I first read this as a kid in the 80s and was enspelled by the premise, settings and interesting characters.
It translates well enough as an audiobook though I wasn’t sure if the reader is unfamiliar with the regional African speech or the opposite, accustomed to American and Irish speech solely through Western and other movies. He also repeatedly displayed the inability to pronounce “calisthenics” and other words, including “cheetah”, which he said as “CHEET-tah.” It wouldn’t be so annoying had cheetahs not been so key in parts.
That aside, he did an excellent job of voice differentiation between characters and genders and was enjoyable overall.
I’ve always wondered why this book is listed under horror. Aside from some violence, there is nothing of the genre to be found here. It is an adventure and survival story with Cold War espionage and politics as well as the struggle of beleaguered African nations to self actualize and compete globally. Mostly though, it is straight-up adventure with unusual characters and striking imagery.