The Killer Trail by Bertrand Taithe
Oxford University Press, £16.99
The continent of Africa has always been a poor relation to more affluent parts of the world and, as a consequence, a treasure trove of easy pickings when it comes to the exploitation of people and natural resources by more powerful countries. Political raiders have plagued the weaker nations from outside and dubious and corrupt governments have helped themselves from within.
Events such as those described in The Killer Trail reveal important and detailed information about the abuse of Africa over the years and explain why it has every reason to feel victimized by centuries of colonial greed. Bertrand Taithe tells the story of one of the most appalling atrocities in African history – an account of viciousness and insanity on a terrifying scale.
In 1898 two French captains, Voulet and Chanoine, were authorized to lead a mission to central Africa to establish definitive borders between the French and British Empires. Their journey was a litany of savagery as they carved their way south, ordering a series of massacres to eliminate any opposition or obstruction. When news of the outrages reached Paris, another mission was sent to curtail the Voulet-Chanoine excesses and, following subsequent clashes, the two captains, now officially declared deranged renegades, set up their own kingdom. They finally met their fate during a mutiny of African soldiers; receiving the kind of rough justice they had dished out.
Taithe has done a remarkable job and uses the captains’ manic mission to illustrate the wider European lust for control of Africa. There must be many more now forgotten atrocities from this troubled continent that require his level of commitment for such thorough academic research.
Joe Cushnan
