History of Conflict in DRC
In the 1870s Belgian King Leopold II brutally colonized the Congo Basin, establishing it as the Congo Free State and privately owning it. The people of the Congo were enslaved and forced to extract the valuable resources from the region. From 1885 to 1908, millions of Congolese people died due to disease and exploitation. International condemnation finally forced Leopold to cede the land to Belgium, creating the Belgian Congo. It wasn’t until 1960 that the Congo gained its independence. In its infancy, and recovering from colonialism, the country has continued to face instability and violence (National Geographic).
Increased Demand for Minerals
Since the rise of mobile phone production in the 1990’s, the demand for coltan has soared causing more armed groups and insurgents to control mineral-rich areas. The launch of the smartphone and green energy like EV’s and solar panels accelerated demand for additional minerals like tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold furthering the armed-conflict over mining operations. Over half of the world’s cobalt comes from the DRC and much of the global supply of tantalum, tin, and tungsten originates from the DRC (The Republic).
Rape as a Weapon
Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) refers to acts of sexual violence directly or indirectly linked to conflict. This includes situations such as the mass rape to instill fear and weaken resistance, sexual enslavement, forced pregnancy, marriage and sterilization, and sex-trafficking (Panzi Foundation). This has resulted in physical and psychological trauma as well as unwanted pregnancies. Victims of rape have often found themselves blamed and disowned by their families, exacerbating the impacts of the violent crimes.
Ongoing Fight for Power
Ongoing violence and exploitation, still fueled by colonialism, has exacerbated instability in the region displacing millions and destroying key infrastructure (Panzi Foundation). Over 120 armed groups have been fighting for power for over three decades (AP News). Tens of thousands die from disease and malnutrition each year.
For decades, armed groups and military forces have used sexual and gender-based violence as a weapon of war.
Humanitarian Crisis
While extreme poverty continues to escalate, the funds available to support are rapidly dwindling as the US and European governments cut their humanitarian aid. US cuts to global health spending could cost 25 million lives in the next 15 years (International Rescue Committee).
Serious violations of human rights occur everyday, most victims are women and children. They include mass killings, sexual violence, forced recruitment, and blocking humanitarian aid. One woman is raped every minute in the Congo (New York Times, 2010) and nearly 70% of the population lives below the poverty line of $1 a day (WeForum, 2017).
While child labor laws exist, they are not widely enforced resulting in many children working in mines, with limited-income families relying on the additional income (AP News). Armed groups have sought to control these resources to fund their operations, and sexual violence has become one of their primary tactics to maintain power over mining areas. By terrorizing local populations through rape, militias and rebels can more easily control and exploit valuable mineral-rich regions.