The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) iscurrently one of the most dangerous countries inAfrica, riddled with political corruption, civil war,and material exploitation. The root of many of theseissues lies within the DRC's history starting withBelgian colonial powers and the subsequent years ofcolonization, pan-Africanism, and the struggle fornew independence. Understanding the long-termeffects of Western colonization in Africa will be akey component in helping countries like the DRCrebuild in a meaningful way, although the solution ismuch more complicated.