Time to stand up for Congo war victims
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has received nothing like the attention focused on Iraq, even though as many as five million people have died as a result of war there over the past few years, and mass rape and human rights abuses are depressingly regular events.
The recent upsurge in the conflict threatens further to increase the carnage. I recently attended a Congolese solidarity march in Dublin at which I was asked to speak on behalf of the anti-war movement in Ireland.
It was a spirited procession through Dublin by about 50 members of the Congolese community and, perhaps, five or six Irish people. The low attendance, in my opinion, partly reflected a lack of awareness, though there are other factors at play, and it further highlights the burning need to make the conflict a focus of world attention.
The conflicts within the Congo are largely to do with a scramble for control of valuable mineral resources and stoked-up ethnic rivalries. It is exacerbated by the meddling of neighbouring countries, such as Rwanda and Uganda, and by large multinational corporations eager for a share in the loot.
It is important that we raise our voices in solidarity with the ordinary people who are suffering. The death toll is already horrific and it cannot be allowed to mount. The involvement of European-based corporations needs to be tackled and our own Government, which has strong links with Uganda, should use its influence positively.
The conflict in the DRC is driven largely by a struggle to control valuable natural resources, and the multinational corporations that benefit have much to answer for.
Dr Fintan Lane,
Convenor,
Anti-War Ireland,
2B, Miller’s Court,
Drinan Street,
Cork.
