The Issue
As rebel groups stationed throughout the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to wage war on both one another and the government, innocent civilians are being left behind. At the same time, conditions in mines are poor and put many, including children, in danger. A lack of funding towards civil engineering or social problems from the government has lead to mass poverty and an inability to treat disease; the DRC lacks health care, efficient law enforcement, security, and the overall safety of civilians. There needs to be a greater amount of attention paid to the millions of lives put at risk instead of focusing solely on the profitability of the mines.
Rebel Groups and their Effects The primary cause of the human rights turmoil is the presence of rebel groups within the eastern part of the DRC. These groups continue fighting daily, often battling over the resources, such as coltan, held within the earth. This abundance of wealth only helps to intensify the greed and tension. These groups have been known to kill without purpose, rape entire villages, steal, and collect illegal and illegitimate taxes.
Rape: In the Eastern Congo, there were 17,501 rapes recorded by the UN Population Fund in 2009. This, however, only accounts for the officially recorded ones; due to a lack of government trust and a prevalent social stigma, many accounts of violence go unaccounted and are left alone. One rebel group mass raped 300 women in 4 days. Women in many areas are fearful and do not leave their homes past a certain hour for fear that a soldier will rape them. Culturally, there is no gender equality and these shockingly common assaults are generally ignored, while they leave women scarred. These rapes do not exclude children; kids as young as 3 or 4 are often raped as well. These attacks only help to increase the dilemma of HIV/AIDS and increase the number of births in a country where infants are not safe (158 out of 1000 births result in death). Even after a peace agreement in 2008, only 10% of women felt they were safer. Bandits: Often these rebel groups will arrive at villages and steal the money earned from mines. While the typical worker in the Congo earns $10/month, Colton miners can earn $200/month. This makes them susceptible to thieves and bandits. It is not uncommon for bandits to come and already be aware of the amount of money earned by a Congolese. The Rwandan army was able to earn $250 million in Colton sales from the DRC. The rebel groups will then use this money to purchase more guns, furthering the cycle of violence against DRC civilians. Illegal Taxation: Rebel groups collect taxes from the citizens, both harshly and illegally. At these centers of tax collection, there is also sexual violence, theft, and attacks. Like the bandits (but more organized), these taxes will be used to fund rebel groups and thus greater violence. Legal System: After all these offenses of human rights, civilians are left unable to report instances of violence or obtain legal action. The FARDC, the Congolese military, acts like a rebel group rather than a militia there to protect its citizens. In addition, the local justice system is inefficient in protecting the legal rights of citizens. This leads to further instability and a general distrust of the government. |
Displacement of People
This is a direct effect of the excessive and inhumane violence from Rebel Groups within the Eastern DRC.
Because of the atrocities carried out by rebel groups, thousands of civilians become displaced. They run from the burning villages to have a home nowhere in sight. Rebel groups are ruthless in obtaining resources and money and will quickly ransack villages, raping women and burning homes in the process of pillaging the town for its wealth. They often murder people, put them in forced labor, or steal their belongings. There are an estimated 1.7 million people displaced internally, with another 476,000 driven to other countries. There is already a great amount of conflict within and outside the Congo and this only furthers the tension. Many refugees have escaped to Angola where they are once again being deported because of ethnic tensions. According to the UNHCR, 65% of the displaced people are young boys and girls. The tension of resources and tantalum only exacerbates the tension and rebel violence.
Because of the atrocities carried out by rebel groups, thousands of civilians become displaced. They run from the burning villages to have a home nowhere in sight. Rebel groups are ruthless in obtaining resources and money and will quickly ransack villages, raping women and burning homes in the process of pillaging the town for its wealth. They often murder people, put them in forced labor, or steal their belongings. There are an estimated 1.7 million people displaced internally, with another 476,000 driven to other countries. There is already a great amount of conflict within and outside the Congo and this only furthers the tension. Many refugees have escaped to Angola where they are once again being deported because of ethnic tensions. According to the UNHCR, 65% of the displaced people are young boys and girls. The tension of resources and tantalum only exacerbates the tension and rebel violence.
Working Conditions
Due to the inherent nature of coltan mining, the process by which the mineral is extracted and purified is harsh and difficult work. It is also one of the only sources of work for many in the DRC, and it is a job they feel forced to resort to.
Hard Work:
In order to extract this valuable resource, the minerals must first be physically scraped from the earth. The workers then wash, crush, and test it for iron, all by hand and with only a mining pick. This work releases large amounts of dust into the air, which has a damaging effect on their lungs. Deathly landsides are also common in these mines. For this hard work day after day, the workers are compensated with measly wages and violence by rebel groups. There are also often cycles in which the workers are forced to continue their labor because of absurdly high interest rates or incorrect accounting that leave them in debt.
Child Labor:
This work is not only for men and adults. Children also work in the mines in order to earn money. They leave their schooling in order to put their efforts into hard work at the mines. It was noted that one school located near a mine had a 30% drop in attendance. The education of children is the basis of the future generations, and it is now being deprived of many because of the dominant mindset that they will “get rich” by working in the mines.
Hard Work:
In order to extract this valuable resource, the minerals must first be physically scraped from the earth. The workers then wash, crush, and test it for iron, all by hand and with only a mining pick. This work releases large amounts of dust into the air, which has a damaging effect on their lungs. Deathly landsides are also common in these mines. For this hard work day after day, the workers are compensated with measly wages and violence by rebel groups. There are also often cycles in which the workers are forced to continue their labor because of absurdly high interest rates or incorrect accounting that leave them in debt.
Child Labor:
This work is not only for men and adults. Children also work in the mines in order to earn money. They leave their schooling in order to put their efforts into hard work at the mines. It was noted that one school located near a mine had a 30% drop in attendance. The education of children is the basis of the future generations, and it is now being deprived of many because of the dominant mindset that they will “get rich” by working in the mines.
Disease and Statistics
Because of the above factors, little money actually funnels into the country, thus leaving it barren of good health care, wealth, stability, or safety.
Disease:
Most of the civilians in the Eastern DRC live in poverty-racked mining camps, hastily set up to accommodate the rush to mines. These become a breeding ground for disease as well. Areas have epidemics of cholera, a disease nicknamed “the poor man’s disease.” Polio is also rampant, and many go without vital vaccinations, while in the US, polio is nearly completely eradicated. Because of the poverty, health care is often denied to the victims and many suffer without treatment. Hospitals frequently do not have enough beds, medicine, sterilization, or any of the necessities to function adequately. A lack of clean water can often be considered a cause to many outbreaks in disease and because of the dirtying of water sources from the mining process, clean water is not widely available. In fact, it is estimated that 51 million go without accessible water in the DRC. In addition, the prevalence of rape and prostitution is a direct link to the rising number of HIV/AIDS victims.
Statistics:
- Life Expectancy: 56.6 years
- 158 per 1000 births result in death (15.8% infant mortality rate)
- Average of 6 children born per woman, or 36 births per 1,000 people
- 1 in 5 Congolese children will not reach their 5th birthday
- 4th to last worst place in the world to be a mother
- 5.4 million have died in the last 10 years
- 45,000 people die each month, that’s about one death a minute
Disease:
Most of the civilians in the Eastern DRC live in poverty-racked mining camps, hastily set up to accommodate the rush to mines. These become a breeding ground for disease as well. Areas have epidemics of cholera, a disease nicknamed “the poor man’s disease.” Polio is also rampant, and many go without vital vaccinations, while in the US, polio is nearly completely eradicated. Because of the poverty, health care is often denied to the victims and many suffer without treatment. Hospitals frequently do not have enough beds, medicine, sterilization, or any of the necessities to function adequately. A lack of clean water can often be considered a cause to many outbreaks in disease and because of the dirtying of water sources from the mining process, clean water is not widely available. In fact, it is estimated that 51 million go without accessible water in the DRC. In addition, the prevalence of rape and prostitution is a direct link to the rising number of HIV/AIDS victims.
Statistics:
- Life Expectancy: 56.6 years
- 158 per 1000 births result in death (15.8% infant mortality rate)
- Average of 6 children born per woman, or 36 births per 1,000 people
- 1 in 5 Congolese children will not reach their 5th birthday
- 4th to last worst place in the world to be a mother
- 5.4 million have died in the last 10 years
- 45,000 people die each month, that’s about one death a minute