Democratic Republic of Congo; Conflict and Natural Resources
INTRODUCTION
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s situation is unstable, particularly in the Eastern region of the nation. Currently, the country is attempting to survive a humanitarian disaster and the consequences of a very destructive war. The war ended officially in 2003, but the rebels in the Eastern region of the country are still attacking the area up to date, and the situation is tense. Hence, the DRC’s position is precarious. DRC is a big nation; it’s the largest nation in Africa. It has a lot of natural resources; several minerals, like, tin, gold, tantalum, and tungsten, among others. With the abundance of funds, the nation has the potential to thrive economically. More so, the natural resources in the DRC consist of minerals that require in the manufacture of different electronic appliances, such as tablets, smartphones, laptops, among other gadgets. Some of these minerals are being referred to as conflict minerals, which are the ores that are extracted in the war zones. Global companies like Intel, Google, and Apple, have started that they fear g the appearance of conflict minerals in their commodities.Thus brings conflicts in DRC’s electronic manufactures and also global productions. Hence, the natural resources of DRC are the focus of atypical interest by the companies of the globe, and the private sector’s role must be considered.
Importantly, the reasons as to where there are fights in the nation are local, such as land conflict, corruption, social antagonisms, and local politics. However, the natural resources of DRC have assisted in conflict maintenance in the country, because of the income obtained from them. Different groups of rebels have funded their projects by looting the natural resources of the country. Therefore, the natural resources of the country have a role in conflict sustainability.
It is clear that universal companies get profits from selling the electronic appliances they sell, and they require the minerals of DRC since the electronic gadgets demand increases in the whole world. It is significant to research the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and its impact on the natural resources use in the country. Additionally, awareness concerning the conflict mineral is required since the subject misconceived and understudied. Conflict minerals are extracted from conflict areas and do not fund the right individuals, like the different rebel groups, and the corrupt members in the government of Congo and the army.
The conflict in DRC is not broadly reported in social media; therefore, more research is required concerning the situations in the nation. Eichstaedt stated that the battle is among the deadliest catastrophe since the Second World War However, the circumstance in the Democratic Republic of Congo is significant because the nation is trying to get away from the causes of the disastrous war.
The condition of affairs in the Democratic of Congo is not stable, and conflict consequences were severe economic, social, and political problems in the country. .Furthermore, the vast natural resources of the country have played a part in the ongoing conflict. In this dissertation, the battle is considered through the natural resources of the country. With the substantial wealth of the natural resources, the Democratic Republic of Congo could become successful economically if only legitimate trade is established. The economic liberalism theory is used in analyzing how the challenge can be explained from a financial perspective. Therefore, the study problem of this dissertation is about the case of the conflict minerals in the DRC’s conflict. Thus, the research questions are:
- How is the DRC’s conflict affecting the utilization of the country’s natural resources?
- What is the function of multinational corporations in fighting over mineral conflicts minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
The objective of this research is to determine the conflict’s impact in the Democratic Republic of Congo is to the way the nation deals with the wealth of natural resources. Additionally, the aim is to establish the role of global enterprises, which includes universal electronics companies, infighting over conflict minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Thus, the objective of my dissertation is to come up with new information concerning the impact of the conflict in the natural resources of DRC.
The dissertation’s first chapter outlines a theory, selected from the region of the global political economy, employed in the thesis. The section explains the reason why the economic liberalism theory was chosen to be applied in the dissertation. Additionally, the chapter expounds on the methodology used in the thesis. Chapter two is an overview of the DRC’s conflict. The conflict’s historical background is briefly mentioned. Additionally, the chapter deals with various factors that contribute to the DRC’s situation, like the rebel groups, the DRC’s government, and the UN peacekeeping in DRC and concentrating on matters resulting from the natural resources of the country.
Chapter 3 focuses on issues that are concerned with the immense support of DRC. There is also an analysis of conflict minerals. More so, it also analyses the connection between natural resources and the conflict. The conclusion summarizes the most significant aspects of the research. In our judgment, the impact of conflict in DRC on the use of the natural resources of the country is established, as is the transitional companies’ responsibility to fight over the conflict minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
LITERATURE REVIEW: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
In providing a theoretical background in the DRC conflict, the universal political economy of economic liberalism theory is used in this dissertation. The international political economy raises awareness on issues of poverty and wealth and are very important in world politics. These matters are observed in the circumstance of DRC, a nation that has a lot of natural resources, but where a number of the population are immersed in high poverty.
In this dissertation, the DRC’s conflict is reviewed through various actors who have played a sector in the battle. Hence, like the liberalism theory, put into consideration both the state and the other actors, this dissertation emphasizes the significance of the impact of various actors and land to the DRC’s conflict. Without the knowledge of the state’s role in the international system, liberalism put into consideration the responsibilities of international institutions, on-state actors, non-governmental organizations, and intergovernmental organizations. Additionally, the transnational corporations’ role is considered in liberalism theory.
More so, according to liberalism, free trade forms general benefits to every participant, regardless of economic nature or the size, and therefore leads to a peaceful world. Whatsoever, neo-liberalism assures that free trade does not create cooperation automatically, but it necessitates efforts, like negotiation and planning.
The liberals of economics accentuate the importance of having an open economy, which has no political interferences to aid in the production of huge amounts of investment, which is required in the promotion of sustainable economic development and growth. Additionally, the economic liberalism theory asserts that close relations in the market with developed nations positively affect the developing world’s economies. The Democratic Republic of Congo is part of the developing world. More so, foreign business is observed as a method of additional growth of new sectors and market expansion. As the universe has greatly globalized, it is essential to know that DRC, a nation full of wealth from natural resources, can become prosperous. Economic liberals argue that globalization is capable of bringing wealth to companies and individuals. None the less, DRC is still underdeveloped in some areas. Hence it lacks modernization skills as a developing nation.
Entrance to the universal market is one method of promoting economic growth. Additionally, foreign direct investment in the developing world by several companies of nations brings in a lot that is needed in production expertise and modern technology. However, conflict in a nation is likely to distract regional trade and discourage foreign investors, who consider the nation as being insecure, even after the end of the war. Therefore, the Democratic Republic of Congo could benefit from foreign entrepreneurs, but the current instability of the nation hinders this prospect.
Economic liberalism theory is criticized. For instance, Hahnel suggests that trade is capable of exacerbating global inequality through the distribution of more wealth to the rich nations. Hahnel, however, notes that the cheapest way of minimizing global inequality is via trade by simply setting trade terms to distribute several efficiency gains to the developing countries.Moreover, the Democratic Republic of Congo can never close itself since it requires expertise and equipment and foreign knowledge, which it lacks in the meantime.
According to Person and Besley, development entails substantial increment incompetence and the size of a state. More so, the capacity of the state means that ability of a country to conduct some policies and an effective in the effectiveness has an impact on the capacity. As a developing nation, DRC is still underdeveloped in several ways, and lack capital and skills for its own advancement. Therefore, the success of DRC relies on attracting foreign governments and investors to the nation. Additionally, the unavailability of state capacity is considered to be impeding development.
More so, the Democratic Republic of Congo is considered as a weak nation. A state economy that is weak is faulty, as there is an absence of coherent in the national economy, which could sustain a basic welfare level for the individuals and to offer ways of managing a competent state. The DRC state seems very weak in protecting the borders and guarding the population of DRC within the borders. Additionally, the challenge is accelerated by the unwillingness to practice sovereignty (Turner, 2013).None the less, according to liberalism, weak nations can be termed as pre-modern conditions that are yet to reach modernity (Jackson, and Sørensen, 2013).
According to Sorensen and Jackson, violent conflict nowadays mostly happens inside the states, especially the weak states. Moreover, violence is connected with underdevelopment and development problems (Besley and Persson, 2010) claim that it is a great empirical fact which civil war is likely to occur in developing nations. This is a situation observed in DRC, where violent conflict continues happening, and underdevelopment is a great problem. Whatsoever, it is stated that for the purpose of avoiding civil wars, even if some deeds are necessary for measures of common global, the developing countries development should put a lot of efforts in implementing institutions and economic policies which can decrease poverty and boost growth, and enhance transparency and governance. More so, real DRC resolutions can never be enforced from the outside. .Therefore, the DRC’s government cannot completely rely on foreign aid, but it needs to try by itself, in wider capacity, in promoting transparency and developing its governance. Successful development is the best protection of civil war.
The economic liberalism theory has got weaknesses: the global economy worsens the DRC’s economy since the exploitation of the natural resources of the country’s wealth is a challenge, and the government of DRC is not getting adequate help for it to be progressive. The state Democratic Republic of Congo is fragile instability achievement in the nation itself and should be supported in the aspect. Thus, an economy that is open can help the Democratic Republic of Congo to grow economically and bring the required foreign expertise, equipment, and knowledge to the country. Additionally, trading with developed nations would impact the economy of the country positively.Hence, the economic liberalism theory has strengths in its application to the DRC’s situation, with some acknowledgments of present barriers to the economic development of the country.
METHODOLOGY
The dissertation assumes that the DRC’s conflict has a particular influence on the natural resources use in DRC. Most significantly, this dissertation focuses on the matters which are concerned with the conflict and the natural resources of the country. As we had said before, the objective of the dissertation is the conflict in DRC, particularly in the Eastern region. More so, this is a qualitative study that is based on secondary and primary sources. The last report of the UN Group of Experts on DRC, from 2015 January, provides the dissertation with important updated information concerning the plundering of natural resources of the country. Additionally, the UN Environment Programme’s Post –Conflict for policymakers, gives the dissertation important facts concerning wealth from the natural resources for DRC. More so, the World Bank report also added important details pertaining to the mineral wealth of DRC.Other reports from non-governmental organizations and the World Bank are also used. Whatsoever, some primary sources concerning DRC and its natural resources are written in French, and this can limit the use of primary sources in this dissertation.
In addition to the reports above, secondary sources about the conflict in DRC are used in the dissertation too. For example, “Congo,” by Turner offers a significant overview of complicated occasions that have occurred in DRC. More so, the book adds essential information concerning fight over the natural resources in the DRC. Additionally, “Consuming the Congo,” war and conflict minerals in the deadliest place of the world by Eichstaedt provides important information concerning the DRC conflict and its relationship with the natural resources. Other types of secondary sources are also applied. For instance, articles from The Washington Post, Time, The Economist, Foreign policy, Foreign Affairs, and BC News, among others, give information on the conflict in DRC.
The Conflict in the DRC
DRC has a very violent and complicated history.It was colonized by Belgium, and it got independence in 1960.A lot of chaos was left behind by the Belgians, and it was uncontrollable. DRC’s history is one of exploitation and civil war. During its colonial time, Belgium king, Leopold 2, plundered wild rubber and ivory from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Due to colonialism, DRC became a malformed country. The bloodletting that has been troubling the country is because governments and individuals advance their personal political and economic aims. Hence, the exploitation of natural resources of DRC is not new since it has been progressing immediately after colonization in the 1870s.
Currently, DRC is in the process of recovering from a war where millions of people lost their lives between 1998 and 2003(Democratic Republic of Congo, 2015).It is estimated by some analysts that from 1998, the war and its consequences resulted to 5.4v million deaths in DRC. It is stated that DRC was a state of the worst humanitarian crises since World WAR 2.
DRC’s current situation is still not stable. The nation has collapsed; healthcare relies on charity and aid; roads do not link anymore to the major cities. Therefore, the country’s infrastructure is inferior and close to non-existence. Thus, it could benefit from direct foreign investment, that could introduce production skills and technology into the country, as stated by economic liberalism theory (Jackson, Sorensen 2013, 188). Some reasons why DRC degraded include corruption in all economic and political system levels, hostilities over power and land, provocative actions from the regional leaders, among others. The original causes of conflict entail local and national clashes over influence and energy and concerns of identity and citizenship. For instance, access to fishing grounds and arable land, which resulted in fights locally. Thus, the reasons for conflicts are complex and local. There are over 100 various metals and minerals in DRC (the Democratic Republic of Congo Overview. (, 2015). The country, therefore, is very rich in natural resources and has the potential to thrive economically.
In a real sense, too little economic profits from those natural resources help the people of Congo. Most profits benefit international companies, rebel groups, and the DRC’s government (Filipovic, 2014).
Today in DRC, several rebel groups are functioning. The Rebel groups are among the reasons why the circumstance remains volatile in the nation, particularly in East of DRC. Additionally, the Rwanda genocide of 1994 is another reason that has affected the volatile situation in DRC. The Hutus, who had caused the genocide, were driven to DRC, hence the formation of a rebel group. Although the conflict roots are local, profits from different minerals have catalyzed the fighting. Different groups of the military are always fighting over mines that are used in extracting the minerals and natural resources control.
The neighboring nations of the Democratic Republic of Congo also contributed to the conflict in the country. Throughout the war, the rebel groups of Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi benefited from the exploitation of natural resources in DRC. Today, the DRC’s minerals smuggling is via its neighboring nations, Rwanda and Uganda is still a problem.
Since independence in 1960, systemic corruption is continuing. Alongside conflict and volatility, the country’s results have been dramatically decreased government income and national output and increased external debt.
Fighting is still a problem in the eastern region of DRC, and hence the condition in the nation is volatile. Conflict in DRC has several factors that cause it; corrupt government, natural resources exploitation, rebel groups, and other nations in the area wanting to benefit from the natural resources of DRC. Though the causes of the conflict are local, the vast natural resources of the country prolong the fighting.
The Conflict and Natural Resources
As seen earlier, DRC has a lot of natural resources. Over half of forest resources in Africa are situated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and more than half of the water resources in Africa flow through the nation. Additionally, there are 80 Million hectares arable land in DRC. Moreover, the country has a large biodiversity reservoir, which is number 5 at the global level, and in Africa, it’s unique. Therefore, the natural resources of DRC are essential for Africa and to the whole universe.
As seen earlier, over 100 various minerals are found in the Democratic Republic of Congo (the Democratic Republic of Congo Overview. 2015). If DRC can manage the minerals they possess, it would benefit from the foreign trade.
The extraction of natural resources in a country can cause social development and economic growth. None the less, if the removal is poorly handled, it can cause exploitation and conflict. DRC has the potential of experiencing economic growth, but natural resources exploitation and corruption are hindering the development. Since the natural resources of DRC are mishandled in the nation, exploitation and conflict continue.
Almost half of the cobalt produced and cobalt reserves in the world in DRC in 2012 covered 55% of universal production. More so, 64% of cobalt reserves in the world are situated in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tantalum metal is mined from coltan and generally used to manufacture capacitors that are required in electronic appliances, such as computers, tablets, game consoles, and cell phones.
Additionally, 20% of industrial diamonds in the world and 12% of tantalum are from DRC in 2012.DRC has the most significant accessible diamond resources in the universe in terms of carats.DRC participated in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which is aimed to finish the conflict in the diamond trade and to make sure that no conflict financed by trade in diamonds. The scheme did not accomplish the goal.
Additionally, DRC possesses oil too. Although the oil exploitation in DRC was not a target of the armed groups, the tensions concerning oil still exist between DRC and the two neighboring nations, Uganda and Angola.
The universal use of coltan increased significantly in 200, where it was 38% from the previous year, due to electronics industry production. Minerals like tungsten, tin, and tantalum are useful in the manufacturing of laptops, tablets, and smartphones, which are widely popular nowadays. The crystals are at last ingredients in the electronic appliances globally. This makes universal manufacturers of electronics who use these minerals from DRC in their commodities, part of the conflict.
Even if the natural resources of the country had a role in upholding conflict in DRC, they are, however, not the major contributor to the battle. The UN Group of Experts on DRC experts confirmed that the rebel groups went ahead to making profits from the natural resources of DRC. For instance, the experts stated that the exploitation of wildlife products like ivory and ivory trade is a severe problem, which includes the rebel groups, Congolese army factors, and local poachers. Additionally, some armed troops continue being engaged in minerals trade, and thus, conflict minerals might be a sequence in DRC and the neighboring countries. Therefore the struggle over natural resources assists in accelerating conflict in DRC and its avital sector of war crisis. The exploitation of natural resources of DRC is not limited to minerals plundering; it also includes other types of natural resources like the above wildlife products.
Local causes of conflicts include local social and political resentments, poverty, land struggle, corruption, among others. Countries that have got a lot of natural resources never become more volatile or impoverished automatically because of the reality of having an abundance of resources. Indeed, the problem comes from the weak state of the country, which suppresses services and manufacturing development. The DRC state is fragile and never succeeded in the generation of growth in the sector of manufacturing or offering essential welfare for the citizens.
The conflict in DRC is a complicated one, but the resource curse theory suggests a resolution to DRC’s conflict: to abolish the exploitation of the natural resources of the country. The country believes that natural resources are the main contributors to the battle. Thus, the primary conflict causes acknowledgment is neglected. Hence, the resource curse theory is not successful in the comprehension of the fundamental causes of DRC’s conflict.
What so ever, the plundering of the natural resources of DRC has most certainly accelerated the conflict in DRC. Therefore natural resources sustain the conflict in that country.
Despite DRC having a lot of natural resources, its rate of poverty is too high. Additionally, it’s second last on the Human Development Index. (Democratic 2015). More so, it is estimated by UNEP that only about 26% Congolese can access safe water, and 9% only can access electricity. In addition to that, the country has an almost 70% undernourishment rate and also has the most significant food insecurity level globally. This is a clear indication of how underdeveloped DRC is. Several of the Congolese do not benefit from their natural resources.
References
Besley, T., and Persson, T. (2010). State Capacity, Conflict, and Development. Econometrica, 78, pp. 1–34.
The Democratic Republic of Congo Overview. (2015). The World Bank. http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/drc/overview (18.03.2015)
Filipovic, J. (2014). A Fair Stake in the Ground. – Foreign Policy, 21 April.
Jackson, R., and Sørensen, G. (2013). Introduction to International Relations: Theories and Approaches. 5th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Turner, T. (2013). Congo. Cambridge: Polity Press.