Ravaged first by Belgian colonialism, then by the Western-backed kleptocratic dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo have endured two civil wars since the 1990s. Despite a 2003 peace agreement, the eastern part of the country is still embroiled in a grave crisis, with heavy fighting leading to massive displacement. It is estimated that over 4 million people have died in the conflict.
The scramble for the Congo’s enormous wealth of mineral resources has played an integral role in the conflict, though both sides play up ethnic tensions to legitimize their crimes against the people of the Congo.
Congo’s mineral wealth has been
central to the country’s military
conflict.
Friends of the Congo, a Washington, D.C.-based organization, has been raising awareness in the United States about the conflict and providing a voice to the grassroots struggle for peace and justice in the Congo. Maurice Carney, executive director of Friends of the Congo, kindly granted the following interview to Liberation.
What role do Congo’s vast mineral resources play in the current crisis? Is a conflict between Hutus and Tutsis behind the crisis as well?
Congo’s minerals are central to the conflict in the Congo. There is a global geostrategic game being played on the backs of the Congolese. The so-called Hutu-Tutsi rift serves as a convenient pretext for America’s ally, Rwanda, to use proxy forces in the Congo to achieve its economic objective of looting Congo’s minerals.
Western media sources often put an equal sign between the actions of the Kabila government, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), Mai-Mai, Nkunda and Rwanda, saying they are all equally responsible for the current situation. Is this in fact the case, or has one nation or particular grouping of forces played a disproportionate role in bringing crisis to the affected regions?
Without a doubt, all the forces are culpable in the suffering of the people of the Congo. None of those you mentioned serves the interests of the people. However, Rwanda has been the most aggressive and destructive force in the region, having invaded the Congo twice (1996 and 1998) and it continues to support proxy groups in the Congo today via Laurent Nkunda’s CNDP or National Congress for the Defense of the People.
Calls are growing louder for intervention by Western military forces. Do you see a solution for the crisis in the Congo coming through a Western military intervention?
Western military intervention will only exacerbate the problem. Aggressive diplomacy and the laying out of a clear political track can begin the long journey of bringing this conflict to an end. The implication of Rwanda is critical to this. Should the West insist on having forces in the area, they need to send African forces and send them to the Rwandan and Ugandan border to make sure no arms and materials flow into the Congo and none of Congo’s minerals flow out to Rwanda or Uganda. Otherwise, European forces need to stay in Europe.
What effect has this crisis had on the women and children of the affected regions?
The conflict has had a devastating effect on women and children. Half of the millions dead are children under the age of five. Hundreds of thousands of women have been raped as a tool of war. Nowhere else in the world are women and children suffering like you see in the Congo. The best way to address the needs of the women and children is to stop the conflict. One cannot lift the women and children out of the context of the larger issues of the conflict and the underlying engine for the conflict—control of Congo’s resources by external players, primarily the West.
Are their individuals and/or organizations inside the Congo, working in the interests of the masses of people?
Yes! But these individuals and organizations are being systematically undermined or marginalized by Western powers. Thus far, the West has supported rebel forces and elites who care more about their bellies than the people. This support has come in the form of cash, weapons, and political and diplomatic backing. It is for this reason the grassroots and progressive forces are reaching out to ordinary people throughout the globe for support—because the nations, multilateral institutions and foreign corporations are systematically working against the interests of the Congolese people.
What do you think the prospects are for the current U.N. peacekeeping efforts being spearheaded by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo?
Obasanjo’s efforts are not likely to amount to much. Unless the root causes are addressed, the conflict will continue in one form or another. The issue is not between Nkunda and Kabila, which has been the focus of Obasanjo. The issue is a U.S. proxy, Rwanda, intervening in the Congo and a weak government whose ascension was facilitated by the West but strayed off the plantation and offered its resources to China in exchange for the building of Congo’s infrastructure. Should one dig deep enough, he or she will discover that geopolitics is at the root of the latest spasms of violence.
Has the current crisis had any lasting effect on the natural environment?
The recent crisis has not had any significant immediate effect on the environment. However, as long as rebel groups are able to mine and engage in trade of wood, that will have an impact on the environment. Also, one cannot forget the major mining and timber companies, which operate without the necessary regulations to protect the environment. The fact that a weak government is in place does not bode well for protection of the environment, which is worrisome considering that Congo is a part of the second largest rainforest in the world and vital to the fight against climate change.
What can our readers do to help the people of the Congo?
Your readers can do several things that will be of great help:
1. Learn more about the Congo, spread the word about what is happening, and sign up to receive our e-mail updates
2. Invite us to your community to speak about the situation and lay out for you concrete ways in which you can help.
3. Join our Break the Silence global campaign by becoming a friend of the Congo (see our website www.friendsofthecongo.org)
4. Pressure your leaders to implement policies that serve the interests of the Congolese people.
5. Build bridges with the people of the Congo by participating in our delegation trips to the Congo and hosting our Congolese activists when they come to the United States and Canada. We will do a multi-city tour from February to July. It would be great if your readers would host our delegation in their city this spring.
6. Bring your know-how, talents, skills, [and] expertise to bear upon this global movement. We want to hear from your readers as to how they believe we can best mobilize their communities to get involved in this very vital global issue.
What is Friends of the Congo, and how can people find/hear/see more about FOTC?
Friends of Congo is a Washington-based institution working in concert with the people of the Congo to liberate their land.
You can best reach us at www.friendsofthecongo.org or www.congoweek.org, and blog with us at friendsofthecongo.org/Blog.php. You can also join us on twitter.com change.org/friendsofcongo, youtube.com/congofriends, Facebook and MySpace.
