Turk asks not to consume “at the expense of the Congolese people”, in reference to the fact that their resources are used to create mobile phones
April 19 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, assured this Thursday that one of the causes of the conflicts that have hit the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for years is the exploitation of its natural resources, a process carried out in a way that “impoverishes more than benefits” its citizens.
“One of the root causes of many of these conflicts is the exploitation of the DRC's natural resources, which impoverishes rather than benefits the local population. The Government, as well as regional and international powers, have obligations in this regard. The sector private sector also has important responsibilities, including companies that extract resources, such as coltan, so valuable to the world,” he said during a speech from Kinshasa in what was his first visit to the country in his position.
“We all use mobile phones that are possible, to a large extent, thanks to the resources of the DRC. The world cannot continue consuming at the expense of the Congolese people. Each one must ask themselves where their responsibility lies,” he added.
Following this, he expressed his concern about the “complex” challenges facing the DRC, especially in the east of the country, where the population is “exhausted, deeply traumatized and devastated by decades of war and conflict.”
CONFLICT IN THE EAST
In the province of North Kivu, the Congolese Army faces the armed rebel group March 23 Movement, which “continues to sow terror, killing and kidnapping” both the local population and activists, journalists and community leaders, causing 500,000 people to flee. have been displaced since October, bringing the total number of displaced people in the region to 2.7 million.
There, both the Congolese security forces and the Wazalendo self-defense militias are also committing human rights violations that “must be prevented,” according to the High Commissioner.
In addition, Turk has denounced that minors are being recruited among the ranks of the M23, made up of Congolese Tutsis and supposedly financed by Rwanda.
In the province of Ituri, the fighting is carried out by the great inter-ethnic conflict between the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) – on the part of Lendu farmers – and the Popular Self-Defense Front of Ituri (FPAC-Zaire) – -by the Hema herders– and by the attacks of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), linked to the jihadist group Islamic State.
The continuous abuses against Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law have caused around 1.8 million displaced people in the province.
“Although the conflicts taking place in these two provinces differ, the outcome is, tragically, similar. Residents in both places have described how they had fled the fighting and were now desperate for help and support. They have also expressed their deep desire to return home,” he stated.
In addition, he has reported that there has been a “notable increase” in the number of victims of sexual violence in places of combat, where women and girls are attacked when they go to look for firewood and are forced to “sell themselves to survive.”
“It is imperative that the state can fully play its role in the east, to enforce security but also to provide essential services such as education and healthcare. The state must also provide effective remedies, including access to justice through a fair and effective judicial system,” Turk said.
Likewise, he has urged Rwanda to end “any role” it plays with its support for the M23 and other countries that are supporting other armed groups, although he has not specified who he is referring to. “All Congolese have the right to peace. Without peace there will be no development or progress,” she added.
This is why it has shown its concern regarding the withdrawal of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), which will leave the country at the request of the Congolese Government.
“I am very concerned about what could happen to the civilian population if there is a hasty withdrawal of MONUSCO. National forces and other regional and international forces play a key role here,” Turk said.
The High Commissioner has also blamed the conflict on impunity, a lack of accountability and corruption in institutions, and has recognized the Government's first steps to provide justice for the crimes committed during the conflict, although he calls for more measures. considering that “they are not enough.”
“The vastness of this nation, which is the geographical size of Western Europe, is astonishing. DRC is enormously rich in the resilience and strength of its people. It also has abundant natural resources. This country could simply be one of the most richest people in the world. However, today it is one of the poorest (…) The vitality of Congolese civil society gives me hope,” Turk added.
