Hey everybody!!

I'm wondering what is really happening in DR Congo. Why are UN forces running? I don't know much about that region and what is happening there, I just read some articles in local newspaper, but millions(!?) of refugees, pregnant women giving birth roadside(!?), dead bodies on the road, burning villages, .....

Who are those militias, what are they fighting for, and who against?

Answers highly appreciated...

Greets

Do you understand that the Congo's history did not begin ten years ago? What gives you the confidence to boldly state people in Africa are "supporting regime after greedy regime"? Do you really think any of these brutal governments exist by the will of the people?

Familiarize yourself with the details of this nation's history and see if you can still arrive at the same conclusion. Understand what happened from King Leopold's brutal occupation over a century ago to the conflict today. Realize that what is happening now is the end result of over a century of colonial and neo-colonial meddling. Learn about Patrice Lumumba- who that great freedom fighter was and what he stood for, about how he was deposed by a CIA sponsored coup through a thug named Mobutu Seseseko, and how the rise of that thug precipitated the downward spiral of that rich nation through the hands of the western oligarchs. The interference of the colonial interests did not end with the exit of colonial governments.

Also understand that the actions of the oligarchic elite do not reflect on the interests of the nations they originate from, so pointing out the responsibility of these elites from Europe, the US, Russia, and Israel does not cast responsibility on the majority of people living there. So if you hearing the blame cast on these nations causes you to feel like the finger is being directed at you on some level, learn to make the distinction between yourself, and the super-rich that commit these crimes. With that said, there is a case to be made about the complacency of the Western public in failing to acknowledge the responsibility they bear in making the Congolese situation come to a halt. Where do you think the guns and money fueling the conflict come from? What about all those mercenary groups protecting mining interests? There are no weapons manufacturers in Africa.

I'd strongly suggest you read John Stockwell's insider account of the CIA's covert operations in Africa. There's also a great documentary called the Empire in Africa, which demonstrates the ways of the international cartel in forcing their agenda in Sierre Leone. The same story repeats itself throughout the continent, and the world.

Maybe the "mas" in christmas means massacre?

Before it was called "christmas" it was known as Childer-mass.

Childermass was the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, the decree of King Herod to slaughter all males under 2 years old.

What is most odd is that people accept Jesus died for others, but these "holy innocents" were those who died because of Jesus, or in his place. A turn of events.


This "Feast of Holy Innocents" is observed on the same day as Boxing Day, Dec. 28.






[edit on 5-11-2009 by Alethea]

Cursory affiliation with any subject matter is not enough to make you an authoritative voice on a topic. I hope you realize that being born in Zimbabwe does not validate your argument- its just a weak attempt at appealling to authority.

The South African people's overthrow of the apartheid regime was not an isolated event that occurred in a historical vacuum. It was the culmination of S. Africa's defeat in Angola and Zimbabwe, the growing partisan resistance, and most importantly, the heavy weight of international pressure spurred by boycotts and public pressure exerted on influential governments. These ingredients are not present in the Congo, and the media blackout is partly responsible.

Look, if you are serious about developing a sound understanding of this tragedy, make an honest effort at evaluating the serious work done on this topic. Stop relying on convenient biases to reinforce a world view you'd prefer to buy into to rationalize your complacency.

Did you notice that quote did not include the Congo? Please understand that every situation is unique unto itself.

You're certainly entitled to have an opinion on any subject, but if you want to have an informed opinion, please consider strongly my earlier input.

[edit on 6-11-2009 by zewari]

Context is critical. These sort of acts are not borne out of thin air. The inexplicable poverty and mass influx of ARMS coming in through the hands of external actors has certainly contributed to the crisis. What you're seeing in the Congo now is the outcome that can be expected in any society facing tremendous scarcity of resources necessary for daily survival. The reason this condition of scarcity exists is entirely due to the actions of various intelligence outfits, mercenaries from your neck of the woods, corporate profiteers, etc...

It's not that there is some form of exploitation but that there is TOTAL exploitation. How else can over 6 million people be killed in a span of 5 years and no one hears about it? How else can some of the most rarest quality of ore for various metals be harvested en masse in a war zone? How do you know this conflict is "nothing new" for that area and that the tribes have been killing each other since seemingly forever? What source of information do you have to rely on for drawing such a conclusion? None of us really know the history of that place. Even the earliest journals and Western accounts that many mainstream historians and anthropologists rely on re: the Congo's history are so horribly tinged with racist sentiment and a total lack of objectivity, that using them to conclude anything about the place's history and its people would be ludicrous. The only account that really engages the starting point of the cycle of exploitation was "King Leopold's Ghost"- a must read for anyone interested in this topic. Everything that's happening today is essentially a continuation of the colonial rampage initiated by the Belgians.

The Congo is so rich with resources that if the development of a civic society had proceeded without interference, it would have easily been one of the most prosperous nations on the face of the planet. The emergence of an honest democracy had been intentionally undermined by Western interests that financed and armed to the teeth strong-arm dictators and warlords hell bent on destabilizing that entire region. Casting any notable measure of blame on the Congolese public contributes nothing towards developing an intellectually honest understanding of the fundamental causes of this conflict.

The focus should be on the external actors that are responsible for this African holocaust. Those of us with the capacity to bear pressure on our governments should act to force them to deal fairly with the interests of the Congolese people. It's a moral imperative, and we bear the burden of sin for letting our collective silence be our complicity in this genocide.

Originally posted by zewari
The Congo is so rich with resources that if the development of a civic society had proceeded without interference, it would have easily been one of the most prosperous nations on the face of the planet. The emergence of an honest democracy had been intentionally undermined by Western interests that financed and armed to the teeth strong-arm dictators and warlords hell bent on destabilizing that entire region. Casting any notable measure of blame on the Congolese public contributes nothing towards developing an intellectually honest understanding of the fundamental causes of this conflict.

If you honestly think that blaming past events, and for foreign governments to admit their "sins" is going to help the Congolese today, then you are sadly naive.
Africans need to stop blaming others and work with each other. Not against each other.

My opinion is that Africa has been hard done by. Yes, absolutely. Exploited and mistreated! Again, yes.
But everything that goes wrong, every pothole, corrupt politician, murder, genocide ... and it all comes down to blaming the West's Manipulation, Colonial Influence and Multinational Corporations raping their land.

When a person pulls the trigger of an AK-47 while aiming at a child, or hacks off the legs of a priest, then my sympathy ends.

Originally posted by Rockpuck

I simply believe no one cares what happens in the Congo.

There's certainly an element of truth to that statement, but this is sort of a chicken-egg argument. I would contend that the subjects that the general public takes interests in are never really driven by the genuine interests of the general public. The general public simply follows the social queues it is offered by the corporate media. People often like to think that the news media follows trend forecasts in dedicating its coverage, but this is not the case. If the Congo crisis actually received the attention that the latest celebrity gossip gets- replete with touching, sympathetic profiles of the victims and high-profile celebrities raising awareness for this tragedy, the public interest would certainly spike to a fever pitch.

Originally posted by deltaalphanovember

If you honestly think that blaming past events, and for foreign governments to admit their "sins" is going to help the Congolese today, then you are sadly naive.

It's not about casting blame for past crimes, but about understanding the genesis and evolution of the conflict in the Congo. This is not an "African" problem in the sense that the issues plaguing the Congo were brought by internal tensions. The Congo's mess is the direct outcome of systematic covert operations from various external factions. The various factions engaging in battle are simply acting as agents of one external benefactor or another. If this conflict was to come to an end, the solution seems clear- the external factions sponsoring this conflict must be criminally prosecuted under the various legal provisions available.

Originally posted by deltaalphanovember

Africans need to stop blaming others and work with each other. Not against each other.

This sort of sentiment is a convenient crutch for people who want to wish the problem away without any real consideration of the facts on the ground. Again, we're not talking about a problem where the role of these various external benefactors of this conflict is relegated to the pages of history... this is happening right now. There have been several serious efforts at exposing these actors. I've posted the few that I am familiar with, and hope this allows you to develop a more comprehensive angle on this particular crisis. Being well-informed will allow you to find ways in which you can contribute towards the forces that are seeking to end this crisis.