POLITICS: U.N. Panel Blasts Exploitation of Congo

By Thalif Deen Reprint | | Print |

Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 20 2001 (IPS) - Civil war combatants in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are ruthlessly exploiting the country’s natural resources, a five-member panel of experts has concluded.

A country once renowned for its vast wealth in gold, copper, diamonds, timber, and cobalt has been reduced to one of the world’s poorest and most debt-ridden states, the panel said in a 38-page report released Monday.

It blamed the DRC’s economic plight both on the three-year-old civil war and on the “systematic exploitation” of the country by foreigners and locals alike, saying this “continues unabated”.

“These activities involve a large number of state and non-state actors, belonging both to the region and outside, some directly involved in the conflict, others not,” it said.

The panel recommended that the international community impose a moratorium on the purchase and import of certain precious commodities from the DRC.

Such a moratorium, it argued, would stem the flow of profits and encourage the finalisation and implementation of international technical measures to halt the illicit commerce in such commodities.

The group added that, in order to end the exploitation of natural resources and establish a lasting peace in the DRC, the two main underlying causes of the conflict must be addressed.

The first is the decline of the Congolese state and its institutions, which began decades ago during the kleptocratic dictatorship of President Mobutu Sese Seko, when the country was known as Zaire.

“No functioning and effective authority exists to safeguard and regulate the country’s territory and riches,” the panel warned. “The failings of these state structures and institutions have provided a perfect environment for this highly opportunistic exploitation.”

The second factor is the continued security concern generated by the presence of armed groups in uncontrolled territory. With the cease-fire holding between the conventional armies, security concerns are being manipulated through the arming of irregular forces.

“A low-intensity conflict is being perpetuated in areas where many valuable resources are extracted, traded, and routed for export. As a result, parties with considerable commercial interests can continue to justify maintaining a significant military presence in the DRC, while simultaneously consolidating lucrative business activities,” the panel said.

The government of Joseph Kabila enjoys military backing from Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Angola. Uganda and Rwanda support the country’s various rebel groups.

Consequently, a domestic military conflict has been transformed into a wider regional conflict threatening to peace and stability throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

Laurent-Desire Kabila, who led the Alliance of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire, seized power in May 1997 and ended Mobutu reign.

Civil war broke out in August 1998, pitting the new government against a host of rebel groups including the Reassemblement Congolais pour la Democratie (RCD) and La Movement pour La Liberation du Congo (MLC).

In July 1999, the parties signed the Lusaka cease-fire agreement. This set out a road map for resolving the conflict and withdrawing all foreign forces. But the cease-fire, which had the blessing of the U.N. Security Council, is yet to be fully implemented.

In November 1999, the Security Council set up a peacekeeping force called the U.N. Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) to monitor the cease-fire.

Ambassador Jean-David Levitte of France, who led a 12-member peace mission to the region last May, described the conflict in the DRC as “the most serious problem in all of Africa.”

Five foreign armies were involved in the DRC, he said, and the conflict had resulted in the deaths of more than 2.5 million people.

In its report, the panel said that after three years of military conflict, security concerns in the country SITA NETWORK: call cleared – remote directive

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