Reflections from a Cold War Navy SEAL: I fought in Congo 50 years ago – Today it's still plagued by problems
By James Hawes
Published December 20, 2018
The Democratic Republic of Congo is scheduled to hold a presidential election Dec. 30, bringing back my memories of fighting in the African nation more than 50 years ago as a Navy SEAL, recruited by the CIA to help execute a clandestine paramilitary operation.
If the election goes smoothly – despite a suspicious fire at an election commission warehouse last week that destroyed about 7,000 voting machines – it will be the first democratic transfer of power in the nation since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960.
The vote had been scheduled for Sunday, but the nation’s electoral commission announced the postponement until Dec. 30 on Thursday, telling candidates it was “technically incapable†of holding the election Sunday due to violence and other problems. The presidential election has been postponed numerous times since 2016.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/reflections-from-a-cold-war-navy-seal-i-fought-in-congo-50-years-ago-today-its-still-plagued-by-problems
