For over ten years a war has raged in the Democratic Republic of Congo, affecting the lives of everyone in the area. The Congolese army, militias comprised of disgruntled citizens, and groups of foreign-backed rebels, some of which fled to the Congo after participating in the 1994 Rwandan genocides, are all attempting to control mining areas in the eastern Congo where they hope to unearth gold, copper, tin, tungsten, and coltan, all minerals used in electronic devices. Despite the high body count in this seemingly endless conflict, those in the greatest danger are the Congolese women, who are constantly raped and brutalized by soldiers on every side of this war.
Whenever one of the armed groups enters a village in the Congo, they terrorize the community by raping the women and killing anyone who speaks out against this. In 2008, the UN estimated that over 200,000 women had been raped in the Congo since the conflict’s start. The majority of the “women” raped were between the ages of 12 and 14 years old. Dr. Denis Mukwege, the director of Panzi Hospital in the eastern Congo, says that he treated literally thousands of rape victims over the past 10 years, the oldest of which was 75, the youngest a startling 3 years old.
In the Congo, rape has very little to do with personal pleasure or even boredom. In this conflict rape has replaced looting as a means of traumatizing entire communities, causing families to break apart and move elsewhere. It is a psychological weapon so effective that few dare to fight back or hold their ground. Some communities are so terrorized by the groups committing these heinous acts that they are forced to provide for their oppressors; offering whatever is available to make them leave. Many women are killed, abducted, or brutalized and sent back to convey a message of terror after being raped.
On March 9, in celebration of International Women’s Day, the Office of Community Service and Partnerships on campus organized a viewing of director Lisa F. Jackson’s documentary “The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo.” This winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize is an incredibly powerful piece, giving a detailed look into the lives of survivors of rape. It was filmed in 2007 on location in the Congo, with the support of UN peacekeeping troops and contains interviews with not only rape survivors but also UN officials, Congolese troops, local authorities in the Congo, and even some of those committing the rapes. The movie describes the war in the Congo so vividly that it is impossible to not try to end the conflict after viewing it.
In 2005, about 17,000 UN troops were deployed to the Congo, bringing with them a temporary peace and the first democratic election to be held in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 40 years. The United Nation’s ultimate goal is to end the fighting between all parties in the Congo, ushering in a permanent peace and settling disputes regarding mining rights. In July of 2008 the UN succeeded in mediating a ceasefire between leaders of some of the rebel forces and the newly elected Congolese leaders. This ceasefire was far from an end to the war, however, lasting less than a year before conflict once again surged.
While the fighting continues, the UN hopes to bring the Congolese people some sense of security by regulating the Congolese army, who until recently had been participating in the rape as much as forces they fought against. In 2006, Congo’s parliament passed laws criminalizing rape and initializing a “zero-tolerance” campaign for all forces involved in the war. Despite the efforts of both the Congolese government and the UN, which maintains its largest peacekeeping force in Congo, reports of rape continue to pour in on a daily basis and the death toll of this ongoing war is estimated to be about 5 and a half million.
Since the UN’s peacekeeping efforts are failing, other methods of undermining this war are in effect. In 2008 the Congolese government with the support of the German government launched an effort to map coltan mines and create a unique chemical mark on the legitimate mines. Similar to the Kimberley Process, which allows consumers to purchase conflict-free diamonds, this technique will eventually allow governments and corporations to track the coltan that is illegally exported from the Congo. Currently companies that produce electronics face a lot of criticism for purchasing minerals that finance the war in the Congo, but as long as they continue to make a profit they will continue using these conflict minerals.
As a consumer, you can make a difference by sending a message to these companies telling them that you refuse to buy from them unless they develop conflict-free versions of their products. Electronics companies such as Motorola, Apple, Microsoft, HP, Samsung, Dell, Nintendo, IBM, Cannon, LG, Samsung, Blackberry, and Toshiba all use conflict minerals in their electronics and will continue to do so as long as they can make a profit selling them to customers who don’t know any better or just don’t care. Through the basic laws of supply and demand, which determine the availability of all consumer goods, we can influence the products which appear in our market. In this case, demanding electronics made with conflict-free materials not only benefits women and civilians in the Congo, but also forces these companies to act in an ethically superior manner by considering the lives of others before their own profits.
Until these corporations decide to take responsibility for the harm their products cause there are other ways we can make conflict less profitable for them. Increase awareness of the situation in the Congo. Too many people are entirely ignorant of the suffering their electronics cause daily. Recycle your electronics. Many of the components found in our computers, cell phones, IPods, and TVs can be reused to make new electronic products. Recycling your electronics when you no longer need them or they break is the socially, economically, and environmentally responsible thing to do.
For more information on the war in the Congo and what you can do to stop it, visit raisehopeforcongo.org. To view UMASS Dartmouth’s copy of “The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo,” ask about it at the Women’s Resource Center. It is also important to tell your senators and representatives that you support legislation requiring corporations to manufacture conflict-free electronics.
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