WHY ISN’T THE DR CONGO THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD? | TALK
with Olande Byamungu (DR Kongo), activist and lawyer among others, Moderation Dr. Daniel Tödt (German Africa Foundation)
SUN 15 NOV
2–3:30 PM MISS READ SPACE
In Germany, there is still far too little awareness of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the most resource-rich countries in the world, which is currently also affected by an Ebola outbreak. For more than 30 years, conflicts have been fought over the country’s natural resources. The region holds vast deposits of technology-critical minerals such as cobalt, coltan and lithium, as well as copper, tin and manganese.
These raw materials are essential components in the production of computers and mobile phones, as well as electric vehicles, which are intended to help European and other countries around the world transition towards more climate-friendly economies. Various armed groups and international actors are competing for control over these resources in an effort to meet global demand for raw materials, plunging the region into conflict and instability and resulting in hundreds of thousands of victims.
In the panel WHY ISN’T THE CONGO THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD?, filmmakers, activists and experts will join the audience to discuss the current situation in the region, the ongoing conflicts, the struggle for control over natural resources and the consequences for Congolese society. For outside observers, the roles played by the various actors in these conflicts are often difficult to determine with certainty. Questions of responsibility and accountability remain obscured, while those who profit from the situation often remain hidden from view.
