Burdened by both a resource curse and an unstable government, the Congolese people are living in hell among riches. 

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which, on the map of the world,  is centred right in the heart of Africa, has been plagued by over 500 years of bloodshed, exploitation and misery, with roots in colonialism. While many agree that the colonial legacy haunts the country to this date, the perpetrator of Congo’s agony is no longer one person, or one country. The DRC is tormented by different dynamics of conflict. In the east, the fight for Congo’s minerals continues to rage war. Recurring ethnic tensions and identity conflicts have mounted to provoke the formation of rebel groups of which there are approximately 120 active ones in the region. Spillover of conflict from neighbouring Rwanda has further antagonised the country. Weak state institutions have abandoned the civilians to turmoil while also paving a lawless path for further conflict to brew. 

While the east grapples with a whirlwind of conflict, in the south, there is a more silent instigator: the growing international demand for Cobalt. The vitality and life that flourish in the heart of Africa have been tainted by severe humanitarian crises and a destitute population whose voice is mostly unheard. 

Why is such a mineral-rich nation like the Congo rampant with violence, and why is ethical legislation not working to relieve the situation? 

Wealth, War, and Poverty 

It might be difficult to imagine a region depicted in such bloodshed to also be full of beauty and riches. Yet, in the DRC, this dichotomy coexists. The Congo boasts an extraordinary wealth of minerals and resources as well as being home to the second-largest rainforest in the world. The growth potential is immense. Congo’s rivers hold incredible hydropower potential and its additional 80 million hectares of fertile land, offer abundant agricultural prospects. Additionally, the country’s rich biodiversity and lush scenery present significant economic advantages in terms of tourism. 

Tin, Tantalum, Tungsten and Gold, which compose the four main ‘conflict minerals’ (3TG), are all abundant in the DRC. These minerals are predominantly excavated in the east and form a major source of revenue for the state. Congo is also the largest producer of Cobalt, accounting for approximately 70% of global supply. Cobalt holds immense value in the technology sector due to its vital role in manufacturing batteries, including for renewable energy technologies, electric vehicles, engine turbines, and even airbags in automobiles. With the world transitioning to renewable energy sources and adapting to the impacts of climate change, the demand for Cobalt has been tripling each year. It is estimated that world Cobalt supply will increase by 24.8% in 2023. The increasing trend has positive implications for the Western world as it signifies a shift towards an environmentally-conscious way of life. Yet, for the Congolese, ‘going green’ is anything but friendly. 

So much of this wealth and minerals are misused in the Congo with revenue being misallocated. Despite such natural wealth, the DRC maintains to rank within the top five poorest countries in the world. It appears that Congo’s riches has, yet again, attracted predatory interests.

Illegal Mining for Sustenance

Caught between making a livelihood and surviving the political agony, poverty has sent civilians digging into the Cobalt mines, sometimes to their death. Due to a lack of social infrastructure and government support, a viable means of income for civilians has been the illicit trading of minerals, illegally obtained from the fringes of mines. This has enabled many Congolese to have an independent source of income, earning approximately $200 a week while the rest of the country lives on less than $2 a day. However, this practice has posed immense risks.

Several artisanal miners have been buried alive in collapsed mines, shot, arrested and beaten for scavenging for Cobalt around large mining concessions. Typically, these households lack sufficient funds to purchase even a simple cross to commemorate the graves of their loved ones. A tragic number of children have died due to the hazardous conditions of mining sites as no safety measures have been taken by either the international mining companies or the Congolese government. 

These risks have failed to deter civilians from mining. The risks imposed by their political and economic climate appears to have tipped the scale. In 2018 approximately 2 million children were at risk of starvation due to poverty and 4.5 million people were displaced due to violent conflicts. The illegal, dangerous mining, and a growing demand for minerals have been an opportunity, albeit a risky one, for Congolese civilians to make a living. A humanitarian tragedy. 

The Resource Curse

Why, and how, is a country so rich in resources and minerals one of the poorest and most dangerous places in the world? 

The resource curse, or ‘paradox of plenty’, is a theory that attributes natural resource wealth with negative economic and political outcomes. The more natural wealth a country has, the more likely it is to be in a perpetual state of conflict and poverty. These countries are also found to score lower on the U.N. Development Index.  A major cause of this phenomenon is the misuse and misallocation of resource revenue as opposed to it being reinvested for development and growth. 

In the Congo, profits from mining in the east have directly gone into the pockets of militias. Similarly, the government has also taken advantage of the mineral trade. The former Congolese President, Joseph Kabila, had accumulated a fortune during his administration, during which millions of dollars in mining revenue had suspiciously vanished. All the while, 62% of Congolese live in extreme poverty.

A wealth of valuable resources coupled with a corrupt government attracts predatory actors, predominantly multinational mining companies. The DRC has been a popular choice to extract Cobalt for international companies like CDM, a subsidiary of Chinese Huayou Cobalt Co., and Armadale Capital plc. Although these companies possess the technology and labour force to extract minerals, they also buy resources from artisanal miners. This vicious dynamic in which profits skyrocket for those in power leaves Congolese civilians facing harsh consequences. 

Nigeria, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, Sudan and Venezuela also exhibit the ramifications of the resource curse. 

Regulations and Ethical Campaigns are Useless

Attempts to break this vicious cycle have been made by various countries and human rights organisations. The US has said that the illicit trading of resources provides revenue for armed groups which threatens peace in the DRC. Consequently, the Dodd-Frank Act was implemented to reduce financial support to warlords by discouraging manufacturers from obtaining minerals from the Congo. This legislation, enacted to prevent exploitation of resources and combat armed groups in the DRC, was found to increase the “looting of civilians and shifted militia battles” towards unregulated mining territories. 

The largest producer of Cobalt products, Huayou Cobalt Co., agreed to stop buying minerals from artisanal miners in 2020. In addition, the Congolese Government also passed legislation banning the illicit sourcing of minerals to international companies. However, according to reports, these companies are still buying minerals from artisanal miners today, which include a large number of children aged between 6-13 years old. 

The legislation enacted by international tech companies and the Congolese government has proved ineffective in protecting Congolese civilians as they only serve to appease consumer demands for ‘ethically-sourced products’. The race to meet these surging international demands bypass ethical regulations that can easily be evaded. 

Given the more pressing challenges at hand (conflict and poverty), the DRC is unable to prioritise the sourcing of minerals with ethical considerations. The children mining for metal ores are motivated by the need for financial sustenance. They are not phased by being a ‘child labourer’ the same way a Westerner might be. Moreover, in these geographies of conflict, families, although reluctantly and bitterly, expect their children to support the family. What these individuals require is political and economic stability to cease their labour, rather than focusing on ‘go-green’ campaigns.

The success of these ethical campaigns and legislation inadvertently places Congolese civilians in more poverty and danger as they are barred from one of their only viable means of income, and face heightened abuses by Congolese security forces as pressure to meet ethical regulations are increased.

Laws are futile in the DRC where survival is the daily goal for the civilians. The resources in the Congo continue to be extracted regardless of their ethical label. Instead of prevention methods, adaptive measures and systems set in place to provide safety for civilians are likely to be more beneficial for artisanal miners. 

Negative Feedback-Loop

There are several facets to the Congo conflict, all of which are tightly interlinked making it virtually impossible to untangle. This renders any efforts to work for peace extremely difficult. The resource curse hinders democracy and development, but the lack of democracy makes Congo prone to its affliction. 

National instability continues to foster rebel groups which consequently fosters more instability, conflict and a weak economy. This socio-political climate forces civilians to engage in illicit mining activities for sustenance, as it is one of the only opportunities for income. The lack of safety measures in the mining sites, which is a direct result of weak state institutions, exposes children and parents to major risks including death, beatings and arrest, as well as an array of health problems.

Ways forward in this struggle must start by incorporating bottoms-up thinking versus top-down. This means prioritising the safety and well-being of Congolese civilians, not international demand and consumer satisfaction.