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Congo
RDC |
CIVIL WAR
For sometime now, the war in Congo RDC has been blamed on ethnic interests undercutting nationalistic interests. Now the country’s youthful leader, Joseph Kabila, has realised that Congolese warring factions are not fighting because of ethnic differences but as a result of foreigners’ economic interests
Following the SADC meeting in Blantyre, Malawi’s commercial capital on 14 January 2002, Kabila told journalists that the war in his country could quickly be brought to an end if all the foreign troops were to withdraw.
He strongly blamed the foreign troops (both those backing his government and those backing the rebels) for heaping injustice and misery on innocent Congolese. «People in Congo have suffered a lot of injustices at the hands of occupying forces, who are not there for peaceful reasons but for safeguarding the economic interests of their respective nations in my country,» he said.
«Peace can only be achieved if the United Nations were to sponsor peace-keepers and force the foreign troops out. The UN should impose sanctions on all countries whose troops are in Congo. Only then will they leave.»
In Congo’s never-ending war, Zimbabwe, Angola, and Namibia back Kabila’s forces, while Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda support rebel factions. Journalists are given to describing Zimbabwean troops as «foreign plunders».
Zimbabwe’s President Mugabe, however, insists his troops are there to safeguard Zimbabwe’s economic interests in Congo. «Zimbabwean soldiers are not plunderers. In Zimbabwe, we have investments in partnership with Congo’s legitimate government and our soldiers protect those interests».
Uganda’s soldiers support the rebel movements in Congo and President Museveni says his troops cannot completely leave Congo as that would pose a security threat to his country. The same arguments are put forward by Rwanda and Burundi.
European interests
Besides those African nations fuelling the wars in Congo RDC, some European countries are also funding the war for their own economic interests. Research by the International Peace Information Service, an independent Belgian institute, shows that European companies trading coltan in Congo RDC, contribute to the financing of the Congolese war. The report names: Cogecom and Sogem (a subsidiary of Umicore, formerly Union Minière) of Belgium, Masingiro of Germany, Chemie Pharmacie Holland of the Netherlands and the Swiss off-shore company Finmining.
Coltan, an ore containing the rare tantalum metal, was singled out because it is an essential element in the production of mobile phones and computers, common tools of modern European lifestyle.
The report also adds that the exploitation of wood is a key issue in Congolese territory held by Ugandan-backed rebels. «Much more forest has been destroyed in the last three years than in thirty years.»
In spite of all these setbacks, there seems to be a ray of light at the end of an elongated tunnel to peace, following intensive peace negotiations brokered by various interest groups, such as the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). RDC‘s rebel groups seem to have begun to understand that foreign countries are the ones benefiting from the civil war.
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PeaceLink 2002 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement