A situation that is getting worse very quickly, and which is difficult to control
Cambridge Dictionary
3 Belgium’s King Expresses ‘Deepest Regrets’ Over Colonial Atrocities in the Congo
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30 jun. 2020
For the first time in Belgium’s history, a reigning king expressed regret Tuesday for the atrocities carried out by the former colonial power when it ruled over what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In a letter to D.R.C. President Felix Tshisekedi published on the 60th anniversary of the African country’s independence, Belgium’s King Philippe conveyed his “deepest regrets” for the “acts of violence and cruelty” and the “suffering and humiliation” inflicted on Belgian Congo.
“To further strengthen our ties and develop an even more fruitful friendship, we must be able to talk to each other about our long common history in all truth and serenity,” Philippe wrote.
Philippe’s letter was sent amid growing demands that Belgium reassess its colonial past. In the wake of the protests against racial inequality triggered by the death of George Floyd in the United States, several statues of King Leopold II, who is blamed for the deaths of millions of Africans during Belgium’s colonial rule, have been vandalized, while a petition called for the country to remove all statues of the former king.
A bust of Leopold II is expected to be taken down from display later Tuesday in the city of Ghent following a decision from local authorities. Earlier this month, regional authorities also promised history course reforms to better explain the true character of colonialism.
“Our history is made of common achievements, but has also known painful episodes. At the time of the independent State of the Congo, acts of violence and cruelty were committed that still weigh on our collective memory,” Philippe wrote, referring to the period when the country was privately ruled by Leopold II from 1885 to 1908.
“The colonial period that followed also caused suffering and humiliation,” Philippe acknowledged.
Leopold ruled Congo as a fiefdom, forcing many of its people into slavery to extract resources for his personal profit. His early rule, starting in 1885, was famous for its brutality, which some experts say left as many as 10 million dead.
After his ownership of Congo ended in 1908, he handed the central African country over to the Belgian state, which continued to rule over an area 75 times its size until the nation became independent in 1960.
“I want to express my most deepest regrets for these wounds of the past, the pain of which is today revived by discrimination that is all too present in our societies,” the king wrote, insisting that he is determined to keep “fighting all forms of racism.”
Philippe also congratulated President Tshisekedi on the 60th anniversary of independence, ruing the fact that he was not able to attend celebrations to which he had been invited “given current circumstances” related to the coronavirus crisis
30 jun. 2020
20 jan. 2019
Watch more https://rtd.rt.com/tags/illegal-mining/
The Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa is one of the world’s most resource-rich countries. A wide range of rare minerals can be found here in abundance, all commanding high prices in world commodity markets. Diamonds for jewellery, tantalum, tungsten and gold for electronics; uranium used in power generation and weaponry and many others. Congo has copious deposits of raw materials that are in high demand internationally but remains one of the poorest countries in the world.
From colonisation, with the horrors of slavery and other atrocities, to a turbulent and equally brutal present in which militant groups control the mines, Congo’s richness in natural resources has brought nothing but misery. Referred to as “conflict minerals”, these riches leave only a trail of death, destruction and poverty.
Under Belgian rule, Congolese labourers were often required to meet quotas when mining different minerals. Failure could mean punishment by having a hand cut off with a machete. The country gained independence in 1960, but that didn’t put a stop to slave and child labour or to crimes being committed to extract and exploit the minerals. Warring militant fractions from inside the country and beyond seized control of mines for their own benefit while terrorising local populations.
For our translator, Bernard Kalume Buleri, his country’s history of turmoil is very personal; like most Congolese people, he and his family fell victim to the unending mineral based power struggle. Born in the year of his country’s independence, he has lived through war and seen his homeland torn apart by violent looting and greed. His story is a damning testament, illustrating how nature’s bounty, instead of being a blessing, becomes a deadly curse.
IMPORTANT CONTENT
8 “Object of Plunder: The Congo through the Centuries” by Adam Hochschild
15 apr. 2014
20 feb. 2018
Is DR Congo still a democracy? | UpFront
18 nov. 2015
De Democratische Republiek Congo is een van de minst ontwikkelde landen ter wereld.
Toch is het ook de thuisbasis van $ 24tn aan onbenutte minerale reserves. In de oostelijke heuvels van het land worden de “drie Ts” – tantalium, wolfraam en tin – met de hand gedolven en uiteindelijk vinden ze hun weg naar elektronische apparaten over de hele wereld.
Gedurende een decennium hebben belangenbehartigingsgroepen in de VS en Europa technologiebedrijven onder druk gezet om aandacht te schenken aan geweldgerelateerde ‘conflictmineralen’ in hun producten.
Fault Lines reist naar de regio om te horen van mijnwerkers die moeite hebben om de eindjes aan elkaar te knopen en ondervraagt groepen die beweren dat Dodd-Frank 1502 een succes is geweest.
Met bewijs van fraude en smokkel, hoe kunnen enkele van de grootste merken in de technologie-industrie het lof hebben voor het verminderen van geweld en beweren dat ze ‘conflictvrij’ zijn?
Fault Lines onderzoekt of de sterk gepubliceerde campagne om “conflictmineralen” te stoppen het leven van enkele van de meest kwetsbare mensen in Afrika beschermt, of dat het het tegenovergestelde doet.
Congo and the General | People & Power6 feb. 2014
The Democratic Republic of Congo has been engulfed in conflict of one sort or another since 1996.
The fighting, between the government and a complex, ever-shifting array of rebel militias, has resulted in the deaths of an estimated six million people and the injury, rape and forced displacement of a great many more.
The international community has tried many times to help the country resolve some of these problems – or at least to mitigate their consequences – with the United Nations maintaining a peacekeeping presence since 1999. Known as MONUSCO (United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DR Congo), it is currently the largest and most expensive such mission in the world, comprising 21,000 uniformed personnel from 50 different nations with a budget of just under $1.5bn.
But for all its size and resources, the force has frequently been criticised in the past for being ineffectual, overcautious and for failing to meet its responsibility to protect the country’s vulnerable citizens from harm.
In practice this has meant that while civilians have frequently sought and found sanctuary at UN bases, its troops have rarely been allowed to venture out of those compounds to engage with the armed groups and militias. Indeed, on more than one occasion, the most brutal acts have been carried out even as the peacekeepers looked on. For example, as recently as last July, a militia known as Mai Mai Cheka took over a town called Pinga, decapitated civilians and threw the severed heads at the local UN base, shouting: “Take these, you’re the ones who like meat.”
But at long last things are changing. The UN force now has sharper teeth and new rules of engagement.
In March last year, the UN Security Council sanctioned the creation of a new Force Intervention Brigade (FIB), made up of 3,000 well-equipped combat troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi and gave it a mandate to “neutralise and disarm” the various armed groups.
It was a crucial decision because it meant that for the first time in the organisation’s history, soldiers wearing the UN blue helmet were being allowed to go on the offensive, rather than having to sit helplessly by as atrocities took place. In other words, the peacekeepers could become peacemakers.
As it took shape last summer, this beefed-up force was placed under a new commander, Lieutenant-General Carlos Santos Cruz, an energetic 62-year-old Brazilian. He was tasked with cutting through the inertia that has brought the UN so much criticism in the past.
Half-way through his one year appointment it is already clear the general has wrought some dramatic changes.
The first tangible signs of the new approach came towards the end of last year when the Congolese Army, the FARDC, closely supported by the new UN force, successfully defeated the rebel M23 group, which had humiliated the FARDC a year earlier when they marched largely unopposed into Goma, the regional capital of North Kivu province.
On that occasion the UN did not intervene, even when troops from both sides went on a rampage of looting and raping women and children in the area. But in October and November 2013, under General Santos Cruz’s watchful eye and provided with better training, intelligence, back-up and logistics support, the FARDC was both more effective and (for that moment at least) more disciplined. Crucially, the fact that they were also fighting alongside a potent UN force that was prepared to go on the offensive made a significant difference.
As the general explained later, this new proactive stance is now the UN’s guiding principle in the DR Congo. “We are going to protect the civilians, eliminate and neutralise the threats,” he said. “We are not going to wait for the threat to come here against the civilians.”
To find out what this means in practice, People & Power went behind the scenes with the general and his FIB force as they consolidated their gains, gathered intelligence on rebel activity, and prepared to launch a new joint UN/FARDC offensive.
2 mei 2013
South Kivu in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is both infamous for its vicious and seemingly never-ending civil conflict and envied for its vast natural resources.
These abundant minerals– from tin to coltan – are in huge international demand; vital to the economies of the developed world as key components in high-tech electronic consumer goods, from laptops and tablets to smart phones and flat screen TVs.
But this demand has also helped make these strategically important metals a key driver of the endemic conflict in this part of the country – violence that has led to the deaths of nearly six million in over a decade.
At Al Jazeera English, we focus on people and events that affect people’s lives. We bring topics to light that often go under-reported, listening to all sides of the story and giving a ‘voice to the voiceless.’
Reaching more than 270 million households in over 140 countries across the globe, our viewers trust Al Jazeera English to keep them informed, inspired, and entertained.
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We are reshaping global media and constantly working to strengthen our reputation as one of the world’s most respected news and current affairs channels.
29 nov. 2012
Rebels in the eastern DR Congo say they have begun withdrawing from territory they captured from government troops. About 500,000 people have fled their homes during seven months of fighting. The violence has been particularly disturbing, coming less than ten years after the end of the Congo War that killed some 5.4 million people. The US dispatched a state department official to the region but has been careful to spare its allies anything beyond symbolic sanction, even after a UN report concluded that Rwanda and Uganda are backing the M23 rebels.
At Al Jazeera English, we focus on people and events that affect people’s lives. We bring topics to light that often go under-reported, listening to all sides of the story and giving a ‘voice to the voiceless.’
Reaching more than 270 million households in over 140 countries across the globe, our viewers trust Al Jazeera English to keep them informed, inspired, and entertained.
Our impartial, fact-based reporting wins worldwide praise and respect. It is our unique brand of journalism that the world has come to rely on.
We are reshaping global media and constantly working to strengthen our reputation as one of the world’s most respected news and current affairs channels.
13 feb. 2018
La République démocratique du Congo est l’un des pays les plus riches du monde en termes de ressources naturelles. Les minéraux rares s’y trouvent en abondance : diamant, tantale, tungstène, or, uranium et beaucoup d’autres. Le Congo dispose de nombreux gisements de matières premières qui sont l’objet d’une forte demande car nécessaire à de nombreuses industries mais reste néanmoins l’un des pays les plus pauvres du monde. RT va à la rencontre de ces hommes, esclaves des temps modernes.
Documentaires 
18 feb. 2016
Fungamwaka – une mine à l’est du Congo. Ces hommes travaillent pour que nous puissions téléphoner. Ils extraient du coltan – indispensable à la production de téléphones mobiles. La république démocratique du Congo est le deuxième fournisseur mondial de cette matière première rare.
Fungamwaka est une mine modèle. Elle n’emploie pas d’enfant, l’État contrôle l’extraction et prélève des impôts. Les responsables de la mine travaillent de manière légale. Surtout, aucun groupe armé n’intervient ici qui finance son combat avec le trafic de matières premières.
Car la longue guerre civile financée par la richesse du sol est le plus gros problème du Congo de l’Est.
90% des mines sont exploitées par des mineurs artisanaux dans des terrains frontaliers à peine accessibles – un paradis pour les groupes de rebelles qui exigent du travail forcé des travailleurs et vendent les trésors du sol sur le marché mondial en passant par les pays voisins comme le Ruanda.
Les minerais sont lavés du sable à la pelle, comme aux anciens temps des chercheurs d’or. Dans la capitale de province, l’étain ne rapporte guère plus que 5 euros par kilo, le coltan quand-même 20 euros.
C’est pourquoi Misereor et d’autres organisations européennes de développement demandent une intervention de l’Union Européenne. Ils souhaitent une législation ambitieuse qui coupera les liens entre les ressources naturelles et le conflit. Des entreprises agissant sur le marché européen et vendant des produits contenant des minéraux à conflit devraient être tenues responsables de leur chaîne d’approvisionnement. Elles devraient s’assurer que les droits de l’homme sont respectés tout au long de la chaîne – des matériaux bruts aux produits finis. Et elles devraient en couvrir les coûts. À Fungamwaka, les mineurs paient seuls les contrôles – ils gagnent moins.
www.misereor.org/fr
26 Kongo and the Scramble for Africa – History Of Africa with Zeinab Badawi [Episode 19]
20 okt. 2020
For more than a century, people were taken from their homelands and exhibited in human zoos. They were displayed alongside animals. This little known and deeply disturbing part of colonial history played an important part in the development of modern racism.
Between 1810 and 1940, nearly 35 thousand people were exhibited in world fairs, colonial exhibitions, zoos, freak shows, circuses and reconstructed ethnic villages in Europe, America and Japan. Some 1.5 billion visitors attended these events.
Using previously unpublished archive material this documentary traces how racism was constructed and disseminated in these so-called ‘human zoos’. Children, women and men were displayed like exotic animals, and ordered in a hierarchy of “races.” They were cast as ‘Other’ in a manner that served to justify colonialism, and described as ‘savage’. It is a little known and deeply disturbing part of colonial history. Only a handful of the thousands of men and women recruited from the four corners of the Earth ever managed to tell their experiences. This documentary tells the story of six of them: Tambo, an Aboriginal from Australia; Kalina from French Guiana; Ota Benga, a Pygmy from Congo; and Marius Kaloïe, a Kanak from New Caledonia.
This documentary interviews historians and other experts to trace the connection between human zoos and racism.
This piece of human history becomes tangible through the biographies of six victims: Petite Capeline, an aboriginal of Tierra del Fuego; Tambo, an Australian aborigine; Moliko Kalina from French Guiana; Ota Benga, a pygmy from Congo; Jean Thiam, a Wolof from Senegal; and Marius Kaloie from New Caledonia. Their lives are portrayed in the historical context of the rise of the great colonial powers thanks to the work of historians and the help of their descendants. Analysis and commentary by knowledgeable experts also explore the origins of racism at the transition from supposedly scientific racism to everyday racism.
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10 sep. 2018
9 jun. 2017
18 sep. 2019
The #Congo’s natural resources have inspired a most unnatural history of greed and violence, which cost the lives of some 10 million.
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BRISBANE – In the heart of Africa lies a country called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a vast place with lush forests, vigorous rivers, and incredible riches such as gold, timber, uranium, cobalt, diamond, etc. These natural resources have inspired a most unnatural history of greed and violence. For over a century, the Congo has been haunted by the memories of its past. While other African nations have come to terms with a history of exploitation and colonisation, the Congo continues to relive the unshakable legacy of one man – King Leopold II of Belgium, whose ventures cost the lives of some 10 million.
31 Why is CONGO one of the POOREST COUNTRIES in the World? – VisualPolitik EN
8 apr. 2019
20 feb. 2018
3 feb. 2020
Filmed in Montreal, Quebec
Welcome to the world-famous channel, where we pull public pranks on unsuspecting Montreal residents and tourists.
Welcome to the world-famous channel, where we pull public pranks on unsuspecting Montreal residents and tourists.