congo in the wake of the Rwandan genocide. Strong, clever, and trusting of no one, he becomes a fearsome rebel leader. With his cadre of child soldiers he traverses the war-ravaged country, dodging death at the hands of competing rebel factions in the bush, angry mobs in the capital city of Kinshasa, and even the rebel-turned-dictator Laurent Kabila himself.
The Rebels’ Hour thrusts us into Assani’s world, forcing us to navigate the chaos of a lawless country alongside him, compelled by an instinct to survive in a place where human life has been stripped of value. Though pathologically evasive, Assani--in Joris’s horrifying and brilliant zoom-lens portrait--stands out in relief as a man who is both monstrous and sympathetic, perpetrator and victim.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
11 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
Lieve Joris
39 books38 followersGodelieve "Lieve" Elisabeth Achiel Micheline Joris is een Vlaamse schrijfster van reisverhalen.
Lieve Joris in de Nederlandstalige Wikipedia
Lieve Joris in de Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren
Lieve Joris bij "Schrijversgewijs"
Godelieve "Lieve" Elisabeth Achiel Micheline Joris is a Flemish writer of travel stories.
Lieve Joris in de Nederlandstalige Wikipedia
Lieve Joris in de Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren
Lieve Joris bij "Schrijversgewijs"
Godelieve "Lieve" Elisabeth Achiel Micheline Joris is a Flemish writer of travel stories.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 8, 2018
The Trump Presidency is degrading Americanism both culturally and politically with its lack of virtue and its disobedience to truth and science.
So I thought why not read a novel by a Belgian journalist on the Republic of Congo, what better way to envision America as a banana republic state.
“The Rebel’s Hour” was written 2006, and Lieve Joris hit my radar screen with her riveting book “The Gates of Damascus” and while I struggled with the time shifting, the story follows a rebel who becomes a General in the Congo. A man called Assani who Lieve modeled on a Tutsi rebel from the Congolese mining town of Lubumbashi.
The book traverses the 1960’s when Mobutu seizes power, the rebellion by Kabila against Mobutu in 1996 aided by Rwandans, Kabila’s turn against Rwanda war of 1999, his assassination and his son Joseph Kibila’s assumption of power to his democratic election in 2006 (in Nov. 2018 will see Tshibala or Katumbi succeed him).
During these time periods we read of Assani’s development from a young rebel into a General, finally we find him in Kinshasa the capital of Congo in 2004.
Here are two of my favorite Assani quotes:
“People take pleasure in wrecking things, but when it comes to constructing something, you can’t get them to lift a finger”
“They resembled people who cover cow shit with straw, rather then remove it, which would blow away at the first gale. They zigzagged around it and seemed at home in a forest of self created shit pile impediments”
So what did I learn from Mobutu’s Banana Republic?
The Zaire government was rift with turn over, the Leader abused both people and the truth and his ministers learned to focus on their own needs and cared less for good governance.
Corruption and paranoia flourish.
The governments intelligence apparatus became the power center and it is a rumor house that continually causes death.
Lastly, the people beliefs are less about truth and more about elevated rage against mistreatments.
So I thought why not read a novel by a Belgian journalist on the Republic of Congo, what better way to envision America as a banana republic state.
“The Rebel’s Hour” was written 2006, and Lieve Joris hit my radar screen with her riveting book “The Gates of Damascus” and while I struggled with the time shifting, the story follows a rebel who becomes a General in the Congo. A man called Assani who Lieve modeled on a Tutsi rebel from the Congolese mining town of Lubumbashi.
The book traverses the 1960’s when Mobutu seizes power, the rebellion by Kabila against Mobutu in 1996 aided by Rwandans, Kabila’s turn against Rwanda war of 1999, his assassination and his son Joseph Kibila’s assumption of power to his democratic election in 2006 (in Nov. 2018 will see Tshibala or Katumbi succeed him).
During these time periods we read of Assani’s development from a young rebel into a General, finally we find him in Kinshasa the capital of Congo in 2004.
Here are two of my favorite Assani quotes:
“People take pleasure in wrecking things, but when it comes to constructing something, you can’t get them to lift a finger”
“They resembled people who cover cow shit with straw, rather then remove it, which would blow away at the first gale. They zigzagged around it and seemed at home in a forest of self created shit pile impediments”
So what did I learn from Mobutu’s Banana Republic?
The Zaire government was rift with turn over, the Leader abused both people and the truth and his ministers learned to focus on their own needs and cared less for good governance.
Corruption and paranoia flourish.
The governments intelligence apparatus became the power center and it is a rumor house that continually causes death.
Lastly, the people beliefs are less about truth and more about elevated rage against mistreatments.
March 4, 2020
Outstanding. I’ll probably be adding to this review after I’ve done a little research on the author and on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and as thoughts percolate back to the surface. Right now I want to note that I see some similarity to the US Civil War and there was/is a great deal of racism among the Congolese (and not just between Hutus and Tutsis).
Now I plan to read some nonfiction coverage of the Congo and it’s wars.
Now I plan to read some nonfiction coverage of the Congo and it’s wars.
February 11, 2013
Although writers from the Lowlands are perfectly capable of being inspired by their own countries, they travel well. Writers on history and culture and politics, like Geert Mak and Frank Westerman and Joris Luyendijk, and poets and novelists like Toon Tellegen and Otto de Kat have travelled and written. The travel writer Lieve Joris' book, The Rebels' Hour (trans. Liz Waters), is in this tradition; written from personal experience, vivid in explaining the complexities of nations and individuals. Her subject is the relentlessly disputed lands in and around the Congo.
Using the cowherd turned rebel leader Assani as a CCTV camera, The Rebels' Hour pieces together The Congo's contemporary history. The narrative cuts backwards and forwards: the High Plains in Eastern Congo in the 1960s, nearby Rwanda in the 1990s, capital city Kinshasa in the early 2000s. A brief chronology allows the reader to at least grasp at The Congo's story (King Leopold II of Belgium's private property in 1885, Mobutu's `reign' from the 1960s, the Democractic Republic of Congo by 2006) and a cast-list gives the backstory to key historical figures. And two maps - absolutely vital to understanding the story - remind readers of just how vast and distant is this heart of the African continent, described by one character as `a black hole into which everyone falls'.
Of course, there are no `characters' in The Rebels' Hour: these are real people, whether they are known historical figures or the hundreds of thousands of men, women and children who find themselves drifting or running or fighting their way from one corner of The Congo to the next. By describing the tins of Fanta that are drunk, the fine detail of the destruction of a railway system, the shine on the cloth of a uniform ironed beyond crispness, so many details, Lieve Joris releases the humanity of the years of violence that have overtaken The Congo.
And what violence. Child soldiers, rebels, generals; complex, sophisticated, troubled men (and some women) always about to break camp; being led, led, led, then leading, then dead. The turns of fortune are Shakespearean; every man holding the sword onto which every other man is running himself. Assani remains the centre of The Rebels' Hour, but he is hard to get a grip on; so clearly dedicated to a cause but that cause remaining so unclear, becoming more opaque at every advance and set-back. To say that this is a fascinating book is to underplay its importance; it explains, in part, a country whose recent history looks almost inexplicable. A good reader: not taxing, although there's nothing wrong with tax.
Using the cowherd turned rebel leader Assani as a CCTV camera, The Rebels' Hour pieces together The Congo's contemporary history. The narrative cuts backwards and forwards: the High Plains in Eastern Congo in the 1960s, nearby Rwanda in the 1990s, capital city Kinshasa in the early 2000s. A brief chronology allows the reader to at least grasp at The Congo's story (King Leopold II of Belgium's private property in 1885, Mobutu's `reign' from the 1960s, the Democractic Republic of Congo by 2006) and a cast-list gives the backstory to key historical figures. And two maps - absolutely vital to understanding the story - remind readers of just how vast and distant is this heart of the African continent, described by one character as `a black hole into which everyone falls'.
Of course, there are no `characters' in The Rebels' Hour: these are real people, whether they are known historical figures or the hundreds of thousands of men, women and children who find themselves drifting or running or fighting their way from one corner of The Congo to the next. By describing the tins of Fanta that are drunk, the fine detail of the destruction of a railway system, the shine on the cloth of a uniform ironed beyond crispness, so many details, Lieve Joris releases the humanity of the years of violence that have overtaken The Congo.
And what violence. Child soldiers, rebels, generals; complex, sophisticated, troubled men (and some women) always about to break camp; being led, led, led, then leading, then dead. The turns of fortune are Shakespearean; every man holding the sword onto which every other man is running himself. Assani remains the centre of The Rebels' Hour, but he is hard to get a grip on; so clearly dedicated to a cause but that cause remaining so unclear, becoming more opaque at every advance and set-back. To say that this is a fascinating book is to underplay its importance; it explains, in part, a country whose recent history looks almost inexplicable. A good reader: not taxing, although there's nothing wrong with tax.
November 15, 2016
Excellent take on contemporary Congo and the ethnic confrontations which move up and down but never entirely cease, especially in the East and South-East. The story is well told with well fleshed out characters. The hopes and fears of a young man who lives through the horrors of war, which leave him hardened toward others, with a wounded, darkened mind, but still deeply rooted in his people's earth, where he finds his strength. He, now an important military commander, is recalled to the capital. The reason for this summons is not clear at all and his fear grows with the distance he travels from his homeland in the East.
The writer, a Flemish journalist, is a very keen observer of today's realities in the Congo. The story she tells here is still of great actuality, as Mr Kabila - the son of the President Kabila who is described in the book - is trying to have the Constitution modified to obtain a 3d mandate as President. This already has led to bloodily repressed demonstrations by the public opposition. Nevertheless, Mr Kabila persists in his intentions. On Congo's Eastern frontier, Burundi is evolving into a terror-regime aimed at the Tutsi population. Even if the situation has not reached Rwandan proportions yet, extreme, random violence against Tutsis is ever present and has led to a partial exodus. This further destabilises Congo's East, where different armed groups are still operating and exploiting the local population, despite the presence of the national army and UNO peace forces.
The story so well described in this book could very simply repeat itself.
The writer, a Flemish journalist, is a very keen observer of today's realities in the Congo. The story she tells here is still of great actuality, as Mr Kabila - the son of the President Kabila who is described in the book - is trying to have the Constitution modified to obtain a 3d mandate as President. This already has led to bloodily repressed demonstrations by the public opposition. Nevertheless, Mr Kabila persists in his intentions. On Congo's Eastern frontier, Burundi is evolving into a terror-regime aimed at the Tutsi population. Even if the situation has not reached Rwandan proportions yet, extreme, random violence against Tutsis is ever present and has led to a partial exodus. This further destabilises Congo's East, where different armed groups are still operating and exploiting the local population, despite the presence of the national army and UNO peace forces.
The story so well described in this book could very simply repeat itself.
September 14, 2008
This book is 'literary reportage,' i.e. the author reports on real-life events through literary means. It does not mean that she has invented the story -- on the contrary, this tragic history is very true -- but that she tells it through a narrative of characters that she has met and at times fills in gaps in their lives and thoughts from her own imagination.
The book tells the story of a rebel from eastern Congo and his rise from a 'Tutsi' villager to a leadership position through the First War (1996) and the Second War (1998) ending in the signing of the fragile peace accords (2002) and the transitional government. Although I regularly follow events in Africa, I have never been able to fully keep track of the complex conflicts and their intricate roots in Congo and the wider Great Lakes region -- until I read Lieve Joris' masterful work!
The book tells the story of a rebel from eastern Congo and his rise from a 'Tutsi' villager to a leadership position through the First War (1996) and the Second War (1998) ending in the signing of the fragile peace accords (2002) and the transitional government. Although I regularly follow events in Africa, I have never been able to fully keep track of the complex conflicts and their intricate roots in Congo and the wider Great Lakes region -- until I read Lieve Joris' masterful work!
June 15, 2008
A grim tale and not an easy book to read, as the narrative jumps back and forth in time. Still, I admired the author's attempt to unravel some of the complexities of modern-day central Africa.
The main character is based on a Tutsi-Congolese rebel leader the author met in 1998 and kept in touch with over the years, and the story itself is a fictional retelling of the spillover of the Rwandan conflict into Congo, facilitated by the erosion of that nation's stability by the kleptocracy of the Mobutu regime.
The main character is based on a Tutsi-Congolese rebel leader the author met in 1998 and kept in touch with over the years, and the story itself is a fictional retelling of the spillover of the Rwandan conflict into Congo, facilitated by the erosion of that nation's stability by the kleptocracy of the Mobutu regime.
August 10, 2008
I've only read books about travellers trips in the Congo. But this time it's a harrowing insider view of a soldier. The fear and uncertainty is palpable. Although it was hard to keep up with the rivalries, who was who, maps, historic narrative and glossary all helped. I now want to learn more about what's happening in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
May 10, 2011
Definitely one of the most interesting and captivating books I've read recently. This books takes you straight into the chaos and power plays of the two Congo wars through the story of a Banyamulenge rebel leader.
Read
July 30, 2011It was nice to read the Congo era when I was also in the places she talks about. The story is clearly catchy and people who don't know the recent history of Congo might enjoy reading it like a nice story-telling.
December 6, 2010
A crash course in the complexities of the recent relations between Rwandese and Congolese peoples, in a breathtaking fictionalised form
April 12, 2013
It takes me back. Back to the foggy peaks of my heart.
April 20, 2013
A book based on a true story, the story of a boy who grew up in eastern Congo and became a rebel and a militar ... Congo, Rwanda, Tutsis, militars, rebels ... the centre of Africa.
December 27, 2022
Zelden zo'n uitstekend boek gelezen. Gebaseerd op haar verblijf in Oost-Congo, waarover ze een eerder boek schreef, op de historische feiten bij de overgang van Kabilla sr naar jr, heeft ze een soort fictie geschreven die dicht op niet fictieve werkelijkheid aanleunt. Zelf zegt ze me dat dit boek haar heel veel werk heeft gekost. ik zou het geloven. Merkwaardig vind ik haar manier om helemaal vanuit een enkel personage de zaken te beschouwen en dat dan ook vol te houden. Vijf sterren verdiend
May 2, 2019
4.78 La verdad es que es la primera vez que leo un libro periodístico y es raro el sabor de boca que deja porque son cosas que han pasado y pasan. La historia del Congo no pensé que fuera así de dura y complicada.
Lo recomiendo ampliamente para las personas que no esperan un libro que acaba bonito porque simplemente no acaba.
Lo recomiendo ampliamente para las personas que no esperan un libro que acaba bonito porque simplemente no acaba.
December 29, 2019
very interesting book. I at first was thrown by the chronology but grew to very much appreciate it and admire it. This is a great book to read if you've read King Leopold's Ghost.
I would very much like to know what happened to the general and his family? Is he still a general in the army? Is the family safe?
I would very much like to know what happened to the general and his family? Is he still a general in the army? Is the family safe?
January 2, 2024
I really liked how the author described the emotions of Assani through his journeys to the rebel movement amidst changing political and military disruptions in DRC. While it wasn’t the most beautifully written book, it did learn a lot about it the history of DRC and appreciated its realistic portrayal of the life of the rebels and the volatile peace building processes in the country.
August 23, 2021
Een persoonlijk inkijkje in een land wat eigenlijk geen land kan zijn. Met al haar diversiteit en tegenstellingen lijkt het simpelweg te groot om te verenigen. Parallellen met het voormalige Joegoslavië.
June 20, 2021
Another harrowing tale set in Africa.
March 11, 2018
Verhaal vertelt over de oorlog in Congo en Rwanda. De strijd tussen de Hutu’s en de Tutsi’s, de afzetting van mobutu, opgevolgd door Kabila en later zijn zoon. Het wordt verteld vanuit het perspectief van Anansi, een chef in het rebellenleger van Kabila. Hij komt van een bergvolk dat door velen gelijk wordt gesteld aan de Tutsi’s. Hij is minder corrupt dan vele anderen en weet meerdere malen net op tijd te vluchten of de juiste vrienden te kiezen. Toch blijft de persoon Anansi vrij oppervlakkig waardoor het toch meer als een non-fictie boek leest dan als een roman. Weet niet hoe het bedoeld is.
March 6, 2020
My ratings of books on Goodreads are solely a crude ranking of their utility to me, and not an evaluation of literary merit, entertainment value, social importance, humor, insightfulness, scientific accuracy, creative vigor, suspensefulness of plot, depth of characters, vitality of theme, excitement of climax, satisfaction of ending, or any other combination of dimensions of value which we are expected to boil down through some fabulous alchemy into a single digit.
February 13, 2013
captivating
April 16, 2017
Een zwaar boek, moeilijk te verteren, vooral omdat je weet dat dit gebaseerd is op de harde realiteit van conflicten in de Grote Meren Regio. Het was soms moeilijk te volgen, en ook dat is de realiteit. Wel dapper om dergelijke verhalen neer te schrijven, en de moeite om te lezen, alleen al omdat we er zelf een aandeel in hebben en onze ogen niet mogen sluiten voor wat er rondom ons gebeurt.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews