The human catastrophe accompanying the Congo’s independence.
The massive human tragedy and international political upheaval in the Congo is brought to life through two young American mercenaries. The day after The Congo becomes independent, The Katanga province secedes from the Congo creating a firestorm not yet quieted 65 years later. The Americans have unique long range shooting skills and are recruited by the newly minted Katanga government to join the initial elements of a self-defense force. These young men join a conventional military training group in Belgium and then take the arduous journey to Capetown, Malawi and on to Elizabethville. Quickly, they are rewarded with a prototype Mauser sniper rifle and advanced sighting and distance measuring devices. They soon achieve remarkable notoriety with their ability to keep native tribes at bay while the political issues are being worked on by national leaders. However, in months, virtually every country plus the U.N. are opposed to The Katanga even though they are a model of good governance in Africa. The sniper skills of the Americans soon merge with those of the political strategists, and together create a formidable but ultimately failed defense. These young men grow into serious leaders in a short period of time and begin to merge their lives into the objectives of the new country, finding love, marriage and ultimately, escape on the final day of The Katanga. The final result of the Congo’s ‘victory’ is the death of 3.5 million Congolese, corruption on a grand scale, and the death of the U.N. Secretary General. And human misery that continues today. The novel follows basic real events and international events.
