The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been the centre of African War since the 1960s, when Joseph Mobutu seized power. During this time, the nation, called Zaire, was very unstable, and Mobutu brought hope to citizens as he destroyed rebellions and made the country whole. However, the Rwandan Genocide in 1994 and Mobutu’s greed for power led to nation’s downfall into the deadliest conflict since World War II.
Between August 1998 and April 2007, 5.4 million people died in the DRC, while millions more fled to neighbouring countries. Starvation, disease, and warfare have contributed to these deaths. The Congo, sometimes referred to as the rape capital of the world, has been the centre of widespread and systematic use of rape to humiliate and demoralize targeted communities. In the midst of this is the problem of conflict minerals. These minerals include coltan, cassiterite, wolframite, and gold. These minerals are purchased by multinational electronics companies and used to make cell phones, laptops, and MP3 players. While these companies are not directly involved in the war in DR Congo, their purchases of minerals from these regions help finance the continual war and rape of citizens. Instead of purchasing these minerals from the DR Congo, companies can look towards Australia, a country which offers the same minerals. So long as multinational corporations keep purchasing from the DR Congo, the war will continue to take the lives of millions, as it already has, and will cause disturbance amongst neighbouring countries as more and more citizens flee. The hope for stability and freedom for Congolese citizens is in North America’s hands, and may offer a chance of redemption for weak involvement in Darfur and Rwanda.
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