Genocide in Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been stuck in a dire humanitarian catastrophe for years, and this year it has only worsened. The crisis has left millions of people displaced, sexually assaulted, and killed. There are growing calls for the world to pay attention to what is happening in Congo and formally label it as a genocide. Many of the roots of this conflict can be traced back to Western countries, and it is time for them to be called out on their historical and present imperialistic crimes. Like many non-Western countries, the Congo has been forgotten and many mainstream media outlets have not reported on what is going on.
The current humanitarian crisis in Congo is not an isolated occurrence, rather it is a result of a long history of colonialism and war at the hands of Western and other wealthy countries acting on their interests. There has been ongoing fighting between armed groups in the country as well as deadly human rights abuses in mining operations. The natural resources in Congo have been a place for the rich to get richer while Congolese get left behind.
The long documented mining camps in the Congo have been the location of grave human rights abuses. The mines are where cobalt and copper are extracted in order to make rechargeable batteries and cell phones. In September, these industrial mines were expanded which has resulted in forced evictions of residents and other crimes against civilians. Reports of not only forced evictions, but arson, sexual assault, and other forms of physical violence has been found according to Amnesty International. Congo has the largest cobalt reserve in the world and the demand for it is increasing drastically. Many individuals are reporting of forced labor, which has been reported on in the past, and is contributing to the ongoing crisis. Many human rights organizations report that over the past 30 years, 6 million Congolese have been killed as a result of mining copper, cobalt, and diamonds. That is 200,000 people killed a year, about 16,700 killed a month, and 556 killed a day. In these instances, money matters more than human life.
Conflict has caused many to flee to other parts of the country. In August the UN reported that the number of internally displaced people has risen to almost 7 million. In 2022 the number was at 4 million. This situation is perilous for women and girls. Sexual violence is a recurrent weapon of war and the number of sexual assault is only growing. In 2022, MSF reported that in July they had treated over 1,500 victims of sexual violence in only three different displacement camps in the city of Goma. The IOM reported in 2022 that of the 100,000 people who arrived at a displacement camp in Goma, almost 60% were women. Fleeing one’s home is a dangerous journey and many women are forced to do so alone with their children. Arriving at the displacement camps is seldom an end to this terror. These camps aren’t particularly guarded or isolated. They are secured only by plastic sheets, and armed men often lurk outside the camps, making it dangerous to leave them even when they are going to find food. There is little security which leads to ongoing stress and terror.
Many social media users are calling this the silent genocide because mainstream media is turning a blind eye to it. Congo has long been victimized and it is time for the world to pay attention. Efforts need to be made to ensure strict ethical mining that in turn benefits and protects the locals in the area, rather than abuse and displace them. Moves must be made to end the violence between armed groups. Humanitarian aid must increase. Women and girls need to be protected when seeking refuge. Above all, people must pay attention to what’s going on and more reporting must be done. Much of the information in this brief is dated due to little recent reporting. Social media users are taking matters into their own hands by communicating with those on the ground in order to raise awareness. The West must end its push of profit over people and allow African nations to live in peace. A cell phone is not worth more than human life. Congo is bleeding, and the world needs to act.
#CongoIsBleeding
#CongoGenocide
#FreeCongo
Additional Sources:
https://www.voanews.com/a/un-record-6-9-million-internally-displaced-in-dr-congo/7332597.html
https://thehub.news/genocide-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-has-been-overlooked/
https://apnews.com/article/congo-mining-human-rights-73b3edcc2d485d07281db34dc3dcad2c
