Congo and Dirty Minerals: Background information when reading The Laughing Monsters

Congo and Dirty Minerals

This article relates to The Laughing Monsters

In The Laughing Monsters, Denis Johnson shows that Africa has been exploited for minerals for a good long time. "This time we concern ourselves with metals and minerals," points out the main character, Roland Nair, trying to explain his mission that takes him from Sierra Leone to Congo.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is particularly rich in gold, diamonds and a host of other minerals especially valuable to the electronics industry, most notably what are known as the 3Ts, tin, tungsten and tantalum. Just as trade in illicit antiquities has fueled terrorism in countries around the world (see Beyond the Book for De Potter's Grand Tour), these "dirty" minerals and ores are controlled by an assortment of groups from legitimate government agencies to rebel factions.

When The Congo won independence from Belgium in 1960 it had already been exploited for its natural resources such as rubber and ivory. Following independence, the country briefly enjoyed a democratically elected nationalist government, but that was deposed by Joseph-Desiré Mobuto a few months later, with the backing of Belgium and the USA. The notorious dictator consolidated his power over the following years becoming President in 1965. He changed the name of the country to Zaire in 1971 (and dropped his own French influenced name becoming Mobutu Sese Sek). He ruled for over 30 years until 1997. When Congo's neighbor, Rwanda imploded in genocide in 1994, many of the rebels set up base in eastern Congo. Viewing this as a threat to their natural security, Rwanda managed to depose Mobutu and install the friendlier Laurent Kabila. But the instability in the entire region was ripe fodder for exploitation by a large number of rebel groups. Congo has seen some of the worst effects of war, with millions killed in the second Congo War alone, which officially ended in 2003, but unofficially wages on. Blood continues to flow and international U.N. troops maintain a shaky truce. Despite these peacekeeping efforts, rebels groups continue to control many of the valuable mineral fields and access to precious resources. For example, Bavi, a gold mine on the Democratic Republic of the Congo's eastern edge, is rebel-controlled, which essentially means that profits from these "dirty" mines fuel these violent activities.

To make sure that precious metals obtained from the region are "clean," a campaign similar to the "blood diamonds" program has been instituted. In the United States, the 2010 Dodd-Frank bill requires that manufacturers of electronic goods state whether any of their minerals could be traced to the mines in eastern Congo. According to the Enough Project, a non-profit U.S. agency, many companies are making sure the minerals they use are coming from reputable sources. But the law has inadvertently hurt many who depended on both illegal and legal mining for their living. After the legislation was passed, the Congolese government suspended mining operations for a while to make sure the new standards were being complied with. New standards are being put in place so slowly that international companies have withdrawn, leading to a drop in prices and the miners being forced to look elsewhere for work. Ironically, the militia is one option.

Only ten percent of Congo mines are clean and many are still controlled by rebels and militia forces. Also, the government is far from blame-free, often colluding with militants for a share of the "dirty" profits.

Four common conflict minerals, clockwise from top left: coltan, cassiterite, gold ore, and wolframite, courtesy of Rob Lavisnky
Children working to find minerals, courtesy of www.inspirationgreen.com
Amnesty International's about dirty diamonds, courtesy of 21centurynomad.com

Filed under Places, Cultures & Identities

This "beyond the book article" relates to The Laughing Monsters. It originally ran in January 2015 and has been updated for the October 2015 paperback edition. Go to magazine.