![\"\"](\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/default-1-240x135.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A protest in Winnipeg in support of the DRC (Radio-Canada\/ Amine\u00a0<\/span>Ellatife<\/span>)<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Written by: Sienna Scullion.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The first time I was introduced to social justice movements was in 2020 during the\u00a0<\/span>Black Lives Matter <\/span><\/a>(BLM) protests. It was the middle of a global pandemic and as I sat at home in my house my family and I watched thousands marching against police brutality. I had always cared about social justice, but this event truly spurred me into the fight for all. Since\u00a0then,\u00a0I have dabbled in the causes of Palestine and Sudan, for the rights of the disabled and women, but one cause has drawn me in like no other. This cause is the fight for the freedom of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The DRC is one\u00a0of the most exploited nations in the world. When I first started fighting for\u00a0this\u00a0cause\u00a0I was surprised to see how few people seem to know let alone care about the DRC.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Here, I aim to explore why the DRC should be a cause all young people care about. I will first provide a brief history of the DRC and how it relates to the world at large. I will then cover what is currently occurring in the DRC. This will lead into a discussion of how the DRC and the issues there\u00a0impact\u00a0us all and why\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0particularly important for young people to care. Closing thoughts will follow.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The DRC\u2019s history<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The DRC was not always named the DRC, in fact, history has granted it\u00a0various different\u00a0names. The DRC was initially called The Congo Free State, a name given to it by\u00a0<\/span>Leopold the II of Belgium<\/span><\/a>. During the late 19th century\u00a0<\/span>Africa faced a new wave of colonization<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in which European empires vied for different territories. Belgium came late to this scramble leaving it with few options. Or so this is how it first appeared.\u00a0<\/span>Leopold, through the help of explorers and academics was able to \u201cdiscover\u201d the Congo<\/span><\/a>. Leopold then claimed to the world that he was taking on a<\/span>\u00a0humanitarian mission in the DRC<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to bring “civilization” to the Indigenous people there.\u00a0In reality this\u00a0was a cover for exploitation and brutalization. Leopold’s government stole land from communities using unfair contracts which the chiefs and leaders of villages could not read. The exploitation was first done for minerals and other general resources until it was discovered that the DRC was rich in rubber trees.\u00a0<\/span>Rubber was a heavily coveted resource<\/span><\/a>\u00a0at the time used in the manufacturing of various resources such as military equipment. Leopold’s extraction of this rubber was\u00a0<\/span>brutal and amounted to slavery.\u00a0<\/span><\/a>People were forced to work in dangerous conditions and if they refused to\u00a0work\u00a0they faced brutality such as the amputation of hands and other extremities. It is estimated that anywhere between just over one million people to ten million died during Leopold’s reign.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A photo showing workers, boys, in the DRC with amputated hands (Presbyterian Historical Society\/Unknown Author)\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n When the other imperial nations discovered Leopold’s\u00a0<\/span>reign,<\/span>\u00a0they were so horrified at the abuses that they quickly put a stop to it. This did not, however, bring peace to the DRC. The DRC continued to face exploitation and conflict until the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>election of Patrice Lumumba<\/span><\/span><\/a>. Lumumba was an anti-imper<\/span><\/span>i<\/span><\/span><\/span>alist African who was democratically\u00a0<\/span>elected<\/span>\u00a0by the people of the DRC. He promised to end the exploitation of the DRC and was a beacon for a nation that had so long been exploited by others. A few months after his election Lumumba was assassinated. Lumumba\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>ass<\/span>ass<\/span>ination was<\/span><\/span>\u00a0backed by the US government<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0who opposed his anti-imperialist beliefs. This resulted in the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>implementation of Mobutu Sese Seko<\/span><\/span><\/a>, a brutal dictator who continued the exploitation of the people of the DRC. Seko also was the leader that the DRC became\u00a0<\/span>Zaire<\/span>\u00a0under for\u00a0<\/span>a period of time<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n An official portrait of Patrice Lumumba (<\/span>Wikiquote<\/span>\/author unknown)<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The 1990s continued to bring struggles for the DRC as thousands fled to the DRC\u00a0<\/span><\/span>during the Rwandan genocide<\/span><\/span><\/a>. Initially, it was thousands of\u00a0<\/span>Tutsis<\/span>\u00a0that were forced out of Rwanda and into the DRC as they tried to avoid being slaughtered. By the end, the Genocide forced thousands of Hutus out of Rwanda who feared repercussions after\u00a0<\/span>participating<\/span>\u00a0in the genocide of the Tutsi. During this\u00a0<\/span>period,<\/span>\u00a0we also saw a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>United Nations mission to the DRC<\/span><\/span><\/a>. These factors led to the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>first<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>second<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0Congo wars which were some of the bloodiest wars in Africa\u2019s history.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A photo showing hundreds displaced during the Second Congo War (OXFAM\/ Maire\u00a0<\/span>Cacace<\/span>)<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Where are we now\/ Forever exploitation, war and human rights exploitation\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n DRC is still facing heavy exploitation to this day. While materials like rubber and uranium have\u00a0been\u00a0side-lined targets of exploitation, other materials such as<\/span>\u00a0cobalt, lithium, copper and coltan<\/span><\/a>\u00a0have taken the spotlight.\u00a0All of\u00a0these minerals are needed in the creation of modern technology\u00a0such as\u00a0electronic\u00a0vehicles, solar\u00a0panels, computers, phones, vapes, and other modern electronics.\u00a0In particular the\u00a0minerals of\u00a0<\/span>cobalt, copper, and lithium are needed in the creation of electric lithium-ion batteries<\/span><\/a>\u00a0which are used in most modern electronic devices.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The way these minerals are extracted is extremely exploitative<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0 violent, violates human rights, destroys the\u00a0environment\u00a0and rubs the young of their future<\/span>. The mines, run by North American,\u00a0European\u00a0and Chinese firms, aim to maximize their profit\u00a0at the expense of people, their\u00a0cultures\u00a0and the environment on which their livelihoods depend. When a company secures a mining concession, community\u2019s land is grabbed, people are dispossessed, infrastructures are destroyed and artisanal miners are unemployed. In\u00a0those\u00a0mines, even children are sometimes employed. When\u00a0companies employ\u00a0adult\u00a0men\u00a0and\u00a0women, they<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>are given next to no legal protections and often work in dangerous job sites\u00a0<\/span><\/a>wher<\/span><\/a>e, if they are physically injured, they are not given compensation. The mines themselves, beyond being dangerous, also host other dangers for the communities in the area. Firstly, these mines are often heavily<\/span>\u00a0militarised by security firms or local para-military groups<\/span><\/a>, and national armies.\u00a0These groups intimidate the communities and perpetuate sexual and physical violence against men, women, and children.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The mines are also\u00a0<\/span>extremely environmentally damaging<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0To purify the minerals, mining companies use chemicals such as mercury and cyanide acid which are dangerous to human life and the ecology.\u00a0The mines themselves decimate local communities and the\u00a0run off\u00a0of the\u00a0minerals and metal toxins,\u00a0mines\u00a0release chemicals into water,\u00a0soil\u00a0and air.\u00a0This results in people being more susceptible to illness and physical conditions. It also raises the risk for birth defects and reproductive illness. Animals are equally venerable particularly fish who live in waters polluted by\u00a0<\/span>waste dumping and\u00a0mineral\u00a0run off<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Congo is also currently under threat from the Rwandan backed military group March 23 (M23).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>spite of\u00a0the peace agreements that have been signed in the\u00a0united\u00a0states\u00a0(link) and Quatar (Link), M23 and other militia\u00a0groups have\u00a0not stopped attacking\u00a0Congo (cite the attack of M23 today)\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>The M23 is a primarily Tutsi group<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that is currently terrorizing the regions near the DRC\/Rwanda border. These areas include Goma and the\u00a0<\/span>Great Lakes Region particularly around Lake Kivu<\/span><\/a>. The M23 invades spaces, the exploitation of the DRC’s resources, and commits acts of violence including sexual assault against the people of the DRC. The president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame has actively denied the interference of Rwanda in the DRC and has denied they are funding the M23. The global community has had little response to help the DRC and many nations continue to allow their companies to\u00a0exploit\u00a0<\/span>the DRC and its minerals.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0Uganda has also contributed towards the suffering in the DRC through their use of\u00a0<\/span>Allied Democratic forces (ADF)<\/span><\/a>. These groups terrorize civilians and further contribute towards the exploitation of minerals in the DRC.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A photo showing M23 soldiers on the back of a car (AP Photos\/Moses\u00a0<\/span>Sawasawa<\/span>)<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Why we must care\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Young adults, millennial and generation Z, are the first generations to grow up with affordable technology. Our generations have swiftly learned how to use computers, phones and more, turning them into a part of our daily lives. Our generations are also the ones to create\u00a0new technologies. We are the pioneers of the future. Due to this, it is important that we care about the DRC, their people, and their resources. As we work our way up the corporate ladder or secure jobs in the\u00a0ever-evolving\u00a0tech industry,\u00a0it’s\u00a0important that we know where our resources come from and how to\u00a0assure,\u00a0they\u00a0aren’t\u00a0conflict minerals. If the minerals must come from the\u00a0DRC,\u00a0then it is imperative they come from ethical mines which protect their workers and care about the communities they exist alongside. This will not only assure that we can feel comfortable knowing the work we do is not powered by\u00a0blood but\u00a0will also allow us to feel comfortable knowing we are actively supporting global communities rather than exploiting them.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As a young adult I have been privileged to be exposed to the\u00a0<\/span>revival of the Palestinian resistance<\/span><\/a>. Although Palestine is not yet free, young adults across the world have fought for the rights of Palestinians against the Israel-settler state, striving towards freedom and the recognition of the Palestinian state. If this can be done in\u00a0Palestine,\u00a0then this can be done for the DRC. As young people we have the ability to<\/span>\u00a0protest and lobby for change and eventually make that change ourselves<\/span><\/a>. In nations like Canada and the United States this is particularly important as operations stemming from said nations are the main perpetrators of abuse and exploitation. I do not expect that young people travel to the DRC themselves or get arrested in their home country as they fight for the rights of those in the DRC. However, young people\u00a0are able to\u00a0educate others and lobby for their local politicians in order their nations may change how they relate to the DRC.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Here are examples of things that you can do to support those in the DRC:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot_10-12-2025_142120_docs.google.com_-240x169.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/Patrice_Lumumba_official_portrait-240x218.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/congo_people_flee_2012-240x135.webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/cd4b15f187d9461f922c01530e213ce4-240x135.webp\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/mining\/wp-content\/uploads\/DRC-Human-Rights.jpg-240x135.webp\")
<\/span><\/p>\n