Author
George Cadman
George Cadman of Free Radio Santa Cruz interviews Maurice Carney, Executive Director of Friends of the Congo, about the current situation in the Congo, as well as some of the history of the African nation.
The Congo has vast resources including coltan, diamonds, cassiterite and gold. Western nations and corporations exploit and profit from these natural resources, at the expense of Congolese lives. Since 1998, ongoing conflicts in the Congo have killed four million people.
George Cadman of Free Radio Santa Cruz interviews Maurice Carney, Executive Director of Friends of the Congo, about the current situation in the Congo, as well as some of the history of the African nation.
The Congo has vast resources including coltan, diamonds, cassiterite and gold. Western nations and corporations exploit and profit from these natural resources, at the expense of Congolese lives. Since 1998, ongoing conflicts in the Congo have killed four million people.
Human Rights Watch has traced how Congolese gold smuggled to Uganda and then bought by international companies, supports armed groups responsible for committing horrific human rights abuses against Congolese civilians. Human Rights Watch has documented the massacre, torture, rape, and mutilation of tens of thousands of civilians by rebel groups since the start of the Congolese war in 1998.
Time magazine's June 5th cover story noted: "Simmering conflict in Congo has killed 4 million people since 1998, yet few choose to cover the story." In a response to the article on the Friends of the Congo website, Maurice Carney wrote, "Time correctly raises the critical issue of "what's needed to prevent the deaths of millions more [Congolese]." However its accounting of the facts are incomplete and it's analysis does not lead us to a comprehensive prescription for preventing more dying and suffering in the Congo." He went on to write, "The central issue of the Congo has long been its enormous wealth and the nexus that exists among local sycophants seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of the people, greedy neighbors with visions of regional grandeur and the voracious appetite by Western governments and corporations to profit from the natural resources of the Congo with no regard for Congolese lives. Until this issue is squarely and honestly addressed the Congo will continue to "bleed."
URLS: www.friendsofthecongo.org
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