The German Road: Congo Project Shows Pitfalls of Development Aid

From 2002 to 2011, Welthungerhilfe, a major German relief organization, invested in road construction for the Democratic Republic of Congo, National Road N2 is “613-kilometers (381-miles) long, stretching all the way to Kisangani, a city on the shores of the country's namesake: the Congo River,” explains Samiha Shafy for Spiegel Online. The goal was that a road stretching into the jungle and agriculture belt, could promote trade, security and transport of the nation’s rich mineral resources. But the road remains impassable on parts due to poor maintenance and security: “First, the war is not over. And second, the road is still a Sisyphean task under German control and not yet a Congolese highway. A part of it gets built and then the aid workers go elsewhere. Soon the first potholes form and the jungle begins to gnaw away at the shoulders of the road. Ultimately, it will disappear completely.” The article describes the risks and sacrifices endured by aid workers and Congolese, and Shafy concludes, “Relief organizations cannot replace the state in the long run.” - YaleGlobal