Thanks for talking to us, Mike. Could you start just by introducing yourself?
My name is Mike. I was born in the Congo, and worked in the mines . I left when I was 17 years old due to political instability. When the mines were taken over by foreigners, they chased us away using military force. When we resisted that, some people were kidnapped and taken into the army illegally.
I went to South Africa because of this. It was so unfair. There was a structure of imperialists who wanted to control everything and decide how much we should earn. The freedom was gone, and I was very disappointed. I lived in South Africa for 14 years, and now I’ve been here in Berlin for 7 years.
I grew up exploring the world. I’m very curious. If there is a place where I decide to live, it will be the Congo, because I come from there. The only thing that moved me was instability, and I still miss it.
But now I have lived so long outside of my country, I am used to just being wherever I am and making it small. Nevertheless, I still have strong impacts in my country.
And what do you do in Berlin?
I work as a automotive company. I’m also a self-dependent activist who provides for victims of the war in Congo by converting my money into donations. These are small things which make a difference. The idea is to give people from Congo a smile because they’ve lost it.
We’re mainly here to talk about Time for Congo. What is Time for Congo and why are you organizing it?
Time for Congo is a collective. It’s a place where we want to create a community which celebrates Congolese people, mourns with Congolese people, and talks about the culture and any other topic that we are open to.
We realize that the Congolese community does not really exist in Berlin, but Congo is the country that allows us to have this luxury of technology. But people seem not to pay so much attention to the country and the role that it is playing in the world.
The idea behind Time for Congo was to locate Congolese people, and to give them a community where they can talk about everyday topics. Its’ politics, culture, or even just discussing stories and events.
You’re organizing a series of events. What can we experience?
From 17th to 26th October, we are expecting to organize our very first event. It will take place in Maya. We’ll have a panel discussion talking about the current situation in Congo, and stories from witnesses and the victims of war. There will also be some dance classes – Zumba, and food and stuff.
Since it’s the first time that we are working with other Congolese people, we want to make this event a bit more attractive. The aim is to bring Congolese people together and to explain the situation in Congo to the world, so that we can understand exactly what is going on.
Is this just for Congolese people?
No, it is also for other people. We aim to inform people to talk about Congo. It is just so natural to listen to the Congolese story spoken from the Congolese perspective. This is the story that has concerned us. We live it, and we are affected by it. We are the best people to explain Congo.
People are invited to come and participate and to learn about the situation in Congo and how we can take initiative to change things and create new projects which bring our ideas alive.
How many people from the Congo live in Berlin, and do you know each other?
We have over 500 Congolese people living in Berlin. I know some of them. We catch up when there’s a funeral, a concert, or a party. That’s not all of us, but the people we know in the circle.
There are also some religious Congolese people who find each other every Sunday in churches, but we do not have a place where we can meet as a community. We don’t have a house of hope for Congolese people where we can come together and discuss and talk about the future.
Do you hope that something like this can emerge out of Time for Congo?
I think this is going to be something very nice and very important for the Congo. For the African community, we have Eoto – Each One, Teach One, and the African Centre. They’re trying to empower African people. But there should also be something specific, maybe smaller, which can bring Congolese people together.
Most people live very far away from each other, and we do not really have a meeting point. There is nothing that represents Congo. Even the embassy is too small and too far away.
But you feel you’ve got a lot in common with the other Congolese people?
Yes, we have a lot in common because most of the people that are in Masaka are people that come directly from the Congo. We have something different from the Congolese people who were born in Europe. They have a different way of seeing and understanding things. They have never had this direct contact with the motherland.
If we had a space that can bring all of us together, this could empower the Congolese people who were born here to learn more from their land, and those of us who came from Congo can learn how to adapt here. It could be a cultural place where Congolese people can exchange.
And Time for Congo can provide a role in this. How can people help build Time for Congo?
Anybody is invited to come with ideas and inputs. You can contact “Time for Congo” on Instagram.
You mentioned in passing that countries like Germany profit from what’s happening in Congo. How does that work?
Germans are profiting from the Congo. In 2022, a German minister went to the East of Congo just to inaugurate an airport that they were building. They only cleaned the roads in the middle of the forest where the planes should land and take off. They didn’t build anything new, but investors from Germany were excited because the airport was only used for minerals which were stolen from the land of Congo.
This is the first thing. Germany is benefiting from minerals in Congo. Then, the European Union has never come forward to condemn the aggression of Rwanda’s people in the Congo. They refuse to issue sanctions. Instead they make donations to Rwanda to improve its army. It’s more than $40 million.
The first time they gave $20 million to improve the army, and then in 2025 another 20,000. This was to support the Rwandan army, which is a genocide army. It’s supporting the genocide in Congo. Whatever this army receives will end up in Congo. There is a lot of evidence about a munition that was shipped from Ukraine to Congo.
So Germany is participating directly by building a fake airport which they only use to loot resources in a region under rebel control. And they’re also profiting indirectly through the European Union, where Germany is also profiting from these resources.
What you’re saying is that although most of the Western media coverage of Congo is of Africans fighting other Africans, in reality the West is deeply involved in what’s happening?
Yes. One single mine, Rubaya in the East of Congo, produces more than 80% of the world reserve of coltan and platinum. This is a very strategic mineral, for people who want to use technology, whether it’s a cell phone or jet plane.
They are profiting from this because they don’t want to just do the right things by entering through the door and buying the product, like other normal investors. They prefer to arm the rebels, to create chaos, to create atrocity and disappointment.
They don’t want to talk about the instability of the Congo, but at the same time they are condemning the current power, which is actually resisting the genociders. It is clear for us on which side the European Union is. They refuse to sanction Rwanda. Instead, they are still investing in Rwanda. The economy of Rwanda depends on their money.
Rwanda sells a fake story about genocides in their country, and then they get donations every month from the European Union. A country that’s actually attacking other countries and killing their peoples is getting financial support as part of a very long deal partnership that the European Union has with Rwanda.
The friend of our enemy is also our enemy.
Do you see the Congolese government as a force for change or part of the problem?
The Congolese government is approaching this issue more diplomatically because they understand that it is not easy to just confront the invader directly. It is not only Rwanda. Rwanda is just an empty shell, but there are more people beyond Rwanda.
These are not just the multinational companies. It’s also the U.S. With our new government, we managed to convince the U.S. to be our friends and not be our enemies. And now the U.S. is taking over the peace agreement between Congo and Rwanda. They refuse to feed Rwanda with promise and security.
The U.S. sanctions Rwanda, but the European Union still supports Rwanda because there is also a tension between America and Europe. Everything is falling on the Congo again. Both the Americans and Europeans want the technology and the minerals, and China is also getting involved. That’s why the Chinese army and its technology is evolving so fast.
Now China is also in Congo, but working against the Congolese, supporting Kagame because once the country is not stable, then there are more resources for everybody.
So in general, the Congolese people are saying they don’t want the USA, they don’t want Germany, but they also don’t want China involved?
Yeah. We just want to look after ourselves. The Congolese government is just looking for fair partnership. We want a win-win partnership with our foreign partners, but the foreign partners are used to blood. They are vampires. All they want to see is people dying and stealing. They want domination. They want to feel great and big.
But this is not the approach that the Congolese people have. We have to be more diplomatic, and try to convert every criminal sent by telling them stop, put your gun down, and let’s work together.
You say that a lot of the instability is the work of Western governments. Is there anything people in Germany can do to help change that?
Yes. It’s a very easy thing to do, but people just need to do something from their hearts. You can donate your old clothes or shoes and bring this stuff to us. We will ship them to Congo. It’s a new experience to see your shoes, or your beautiful dress, or your favourite t-shirt that does not fit you anymore, and somebody else is actually smiling in it.
Let’s start by giving to those who are in need. And the more that you get involved in that, the more you start to understand Congo. Then you develop the desire of visiting the Congo to see where the actual donation landed and how much impact it has made.
People need to know exactly where to donate and to donate. There’s a lot of fake profiles out there with internet scammers and catfishing. So if you want to donate to Congo, make sure you donate to a Congolese person who has some strong evidence that can actually accompany you to not let your donation get wasted or overexploited.
For someone more reliable, I would recommend Focus Congo. They have a page on Instagram where you can look them up and see how they support the victims,
And can the German government do anything?
The German government should change its approach. Instead of quickly sending weapons that will kill people, they could also think about sending agricultural machines, things that will feed people. We do not want people to die. We want them to live healthy and happy.
