The Audio segment is on current US policy and Congo war.
US Interests in Rwanda Spur Congo War
After having suffered from the ravages of war for two decades, the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo or DRC are now facing yet another brutal battle. The rebel group M23, made up of deserters from the Congolese Army have taken over the city of Goma and are refusing to leave until the democratically elected government of President Joseph Kabila is completely dismantled. Ignoring a deadline issued by the African Union to leave the city, the 1,500 M23 rebels, who are mainly Tutsi in origin, fought back the Congolese Army as well as the 18,000 UN peacekeepers sent into the region to quell the violence. 'Colonel Olivier Hamuli, a Congolese military spokesman has called the rebel takeover a "declaration of war."
A UN finding that DRC's neighbors Uganda and Rwanda had been arming and financing the rebels since they formed 8 months ago was originally disputed by the United States which had allied in the past with Rwanda and its President Paul Kagame. Rwanda's political interests in DRC, the 2nd largest country in Africa, may be to carve out a new Tutsi led country from the Eastern half of the country. While the West backs the corrupt Kagame government, they also stayed mum as Kabila regained power in a rigged election.
The United Nations is estimating that 285,000 people have been displaced as a result of the conflict, and a Human Rights Watch report issued in September found M23 guilty of "summary executions, rapes, and forced recruitment."
DRC is replete with precious metals and minerals, many of which are used in computers, cell phones and weapons and the conflict has gained more international scrutiny as mineral production has decreased. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission finally banned companies like Apple and Intel from using metals which come from rebel controlled areas of the country this year.
DRC is replete with precious metals and minerals, many of which are used in computers, cell phones and weapons and the conflict has gained more international scrutiny as mineral production has decreased. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission finally banned companies like Apple and Intel from using metals which come from rebel controlled areas of the country this year.
GUEST: Claude Gatebuke, executive director of the African Great Lakes Action Network.
Visit www.aglan.org and www.friendsofthecongo.org for more information. Claude Gatebuke may be reached via email at claude_at_aglan_dot_org.
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