By Olakunle Agboola – The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) is believed to be one of the most populous countries in Africa and one of its poorest. The lack of formal economic opportunities, combined with the legacy of entrenched political conflicts and instability, as well as high rates of malnutrition, illness, and poor education, is perceived to make DR Congo one of the hardest places on earth to raise a family.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is widely considered to be the richest country in the world regarding natural resources; its untapped deposits of raw minerals are estimated to be worth more than the U.S. $24 trillion. You cannot but question your intellects why on earth could Congo be among the poorest nations in the world.
A British Professor of Geography, John Cole who was once a visiting lecturer at the University of Kinshasa formerly known as Lovanium University narrated his experience in Dr. Congo, which he believes, will continue to linger on till he dies. He had a good opportunity to investigate and examine the mining industry in Congo, which he believes is the major cause of poverty.
“ I have said it in different places and I will continue to say it that what will kill Africa is their greed. Africa cares less about humanity and what matters to them is material wealth. The corrupt leaders want to buy houses in London and leave big on the wealth that ought to be circulated for the benefit of the next generation. The West knows the problem of most African leaders, which is greed, and they keep on capitalizing on it. Truth be told, there is a huge problem with corruption, which will continue to hinder great countries in Africa to prosper as we have seen in Congo.
The Congo Mining industry is enough to prosper the whole of Africa if I won’t be exaggerating but today, it is a big problem due to corrupt practices. The precious metals mined in the Congo are necessary for a lot of technology taken for granted in the west: smartphones, computers, etc. Many foreign investors in the mining sector end up signing billion-dollar contracts with parties funding armed paramilitary groups, who siphoned some $185 million in 2008 from mining deals.
How could a nation like Congo prosper when everybody wants to have a good share of natural resources? Corrupt government and officials including the armies are bad wagons in making Congo one of the poorest nations in the world. Some have argued about the dealings of the West and most especially, colonialism. I do say this all the time talking to African that they should consider the way of social insects and be wise. They do have a well-structured and organized colony, which is difficult for any intruder to bring their colony down. When Africa has a strong and well-structured government, the whole world will take them seriously”
Chris, a Congolese who now lives in the UK is of the strong opinion that the West destroyed Congo and made it what it is today. He was a major player in the Diamond industry 30 years ago during the Mobutu administration as the President. He worked closely with him and had to run for his dear life with his family when he knew he would be killed.
“The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has large reserves of cobalt, gold, gems, copper, timber, and uranium. However, the most valuable resource that the DRC possesses is its large reserve of diamonds. Diamonds essentially serve as a pillar to the DRC’s struggling economy. I work in the state diamond reserve and I had a good life in Congo during the Mobutu administration but I had to leave my houses and properties and run for my dear life when Mobutu died in 1997.
I can’t ignore the high level of poverty in Congo today and it is sad it all played out well, as the colonial master wanted it. There are so many Natural resources in Congo and this has become our nightmares. I won’t be able to say much because I live in the West but quote me, the West is the source of our problems”
The DRC has enormous reserves of natural resources and the potential to become one of the richest African countries. Eighty million hectares of arable land and more than 1,100 minerals and precious metals constitute its potential for economic growth.
However, only 10 million hectares of the DRC’s arable land are under cultivation. Illegal mining by armed groups and war contribute to the DRC’s inability to utilize its vast resources. By increasing the amount of land under cultivation, food security and economic development would increase significantly, reducing poverty in the DRC.
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