Congo - Seeking $ and Power Through Exploitation and Intimidation (Part 1)

Another African country is in the news!!!

WTF?

Can't they get their sh*t together over there. Those Africans are always killing each other, how do these crazy people gain power?

Oh yeah, I forgot that we (rich Europeans and Americans) are the reason that Africa is so F***ed up. Case and point, the current continually disintegrating situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. a country whose problems began with one such crazy leader, the greedy and ambitious King Leopold II of Belgium. Leopold Exploited the DRC's resources for his own gain. In order to ensure total access to the resources he severely mistreated the Congolese, forcing people to work in the rubber plantations and mutilating them when they would not do so. An estimated 10 million people died during the reign of Leopold II. With his example, and the most desired cache of natural resources in Africa to fight over, how can we be surprised that today the area is in tumult?

Today's resource of choice however is no longer rubber, we've discovered more practical and cost efficient ways of producing our car tires. Instead the focus has been on the minerals. The coveted minerals of the day are gold, copper, cobalt, uranium, zinc, and tin; many metals that make our daily lives possible (like this mac I'm typing on right now). And because of the draw of these minerals and unrelated problems in other areas of Africa it seems that several psychotic militiamen have descended on the Congo. Enslaving a new crop of natives to harvest minerals, and displacing millions who live near future mines, leaving them without food and water, or a way of making any money to survive. Some of these refugees have been able receive help from NGOs but many have simply been cut off by the constantly moving warring armies and militias. From the constant fighting and forced removal and general abuse of the soldiers it is estimated that 5.8 million people have died. (more people in any armed conflict since WWII)

But perhaps the most gruesome tragedy is the method in which these militias (which includes just about all the fighting groups including the Congolese government) get villagers to do what they want them to, which I will address in my next post.