The World's Forgotten Crisis: Over 6 Million Dead in Congo
While it rarely makes headlines, one of the world's largest humanitarian crises is unfolding in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since 1998, over 6 million people have lost their lives due to conflict.
The root of this crisis lies in two invasions by neighboring
countries, Rwanda and Uganda, in 1996 and 1998. The 1998 invasion triggered
what the UN called the deadliest conflict since World War II.
This was followed by two decades of support for rebel groups
that destabilized the eastern region. Today, over 100 foreign-backed militias
fuel low-intensity conflict, displacing millions and making life impossible for
the Congolese people.
The result? Nearly 7 million people have been forced to flee
their homes, creating a vast internal displacement crisis and numerous refugee
camps across the country.
We spoke to Maurice Carney, director of the DC-based NGO
Friends of the Congo, to understand the roots of this ongoing tragedy and what
needs to be done.
The humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) is a product of two invasions by Congo’s neighbors led primarily by
Rwanda and Uganda in 1996 and in 1998. The 1998 invasion triggered what the
United Nations calls the deadliest conflict in the world since World War Two.
The wars of aggression and plunder by Rwanda and Uganda were followed by a
two-decade long support for rebel groups in the east of the Congo that has
destabilized that part of the country. In addition to the foreign-backed rebel
groups there are over 100 armed groups in the east of the country fueling the
low intensity conflict and displacing millions of Congolese.
In your perspective, why is Congo considered
geopolitically and economically important? How have external factors, such as
international interests, influenced the dynamics of the crisis in Congo?
Congo has long been
geopolitically and strategically important. It is important because of its size
both in area and population. It is the second largest country in Africa in
terms of area, which is about the size of Western Europe. It is the fourth largest
country in Africa with an estimated 100 million inhabitants. It is located in
the heart of the African continent, straddling the equator and unlike any other
country in Africa, it is bordered by nine countries. It is for all intents and
purposes the fulcrum on which the African continent swings. The Congo is a part
of the second largest rainforest in the world and is indispensable to the fight
against climate change. The Congo Basin rainforest sequesters more carbon than
all the tropical rainforests in the world. It is home to the largest tropical
Peatlands, a virtual carbon bomb that stores the equivalent of 20 years of the
United States’ carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels. In addition, the
Congo is vital to the transition to clean or green energy. It is by far the
world’s largest producer of cobalt producing more cobalt than all of the
countries in the world combined. It accounts for 70% of the world’s production
of cobalt, which is a vital ingredient for the production of rechargeable
batteries found in smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles and other
rechargeable devices. In addition, some economists estimate that there is $24
trillion worth of mineral wealth in Congo’s soil, which is equivalent to the
GDP of the United States. Moreover, the Food and Agricultural Organization says
that if Congo with four growing seasons maximizes its agricultural capacity, it
could feed 2 billion people, which is almost twice the population of the
African continent. Therefore, Congo is central to the future prosperity of the
African continent.
External forces have been key to the condition that Congo finds itself in
today, particularly the intervention of the United States and Belgium. The
United States mounted its largest covert action in its history in 1960 through
its Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to overthrow and assassinate Congo’s
democratically elected Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba. Since Lumumba’s
overthrow in 1960 and assassination on January 17, 1961, the United States has
had a say in every leader that has ascended to power in the country and none of
those leaders has acted in the interests of the Congolese people or represented
their will. The United States through its CIA, institutionalized corrupt,
authoritarian rule in the Congo while decimating Congo’s democratic forces.
Sixty years later, Congo has not recovered from this disastrous US
intervention.
Which countries or
entities are known to benefit from Congo's natural resources, and how does this
contribute to the complexities of the crisis? In what ways do resource
exploitation and trade impact the local population?
In our film, Crisis in the Congo:
Uncovering the Truth, we open the film saying everyone wants a piece of
Congo. This has proven to be true throughout the wars of aggression and plunder
and the on-going conflict that has unfolded over the past quarter century. In
2001 and 2002, the United Nations published a series of reports listing 85
companies that had violated OECD guidelines by illicitly exploiting Congo’s
minerals. See list here: https://congoweek.org/pdf/congo_companies.pdf
Internationally, many countries and companies benefit from Congo’s riches,
however, regionally, the two leaders and countries which the United Nations
described as the Godfathers of the illicit exploitation of the Congo, are
Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni. In fact, Uganda had to pay
reparations to the Congo as a result of a 2005 International Court of Justice
ruling which stated that Congo is entitled to reparations from Uganda due to
the crimes of war and plunder that Uganda committed in the Congo. Rwanda would
most certainly have befallen the same fate but Rwanda is not party to the
International Court of Justice and could not be tried even though Congo had
lodged a case against the Rwandan government. Rwanda and Uganda continue to
benefit from Congo’s gold, timber, coltan, tin, and tungsten to name a few. In
fact, due to the plunder of Congo’s coltan, Rwanda has become the world’s
largest producer of coltan, even though it does not have large reserves of
coltan. The fact that these two countries’ economies benefit tremendously from
a weak and unstable Congo, they are incentivized to foment perpetual conflict
in the Congo through proxy militia groups which enable them to continue to
realize economic gains from Congo’s riches.
Resource exploitation and trade impact the local population in a multitude of
ways:
A. Displacement – the local population has been displaced from their
traditional lands because of concessions sold by the government to foreign
corporations
B. Environmental Destruction - Many water sources and land have been
destroyed by toxic sludge from mining which has killed fish and made farmland
impossible to grow food
C. Chronic health issues have plagued miners involved in artisanal
mining due in large part to their exposure to radioactive material. Children
from mining families are born with severe birth defects and health challenges.
Can you highlight the key organizations actively
providing humanitarian assistance in Congo? What are the major challenges faced
by these organizations in delivering aid, and how can the international
community better support their efforts?
There are a number of international organizations providing humanitarian
assistance such as Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee,
Catholic Relief Services, World Food Program, UNICEF, MedAir, Mercy Corps and a
host of others. Two major obstacles for these groups are lack of funding at the
international level and lack of security locally due to the 100 plus militia
groups in the east of the country and in particular the Rwanda-backed M23
rebels. However, there are also local groups that are providing assistance such
as Goma Actif, SOFEPADI, Sauti ya Mama Mukongomani and Yole Africa located in
Goma. Yole!Africa stands out because of its unique program that goes beyond
relief and aid. They were able to provide aid and sustainable support after the
2021 volcanic eruptions that displaced tens of thousands of people. They
provide sustainable support to displaced women and children while putting the
women on a path to autonomy and self-sufficiency and giving the children
holistic care that includes art, music and sports – in essence, their program
is driven by restoring the dignity of the victims.
Governments in the international community can give more to address the
humanitarian crisis. In regard to the average person who wants to help, we
highly recommend that they donate to local institutions who are on the
frontlines providing direct aid and support to displaced persons. The
www.freecongo.org website is a good destination to provide help and support.
With 6.1 million people displaced within the country,
what are the most pressing protection needs and vulnerabilities faced by the
affected population? How are organizations addressing the specific needs of
vulnerable groups, such as women and children, in the context of widespread
gender-based violence?
The most pressing needs are security, food, clothing, shelter and medicine. The
organizations I listed above along with many more are on the frontlines are
providing as much support as they can. Organizations are addressing the
specific needs of women and children by integrating them into structures that
place them on a sustainable track. In addition, special care is needed for
women as it relates to hygiene and mental health care to address the trauma of being
displaced. We work with some remarkable organizations that are restoring the
dignity and agency of women who have been victims of gender-based violence.
Why do you think there is a lack of widespread media
coverage of the crisis in Congo? What efforts are being made to raise awareness
about the situation, and what role can the media play in bringing attention to
the humanitarian issues in the region
There are several reasons for the lack of widespread media coverage of the
crisis in the Congo. Below are a few:
1. The crisis is happening in the heart of Africa, which is widely viewed as
dark, mysterious and backward, a place where only bad things happen. So no
matter how bad things get, people the world over have been conditioned to see
it as normal, hence millions could persih and it doesn’t move people to action
because those lives are less valued. In fact, if millions of animals were to
die, it would likely garner more attention and outrage.
2. The conflict and instability do not challenge or disrupt the interests of
the major Western powers, in fact, one can make an argument that it serves
their interests to get access to strategic minerals for pennies on the
dollar, therefore, the crisis can unfold
in relative obscurity.
3. The crisis has unfolded at a slow grinding pace, it is not as dramatic as
the genocide that the Israelis are carrying out against the Palestinians in
Gaza. In the Congo crisis, the “good guys” and the “bad guys” are not easily
identified, hence it takes some digging just to find out what is happening and
who people should be supporting. The number of players, the diverse interests,
the opaque nature of the crisis, the language barrier (Congo is a French
speaking country) all work to deter people from being curious or even
interested.
Friends of the Congo and a host of other organizations are working diligently
to raise awareness about the crisis in the Congo. Friends of the Congo has made
a short film and we
are in the process of making a feature length
film that will focus on Congo’s importance to combating the climate crisis
and facilitating the clean energy transition. Each year for the past sixteen
years, we have organized a film and events series in New York, the media
capital of the world. We invite renowned Congolese film makers to come and
present their latest work in an effort to showcase the different dimensions and
layers of Congolese society and life beyond the conflict. Furthermore, we
leverage social media tools to share stories about what is unfolding throughout
the country. We write articles, do interviews, collaborate with museums,
theatres, and other cultural institutions, do speaking engagements on
university campuses, conduct speaking tours throughout the globe to educate
communities about what is unfolding in the Congo, testify in the US Congress,
Canadian and British Parliaments, partner with faith leaders, engage musicians
and artists to use their platforms to inform people about the Congo and
organize annual delegations and tours to the Congo so people can see first-hand
what is happening in the country. Finally, we work with local Congolese
journalists who are under resourced and do not have global platforms to share
or publish their stories. We work with a network of young amazing journalists
who are constantly seeking outlets for their stories.
We are humbled by the recent uptick in attention from conscientious activists
who are organizing around Palestine and feel morally compelled to also uplift
the Congo and the disastrous crisis that is unfolding in the country. We
believe that Patrice Lumumba’s words are coming to fruition when he said to his
fellow Congolese in a last letter to his wife before he was assassinated that
“We are not alone. Africa, Asia and free and liberated people from every corner
of the world will always be found at the side of the Congolese." We encourage you to join the #FreeCongo
movement and be a part of change in the heart of the African continent.
https://freecongo.org
This interview was originally published in Independent Türkçe, on December 20,2023
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