*Trigger warning: mentions of sexual assault and killings.
As the world focuses on eliminating fossil fuel production as a means of combatting climate change, new solutions for clean energy emerge, such as using electric vehicles over conventional vehicles. While the surge in electric vehicle production garners enthusiasm, underneath this eco-friendly façade lies a country full of exploited laborers.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is a region known for its abundance of natural resources. This includes minerals such as cobalt (known for battery use), coltan (electronic use), copper, gold, and more. Because of the importance and demand of these resources, it places a competition for control of these resources which results in armed groups to seek profit from illegal resources extraction and trade. These groups include the FDLR, a rebel group from Rwanda and the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces), an Islamist rebel group from Uganda, and various other groups.
Conflict between all of these terrorist groups has affected the civilians of the DRC the most. While this conflict has been occurring for decades, there has been a recent upsurge in attacks. In March 2022, attacks in North Kivu Province, have led over 500,000 people to flee their homes. The number has significantly increased since. Due to these conflicts, currently, over 6.9 million people across Congo are displaced.
The mining industry in Congo has been extremely brutal to the civilians living on the land they want to exploit. Hundreds of homes have been burned and completely disintegrated to collect the minerals underneath that land. The laborers in these mines work in extremely threatening conditions with 10,000-15,000 dug-up tunnels and none of them have ventilation shafts or supportive structures, resulting in collapses all the time. Injuries and deaths number in thousands. Congolese people are propelled to work in these conditions, as a means of survival, with a salary up to 2 dollars a day. These laborers include people of ALL ages and genders; that means children as young as 5 years old. Recently, militia have forced labor upon these people, especially children, by trafficking and kidnapping them.
Unfortunately, the DRC has been announced to be one of the most vulnerable nations for women to be in. Every day and every hour, women and young girls face sexual assault from the militia, armed forces, and even the soldiers who are supposed to protect them.
The National Institution of Health stated that in the past 2 decades, approximately 6 million Congolese people’s lives have been taken, half of which were children. The number increases continually as armed forces continue to take the lives of these people and companies promote the expansion of these extreme labor mines.
As the world tries to decrease their dependency on fossil fuels, the demand for clean energy increases. This demand includes electric vehicles that are powered by lithium, in which colton is essential for its development. Yet that only results in an expansion of colton mines leading to exploitation of more Congolese people. Companies and nations promoting this industry need to be held accountable and regulations MUST be established. The enduring issue of dehumanization and sacrificing the lives of people in exchange for profit, must end.
As we approach the Thanksgiving season, we must learn to be grateful for even the simple things we have that may be considered luxuries to others. We must be mindful of those living in these unfortunate circumstances and continue to advocate for them. This issue has not been brought up by the media enough. News sources have called this issue, “The Silent Genocide”.
