North Kivu is a province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) rich in mineral resources. For over thirty years, populations have been displaced, violent clashes and mass rapes of women living in this territory have occurred in this region without stirring the slightest concern among Western politicians and media, who readily turn a blind eye to this human and environmental tragedy. This situation compels us to understand the causes and consequences of this war.
The causes of this "Kivu war" are numerous and varied, but the genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda is certainly a contributing factor.
Gold, coltan, and tungsten, the "blood minerals"
The political instability that has reigned in this region of Africa, known as the "Great Lakes region," since this genocide is evident. France bears some responsibility for the latter and for this population displacement; Approximately 7 million people were forced to flee their homes[1]. This makes it one of the world's most severe refugee crises, occurring on the border between the DRC (then Zaire), Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. These four countries, through their armies and various militias, are waging war to control the region. The main mineral they exploit is coltan, making it a prized resource along with gold and tungsten: they are also known as "conflict minerals." The region is estimated to hold 60 to 80% of the world's reserves. Coltan is used both in advanced military industries to manufacture superalloys for missiles, rockets, and aircraft, and in civilian applications for capacitors in our cell phones and computers. These industries, primarily Western, are the driving force behind this intensive extractivism in the region and fuel the conflicts to protect their profits.
The ecological transition?
The ecological transition is a myth as long as we remain in this capitalist system that plunders and exploits the land and labor resources of the majority of the population, against a backdrop of racism and patriarchy[2]. It's the greenwashing that large corporations sell us by rebranding themselves as green, like in the car industry, which is going electric. In France, all the state aid granted to finance the purchase of these new vehicles is nothing but a mirage and a showcase in the wonderland of (over)consumption and capitalist alienation. We must all mobilize to shatter this facade and see that behind it lies only the destruction of the planet and fascism in the flesh. The big bosses who are all aligning themselves with the far right clearly show us that they don't care about the people and that they are ready to trample all rights to advance their own interests. Elon Musk and his Teslas are a perfect example.
Some people are mobilizing to denounce the situation, such as the football players from the DRC during the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final, or the Franco-Congolese rappers who came together to sing "Free Congo," just as Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie did with "We Are the World" to fight famine in Ethiopia. But this will, of course, never be enough, since it is an entire system that needs to be changed by overthrowing capitalism and rethinking our modes of production and consumption.
We must continue the struggle through massive demonstrations to raise awareness of the reality of resource exploitation in the Global South and by taking up this issue head-on in our unions. In Western countries, these mineral resources are used to fuel the fantasy of ecological transition. But this is actually part of a neo-colonial capitalist movement: extractivism has no regard for local populations or land preservation; only the control of rare earth elements to ensure total control of the mines matters to large capitalist corporations. Let us show our full support for the exploited and abused populations on the ground. We cannot live free while others are on their knees for our happiness.
Marcel (UCL Toulouse)
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[1]See the study "Record High Displacement in DRC at Nearly 7 Million," International Organization for Migration, 2023.
[2]Several Congolese figures are committed to denouncing sexual violence. Denis Mukwege is a Congolese activist gynecologist known for his work with women who are victims of rape and female genital mutilation. Tatiana Mukanire Bandalire campaigns against sexual violence in the DRC.
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Extractivisme-Le-Nord-Kivu-ou-la-face-cachee-de-notre-technologie
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