Middle East & Africa | The postman never rings at all

Why delivering the mail in Congo is so hard

No street numbers, no wages and lots of rebels

Deliver the letter, the sooner the better
|GOMA

A HISTORIAN REMARKED, of the ancient Persian postal system, that “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Snow is not much of a problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but dozens of rebel groups make delivering the mail rather difficult. So do bad roads and a dysfunctional government.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The postman never rings at all”

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