actwomenfoundation: June 2011

conflict in congo and challanges on women and children

As the third-largest country in Africa, The Democratic Republic of Congo (or DRC or Congo) is slightly less than one-fourth the size of the United States, with a population of 65 million. Plagued by a history of colonialism and more than 30 years of corrupt it’s also one of the world’s poorest countries.

Conflict still plagues Congolese people

For five years (1997-2003), conflict raged between the DRC government, supported by Angola, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, and proxy rebel groups, backed by Uganda and Rwanda. A 2003 peace deal, brokered by neighboring African states and the broader international community, installed a transitional government that consisted of the main warring factions.
In 2006, the country achieved an important milestone when it held its first presidential and parliamentary elections in 40 years. However, fighting continues intermittently in the eastern part of the country, particularly in North and South Kivu, where the government is still attempting to extend its control.
The last decade of conflict has resulted in some 5 million deaths. An estimated 1,200 people die every day due to ongoing epidemics and war-related causes; some aid agencies estimate upward of 1,400 deaths per day.
Most deaths are due to disease and starvation, multiple displacements of the population, and the destruction of roads, hospitals, and farms. An estimated 1.6 million people remain displaced, and some 40,000 people flee their homes every month.

Women and children, tools of war

All combatants target civilians as a tool of war. Women are raped and abducted to serve as sex slaves. In some displacement camps, more than 70 percent of women have been raped. Gang rape, rape of girls as young as 8, and genital mutilation of rape victims are pervasive. All parties to the conflict have forcibly recruited as many as 40,000 children to carry out atrocities.
There are continued reports that both Uganda and Rwanda provide support to different proxy militia to fight rebels who are hiding out in eastern DRC, while also exploiting the DRC’s natural resources.

“Conflict minerals” fuel warhe DRC is richly endowed with natural resources, from diamonds, gold, and timber, to col-tan, a metallic mineral used in the production of mobile phones and laptop computers. However, the mining of these “conflict minerals” has helped fuel this brutal war.

Armed groups control the vast majority of the mining zones. The sales of these minerals fund militia operations, and in turn, the armed groups continue to terrorize civilians as a means of controlling the mining zones and obtaining labor. Forced labor, often by children, is endemic to mining zones controlled by armed groups where miners work under slave-like conditions. The lack of regulation continues to spur conflict and abuses of women and children. And Americans can unwittingly purchase electronics containing these conflict minerals.

Conflict minerals provision passes, continued advocacy needed

To help ensure that American’s electronic purchases don’t fund violence in the DRC, Congress included a conflict minerals provisions in the Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 that Congress passed on July 15, 2010. The acceptance of the conflict minerals provisions by Congress is the culmination of more than three years of advocacy by awf, citizen advocates, and several other humanitarian and human rights organizations.
The provisions in the bill will require companies to file documentation with the Security and Exchange Commission to demonstrate that the minerals purchased from the DRC or adjoining countries are not sourced from a conflict zone. These filings will be subject to independent audits to make sure they are accurate and legitimate.
While the inclusion of the conflict minerals trade provisions marks progress, regulations only do so much. The next and most important step will be implementation, including strong SEC regulations to ensure that corporations are complying with the law and not funding human rights abuses.
Of course, this legislation alone will not end the conflict in eastern Congo. Continued advocacy for sustained peace in the DRC is crucial.

Learn more

Learn more about the history of the conflict by reading the BBC’s country profile for the DRC.

Three things you can do

Pray for peace and stability in the DRC. Pray for the women and children caught in the crossfire.
Speak out. Advocate for sustained peace in the DRC.
Give monthly to help provide assistance for children affected by war and conflict around the world. Your monthly contribution will heNGOS deliver critical support

DUCK REARING IN UGANDA AND CONGO

DUCK REARING