Congo in Crisis

The Democratic Republic of Congo has had a sordid history of civil war and internal corruption which has only escalated since the country gained independence in 1960.

A vast country with immense economic resources, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been at the centre of what could be termed Africa's world war.

The very roots of the country have been ingrained in war and extreme poverty, and while their neighbouring countries can barely help themselves--the Congo is left to fend for itself while western powers strip the country for all its worth. What are they after? Their resources. For the past decade, the Rwandan government and its military has been largely suspected of illegally exploiting Congolese resources, as well as the illegal traffic of products such as coltan into Rwanda--where it would then be sold on the international market to big-buyers like the US and Canada.

And while an estimated 5.4 million people have died since 1998, the war-torn country is raped of her resources for a profit on the market. Though many are trying to recognise the devastation in the DP of Congo, there is not much anyone can do. Even now, a bill, Congo Conflict Minerals Act of 2009 is in the works. It calls for, among other things, a system of oversight to keep watch on all US-based industries that utilize Congolese coltan, cassiterite, wolframite and gold, and make sure the minerals were not extracted from conflict mines controlled by illegal armed groups.

It is an area carpeted with minerals such as coltan and cassiterite, which are used in the production of consumer durables and gadgets sold in the rich world.

But people are now beginning to ask: what is the human cost of a mobile phone?

In many areas across the Congo, many people suffer under the hands of the FDLR and the FARDC--military groups whose very names insight fear into the Congolese' hearts. But I believe the blame lies solely on the manufacturing giants of the west whose hands are stained with the blood of millions--all for the end-product of an iPod or cellphone.

Children are subjected to war, violence, rape, and death. Children, who should experience only innocence, are emotionally scarred from the moment they are born--if their mother's are lucky enough to make it to their third trimester.

The future, it means dying.

said one youth, who'd known nothing but war in his country.

And in recent news, President Obama has made it blatantly clear on his stand against the human rights violations occurring in the Congo. In his budget request for the State Department for the 2010 financial year, Obama proposed significant increases in funding US arms sales and military training programmes for African countries, also citing a troops surge in the Congo, out of Afghanistan and Iraq.

One cannot help but wonder what the true motives of the American's are. History is riddled with examples of countries allying themselves with others based on each others' needs. The same can be said of the Congo; true human rights are being violated--as were the Jews during WWII, and look how long it took America to join the fight. But then again, the human rights of the Congolese have been violated for more than a decade, while the US mined their lands for profit. What does that say about the human race in general?

I guess the death of a human being is worth the price of an iPod.