Democratic Republic of Congo

Aubrey As the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo arises, it is imperative to understand the root of the problem and the effect it has globally. Despite the Congo’s abundance in resources, the country’s government has undergone multiple crises after it gained independence from Belgium in the 60s. These political and economic collapses have halted the Congo’s development tremendously (Migration). Unsurprisingly, this lack of development has led to many conflicts, forcing thousands of Congolese to flee into neighboring countries and, more recently, even West. “Migration flows to Western countries and returns are difficult to predict, but recent trends suggest the Congolese diaspora will keep growing rapidly, especially in new destinations such as North America” (Migration). Exploring what this could mean for Western countries is vital, as tensions rise within the United States in terms of immigration and migration. Why are people fleeing? The Democratic Republic of Congo was once a destination for other migrants in Africa, so what happened between then and now? “As rebel and government forces clash in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the safety and health of civilians continue to be threatened. Infectious diseases, food shortages, and sexual violence are rife in villages and camps for internally displaced people” (The Lancet). The disconnect between civilians and a corrupt government has led to violent guerilla groups wreaking havoc on innocent individuals and families throughout the country. The Congolese government is also guilty of sexual violence and withholding aid from humanitarian organizations. Along with infectious diseases and sexual violence (often in relation) DR Congo has become unbearable for almost a quarter of a million people. “There were approximately 450,000 Congolese refugees in other African countries as of March 2016” UNHCR estimates. Most live in Uganda (202,000), Rwanda (75,000), Tanzania (64,000), and Burundi (53,000). Internal displacement has also been widespread, reaching a peak of 3.8 million IDPs in 2008 and dropping to approximately 2.8 million as of March 2015, according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) estimates” (Migration). Maddy Like so many underprivileged and third-world countries in the world, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been suffering for way too long. People were forced out of their homes with no hope of return, and it seems as if there is no hope for better days. Globally, around 65 million people were forced out of their home, and out of that 65 million, 4.5 million were displaced in the D.R.C. An even worse fact is that only 874,000 are registered refugees, so the rest of the citizens who were forced out of their homes are not getting the help and government aid that they should (Fairbairn.) Disease, corrupted government, poverty, sexual violence, and violence that has continued despite the peace treaty signed in the past are all reasons that are forcing civilians out of their homes by the millions. The most pressing issue that the D.R.C. is facing and has been for the past year is Ebola. There is a huge Ebola epidemic there right now, and they are currently fighting their tenth Ebola outbreak. In the Congo, throughout their battle with Ebola, 1,500 have already died. 50% of deaths have happened in the past 6 months (Fairbairn.) This outbreak is mainly condensed into a rural and dangerous area, making it even more difficult to reach and provide aid. People are fleeing these areas to escape the disease and also the rise of conflict in the country. War is not technically going on, but because of the lack of effective government, violence is still a pressing issue. Poverty is also a result of past wars and government failure. According to the World Bank in 2019, “In 2012, 77% of the population was living in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 a day. The most recent World Bank estimates put the extreme poverty rate in the DRC at 73% in 2018…” In countries so beaten down and broken as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, people often become numbers. Sometimes the bigger the number - like 4.5 million - seems so large that it is not even feasible for us to think about all those people as a human being with a life and a story. But in the D.R.C, these people are individuals who are suffering. Whether it be from poverty, sexual abuse, governmental failure, or Ebola, these people are scared and in pain. They are forced out of their homes and not given any sense of hope for a better life. These statistics and facts may be considered trends, but these are people whose lives are one that we cannot even begin to understand. 1. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/drc/overview Allison Perhaps the most dire situation, voter repression, has led to more severe violent insurgence throughout the D.R.C. The Congo has struggled with corrupt governments and violence in the past, however, the presidential election of 2018 was a turning point as 80% of the Congo’s polling stations burned over 60 civilians dead on election day in the capital, Kinshasa, alone and “destroyed the voting equipment for 19 of Kinshasa’s 24 polling stations” (Dwyer 2018). This insurgence amplifies when Barnabé Kikaya Bin Karubi, the chief advisor to newly elected President Félix Tshisekedi fires back with, “The enemies of democracy have stepped it up a gear” (Dwyer). Voter repression in the D.R.C. is traced back through attempted compromise of polling machines and missing lists of registered voters, the lack of these necessary components to a fair election is traced back to Joseph Kabila, the incumbent president of the D.R.C. who held the office for 18 years and tried to hold it for longer with interference. Dwyer from NPR in 2018 made the astute observation regarding the Congo’s history with a fair election, “ . . . the D.R.C. has a dubious record for elections, with the past two votes marred by violence and not one peaceful transfer of power since gaining its independence from Belgium in 1960” (Dwyer). A lack of fair elections and political corruption are issues that many countries face, perhaps even the United States struggles, however, what this repression of citizens leads to is even more damning, unrest and “bone-chilling” violence in the Congo (McVeigh 2018). A group called M23 based out of refugee camps would emerge from political repression, becoming not only one of the most violent groups in the D.R.C., but one of the most violent across Africa. The militant group had its start in 2012-2013 recruiting in mass and occupying parts of the Eastern Congo, murdering and displacing thousands in their wake and are still responsible for a large portion of refugees leaving the country. However, more problematic was former President Kabila’s compliance and even partnership with M23 to target peaceful protestors and refugees. In return for protection and his office, Kabila would pay members of the militant group to hold his office. They disrupted this pattern when Tshisekedi won the election in 2018, overcoming corruption and inference in the election process. Although the official number of those who died and displaced from M23 is not available, government cover-ups and M23’s body removal processes made a count difficult, the Human Rights watch roughly estimates that at least 45,000 have died (since 2012) and countless Congolese citizens have faced displacement (McVeigh). M23 has not only left death and displaced people in its path, but an unprecedented amount of sexual violence. 1. https://www.npr.org/2018/12/13/676381458/voting-equipment-goes-up-in-flames-incongos-capital-as-election-approaches 2. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/feb/02/democratic-republic-ofthe-congo-gripped-by-fear-as-thousands-flee-bone-chilling-violence Allison “48 women are raped in the Democratic Republic of the Congo every hour” (Adetunji 2011). Over the past decade, the D.R.C. has seen an increase of violence in part caused by political volatility and displaced peoples throughout the nation. The United Nations observes, “the country (is) the centre of rape as a weapon of war . . . over the past 15 years, civilians are drawn into the conflict, which is driven by a weak government” (Adetunji). The magnitude of the problem is alarming, researchers like Adetunji and others have listed combined sexual violence/family dynamics as one of the leading contributors towards women and families leaving the country. How are individuals supposed to live in a climate where themselves and their children are constantly at risk? Sexual violence leads to another problem, un-cared for and at risk youth. Whether it’s from Ebola, recruitment into M23 and other militant groups, starvation, or abandonment, “the Congo has the 5th highest under-five mortality rate in the world. With just 1% of the global population, Congo is responsible for over 6% of global under-five mortality” (USAID 2019). The increase of children being born in the D.R.C. is a humanitarian concern, the children that are being born into that climate face unfair odds, especially when a child is unwanted and occurs through sexual assault. In recent years, organizations like the United Nations and volunteer groups have started an initiative to provide free contraceptives to the women of the D.R.C. Currently, “Only 1 in 3 health facilities had family planning services available . . . and of these facilities, only 1 in 5 were assessed to have ‘high’ quality services” (Mpunga 2017). This lack of contraception only increases the amount of Congolese children being born, as troubling as it may be, there are not enough United Nations volunteers and foreign aid groups to account for the lack of family planning. This change needs to happen inside the D.R.C.’s government, which in its current state of volatility is unlikely in the foreseeable future. This issue in the Congo will only continue to grow and be a contributing factor to refugees leaving the nation. (1) https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/12/48-women-raped-hour-congo (2) http://www.easterncongo.org/mnch (3) http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/5/2/274 Bryley The Democratic Republic of the Congo has plenty of resources at their hands, but they are still in a major crisis that is causing chaos within. There are so many factors that come into play when looking at the problems in the D.R.C. such as infectious diseases, sexual violence, sexual assault, poverty, and food shortages. These are not the only problems that reside within the D.R.C. Having a corrupt government does not help any situation at all. The government cannot make the right choices to help the people within the country. Currently, there is an Ebola epidemic that causes many deaths. Since the epidemic, there has been over a thousand deaths. Many people are trying to start a better life and leave behind all these issues that keep occurring. Those refugees are packing up a few belongings and traveling to a new area, but many of the refugees are not registered. That means they do not get the support from others that are needed to survive. This results in many deaths. In fact, there are 65 million refugees globally, and looking within the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are 4.5 million refugees displaced. Imagine living in a place where you didn’t know where your meals would come from, and where you would sleep at night. Many people do not look at the issues that are in different countries, but we should take into consideration how other people live. Is there a way that other countries can step in and help the Democratic Republic of the Congo? There are so many people in need and there are so many refugees that are all around us that need support in order to survive. The Congo should start to change as they see how many people are endangered and are affected by all the many problems that keep occurring. Is there a way to spread the word around to other countries that will be effective to help make a difference in the D.R.C.? We feel that many people know about the issues, but no nothing in order to make a difference. The Democratic Republic of the Congo needs a change as it has many problems that are within and causing many refugees illnesses and creating an unstable environment for people to live in.