Adam Behnke English 103W Professor Clon December 12, 2008 Literature Review: Problem Lying in the heart

of Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the size of Western Europe, but also as stable as the present stock market. In the last nine years, more people have died due to violence and starvation in the DRC than in any other place in the world. The DRCs seven-year civil war that ended in 2004 involved upwards of ten African countries, killed four million people, and ravaged the country. Even though a peace deal was brokered and a new government established, the DRC still has the highest rate of rape and tens of thousands die a month from violence or starvation. These figures are indisputable but the reason for these problems is disputed. Deibert, Autesserre, Vidal, and others agree on obvious reasons for the current state of the DRC (such as the continuation of militia fighting), but there is revealing disagreement on whether multinational companies are good or bad for the country. There are more United Nations peacekeeping forces in the DRC than in any other country, yet the situation is barely mentioned in the news or media. The articles on the DRC being discussed come from various institutions, including World Policy Journal, Time, The Guardian, African Studies Review, and The Congo: Plunder and Resistance. All the writers, to some degree, list the government as part of the problem. Because the issue is so blatantly obvious, the arguments and facts showing how the government is acting are all persuasive. Recently elected President Kabila urged all of the warring militias to merge and

Behnke join the national army and also be equally represented in government. This is an impressive use of politics, but the eastern regions of the Congo still experience intense fighting between the same militias who say they have a peace agreement through the government. Consequently, this government is comprised of enemies, which limits it effectiveness. Robinson tells of a community in the eastern region who only received $5,000 back from the government even though they gave one million dollars in taxes (5). Autesserre also comments on this aspect, saying there is continued absence of state authority in the east, especially in rural areas (10). Not only is the government unresponsive, they are also unorganized and unable to keep track of all that is going on. Foreign businesses come in and, in exchange for land or production, promise to develop some part of the community (Vidal). However, they seldom keep their promises to the fullest extent, if at all, because they know they can get away with it (Renton 211). Those that do work for the government are many times corrupt, such as judges and police officers (Autesserre 10). The four sources aforementioned back up their respective arguments well in showing the governments abuse, not help, of its citizens. Rebel militias contribute to the governments ineffectiveness. These militias assemble for various reasons, including control of valuable resources, means to survive, and ethnic hatred. Many of the articles tell of these groups receiving their supplies from neighboring countries, but Autesserres in-depth research is the most convincing. She gives countless examples of Rwandas and Ugandas partial control in the far regions of the Congo through their puppet militias. Both countries soldiers had been involved in the civil war, but they continue to hold power with some groups now as they exploit Congos abundance of high-priced resources

Behnke (Autesserre 6-8). Deibert also gives mention to this, though he adds Angola and Zimbabwe to the list of countries behind some of Congos rebel militias (68). The authors of the popular, media publications are the most effective at telling of the corruption and violence in the newly formed DRC national army. In his article for Time, Simon Robinson claims, The Congolese Army has cut its own murderous swath, carrying out executions and razing villages (1). In another emotion-filled article, Michael Deibert tells of the armys scorched-earth campaign against a rebel militia group, portraying them as reckless and unafraid of collateral damage (66). It should be noted that being in the national army is a rough job, as twenty to forty percent of the donated funds from foreign nations to help pay the soldiers is stolen (Autesserre 12). This interception of soldiers funds reinforce[s] the soldiers tendency to prey on the population (Autesserre 12). The violence committed by soldiers against the population which includes raping and killing in innocent villages, is a partial result of men being at the end of themselves from starvation and paranoia (Robinson 4). All of the articles, specifically from Time and World Policy Journal, properly identify the Congolese army as a source of fear and distrust, not comfort and security, to the Congolese people. Another large problem in the DRC that carries economic implications is that of foreign companies setting up base in the lush environment of the Congo. Valuable materials such as copper, gold, coltan, wood, and zinc are abundant in the Congo, and the easy access is irresistible to many. These companies claim they will build the DRCs economy up with their business, while the objectors claim these businesses are exploiting the country and not giving the local community what they deserve. In The Congo: Plunder and Resistance, the authors claim that many Western governments and companies are in fact using the Congos weakened state for a

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large profit (Renton 211). Vidals article entitled Sold Down the River proves this point best as he tells of his personal experience in the DRC. He rages against these companies; they blatantly take advantage of locals. There are negotiations in the acquiring of land, but the communities are usually on the short end of the stick, because a tribal chief or community leader often looks only to benefit himself (Vidal). Residents in big business communities do in fact receive jobs at the companies, but the pay is oftentimes a meager $1 a week (Vidal). Furthermore, Vidal tells of these businesses paying government officials in order to be overlooked. The Congo: Plunder and Resistance and John Vidal both give the economic problems in the Congo the coverage needed if change is going to happen. A logical reason these businesses get away with mistreating the people in the Congo is because our society benefits. Many of the goods manufactured in the Congo are sold by and to Western countries and governments. To dig a little deeper would implicate these businesses as culprits, and our governments as apathetic. When the media does cover the issue, such as in the Time article by Simon Robinson, multinational companies are regarded solely as an economic asset to the DRC (4). Robinson states, some things in Congo have improved. Mining firms have returned, and cell-phone companies are doing a booming business (4). He devotes a total of two sentences to the large issue of multinational companies in the DRC and implies they are nothing but a good thing. Unfortunately for Robinson and Time, this discredits them immensely: the over-simplification and lack of evidence speaks of the desire to ignore the injustices committed by foreign companies at the expense of the Congolese people. If the DRC was given the news time it deserves, there would be more effort and urgency to help. The articles I reviewed do not think lack of coverage is a reason for the continuing crisis

Behnke in the Congo. Media and news shapes culture to a certain degree. Genocide in Darfur and in Rwanda was and is a legitimate humanitarian crisis that has had a huge amount of publicity. Consequently, both countries have received more money and support than the DRC. They received more money even though the chaos in the DRC has killed more people, continued longer, and contains more corruption from Western countries. The problems are dismal and farreaching but many are afraid to face it. It is viewed as a conflict involving only the people of the Congo, and the violence is explained as something inevitable: almost as if conflict is an inherent quality in all Africans (Renton 207). Overall, I consider three out of the five articles effective and credible. The three sources that are specific and not a part of mass media are the best sources, though Autesserre provides the most evidence. The structure of her argument is very specific as she pins the continuing violence on ignoring local conflict. Her references are extensive, she does not sugarcoat anything (as in a Time article), and she covers almost every reason for the chaotic state of the DRC. Renton, Seddon, and Zeiligs book is the most controversial, but also very logical. Their argument against the use of Western capitalism in the Congo makes sense purely because of the harm to the Congolese people it has already caused. The free-market does in fact exploit the Congos valuable resources, and the evidence is logical and also extensive. Finally, John Vidals personal narrative of his time talking with natives and big businesses in the Congo is credible because of his eyewitness account. He recounts conversations with the natives where they tell of the low-wages and shallow promise of development that multinational companies bring. The factuality of his article makes it hard to disagree or not believe that exploitation is the key word when talking about foreign businesses in the DRC.

Behnke The five sources I reviewed were very informative. As previously stated, they come from a variety of viewpoints, and highlight many different problems. The only thing I feel they could have stressed more would be the lack of media attention given to the crisis in the DRC. A couple of them touched on it, but they did not emphasize how important publicity is. It was difficult to find quality sources for this paper, which stems from the lack of attention being paid to the biggest crisis in the world.

Behnke Works Cited Autesserre, Sverine. "Local Violence, National Peace? Postwar "Settlement" in the Eastern D.R. Congo (2003-2006)." African Studies Review 49.3 (2006): 1-29. 24 Oct. 2008. Project Muse. Buswell Memorial Library - Research Databases. Buswell Memorial Library, Wheaton. 24 Oct. 2008. Keyword: Democratic Republic of Congo. Deibert, Michael. "Congo: Between Hope and Despair." World Policy Journal 25 (2008): 63-68. Renton, David, David Seddon, and Leo Zeilig. The Congo: Plunder and Resistance. New York: Zed Books, Limited, 2007. Robinson, Simon. "The Deadliest War in The World - TIME." Time. 28 May 2006: 1-5. Time Inc. 24 Oct. 2008 <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/ 0,9171,1198921-1,00.html>. Vidal, John. "Sold Down the River." The Guardian 22 Sept. 2007: 34-45. Guardian.co.uk. 22 Sept. 2007. Guardian News and Media Limited 2008. 23 Oct. 2008 <http://http:// www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/sep/22/congo.environment>.