Local Violence : Ethnic And Local Violence In The Congo

Over a period from 1960-1965, the first Republic of the Congo experienced a period of serious crisis. There was a terrible war for power that displayed senseless violence and the desperation to rule. There were many internal conflicts among the people. The country eventually gained independence from Belgium. For many countries this would be a time for celebration. Unfortunately for the people of the Congo this became a time to forget. Almost immediately after independence and the general elections, the country went into civil war. Major developed cities like Katanga and Kasai wanted to be independent from the Lumumba government. Different factions started to fight the government and Katanga and Kasai tried to secede from the rest

creates a lack of understanding between the social groups in the Congo and their own

At these moments, life in the Congo is a living nightmare. The eastern provinces of the Congo see violence every day. Women are getting raped at alarming rates. Children are constantly abused and forced to become child soldiers. There are no sources of medicine or even clean water. Anyone can get murdered at any time, and no one is even safe in their own homes.

The legacy of colonization in the African country of Congo has been, to say the least, devastating. Both the people and the economy had been dealt a low blow by King Leopold of Belgium’s invidious, violent regime (1885-1908). Congolese were subject to horrors by Leopold’s soldiers so barbaric that Europeans did not believe the reports of savagery at first. so After that, the Belgian government “reluctantly” took over Congo, finally granting independence to it in the early 1960s. These distressing times caused multiple fractures in the government, social hierarchy, agriculture, and economy. In the short term, women all over Africa, including Congo, lost much of their power - both economic and social. However, a lasting effect of Leopold’s rule

Little things in life can impact the world in many ways whether it's good or bad. In this case right now the Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing a big conflict with these minerals. The type of minerals people are fighting for are mined from the floor tantalum, tungsten, tin, and gold are the one that they're looking for. This is a big deal because the mineral trade has been linked to other crimes that rebel groups who commit mass atrocities, including rape and murder. It may not seem like a big deal but numbers don't lie , but you'll be surprised what they use these minerals for. They use these minerals to make phones,laptops(which I'm using right now so ironic right), light bulbs , a pair of earrings you name it. We are preventing

The legacy of colonization in the African country of Congo has been incredibly destructive. In the past, the Congo has been dealt a low blow by King Leopold of Belgium’s invidious, violent regime. This lasted from 1885 to 1908, not including the Belgian government’s takeover until 1960. The colonial governments committed acts so barbaric towards the Congolese that other Europeans did not believe reports of it at first. The Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960, but still has a long way to go in order to become strong again. This is due to the country’s evidently distressing past, which created multiple fractures in both the social hierarchy and economy. In the short term, women in Congo lost much of their power and respect through

I also consider the ways in which Congo’s various human rights violations are interconnected. I have also found that there is not enough emphasis given by scholars connecting the genocide and civil wars of Rwanda and other countries within the Great Lakes Region overflowing into the Congo. Throughout this paper, I will highlight the importance of the Rwandan genocide and ultimately its impact in the ‘resource curse’ epidemic in the Congo. I also found that power imbalance, poverty, and migration, led to the disorganization, rampant sexual violence, and societal discord within the state as a whole. This paper then delineates the ways in which the DRC had potential to exist as a thriving African country, but ultimately had failings that led to its current

This is a tale of horror and tragedy in the Congo, beginning with the brutal and exploitative regime of King Leopold II of Belgium, and culminating with the downfall of one of Africa’s most influential figures, Patrice Lumumba. The Congo is but one example of the greater phenomenon of European occupation of Africa. The legacy of this period gives rise to persistent problems in the Congo and throughout Africa. Understanding the roots and causes of this event, as focused through the lense of the Congo, is the subject of this paper.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DROC, is a country rife with civil strife and unrest. The country has been at war since its independence in 1960, due to the abundance of its natural resources. Originally a Belgian colony, the DROC was known as the Independent State of the Congo. From 1879 to 1885, it was owned and run by a development company known as the International Association of the Congo. King Leopold II of Belgium had named himself the prime shareholder of the business, and accumulated a vast personal fortune utilizing Congolese slave labor on rubber plantations and to hunt ivory (Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, 2016). The DROC has been home to the “African World War”, and has been a hotbed for blood and violence for as long as it has been around. They have an economy mostly based on mining, which has been

The post-colonial condition of Africa has been unstable at best and bloody at worst. Generally, these nations have been characterized by political militarism or dictatorship as well as economic inequality. Perhaps the nation that best represents these traits is the Democratic Republic of Congo. Once the Congo was released from Belgian control in 1960, it was immediately overcome by political factions resulting in multiple provinces attempting to secede. Joseph Mobutu led the military to unite the country again, and set himself up as the dictator of the Congo. Though the Congo contains plenty of natural resources to build an economy on, its failure to maintain a stable government has caused massive inequalities of wealth favoring the ruling

Mobutu made major changes to the Congo by creating a dictatorship, all of which came about out of fear of another person or foreign government taking his power (Duignan, 138). For example, Mobutu disassembled parliament and created a mass single party (Duignan, 136). At first when Mobutu official came to power in 1965, the Congo’s economy began to do much better. Mobutu had created new policies like the economic stabilization in 1967, reforming the twenty-one provinces back in to nine, and created a national identity around the legacy of Lumumba (Duignan, 136). In 1970, there was a “balanced budget, a negligible external debt, and a strong currency” (Duignan, 141). As well as a ten year plan to create development by using the natural resources

Because of war and rebellions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the government has started to expand the police force to better protect the community. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has never had a very strong police force, but because of an abundance of street crime and violence, the government is putting more time and effort into this subject. This has been aided by various efforts including donations to better train officers, education in arresting crime rings and wanted men, and new gear that will help to better handle criminal investigations and scenes. Street Crime and violence is an important issue and needs to be stopped. The government is preventing street crime and violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by accepting donations to better train officers, educate officers about stopping crime rings and wanted men, and supplying officers with better equipment.

This paper would not be complete without briefly looking at the history of Congo. Why is this important? A brief history will be the map to

For, years the Congo has been in a bloody civil war that has ravaged the nation. Consequently, this is because of three minerals: Tungsten, , and Gold. Sadly, each of which can be found in your technology. The government has perilously fought rebel militia groups in which try and control these prized resources for the accumulation of great wealth and power. Whenever you purchase conflict minerals, you are funding war leaders. The money they earn is used to buy guns which consequently, give them more authority. Currently, the Congo’s government is struggling to control these terrorists, day by day the rebels have more money for firearms- day by day their guns get bigger and more powerful. Because of this, these groups have caused the death of over 5 million citizens. Let’s just put that into perspective, it’s more people than the whole city of Los

For observers of the West Africa regional war, the recent calm in the war-torn Mano River Union (MRU) states Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea has given rise to optimism. Guarded, as this optimism might be, the decrease in violence in West Africa during the second half of 2001 is an important development given the scope and intensity of fighting that gripped these states earlier in the year. While observers agree that the current absence of widespread violent conflict in the MRU is a much-welcomed development, it must not mask the profound cleavages within these societies, the tenuous nature of the UN-imposed peace in Sierra Leone, and the continued serious threat of renewed warfare in the region. A brief