A study of humanitarian impacts of the gold industry in DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is still recovering from a ruinous civil war
where the countries abundance of mineral have brought little peace and no sign of economic development to the local population. Instead, the people have suffered badly from not only their domestic war, but also from conflict and insecurity, which has spilled into north eastern DR Congo from wars being fought in neighbouring Uganda and South Sudan. The Congolese national army, which consists of thousands poorly integrated former rebels, is also feared and not generally trusted by the local population. Some of the officers in the Congolese military have developed very good relations with the mineral exploiters, and their soldiers have continued earlier habits of violence and extortion of locals.