Congo Rape Draws More Media Attention

The bravery of rape victims never ceases to amaze me. As more and more continue to speak out, the media is paying more and more attention, which is the only way the epidemic of terror rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo will ever be stopped.

This Associated Press report appeared this weekend in the NY Times and is gaining wide distribution. It deserves to be printed in ten-foot letters on a banner hung from the UN General Assembly building.

The world should applaud and honor the courageous women quoted in the piece, Zamuda Sikujuwa, Honorata Kizende, Kasongo Manyema, and the others who cast aside their shame to Break The Silence.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Talking About Congo Economy - Part 3 of 4

I spoke recently to a class at St. John's University studying economics in the developing world. It's taught by Dr. Joyce Furfero, who assigned Heart of Diamonds to be read by the class as a way of learning about living conditions in the Congo. This is the third of four brief clips from my comments to the class.

Congo’s Timber Industry and Agriculture (mp3)

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Suffern Library Site of "Congo In Crisis"

The crisis in the Congo is the focus of the talk I'll be giving at the Suffern Free Library Monday, March 16. I'll also read from Heart of Diamonds and show photos from my travels to Africa.

A diamond smuggling scheme drives the plot in my novel, and it represents in many ways the fight for control of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s gold, timber, uranium, copper, coltan, and other natural resources. That struggle has caused nearly six million deaths since 1998, making it the deadliest conflict since World War II.

The talk is at 7 p.m. The library is at 210 Lafayette Ave., Suffern, NY.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Congo, Rwanda, Uganda: Speculation & Opinion

How can three countries with such a history of cross-border conflict suddenly become fast friends? I'm not necessarily objecting to the easing of tensions and growing rapprochement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Uganda--just about any move with the potential to bring peace to Congo is a good thing in my book--but I do have some questions about why it's happening. Like the journalist that I am, I seldom take pronouncements by public officials at face value. And like the chess player that I also am, I try to look a few moves ahead.

Antagonism between the three countries is the historical norm, so the recent change in the tenor of their relationship is puzzling. Uganda and Rwanda both invaded Congo twice in the last 15 years or so. They both directly participated in the overthrow of two of the last three governments, including that of Laurent Kabila, father of current DRC President Joseph Kabila. Why, then, would Kabila invite his two belligerent neighbors to send their armies into the DRC? I've offered some thoughts previously, but now I'd like to add another layer to my guesswork.

First, a little background about the two most recent military actions that prompt my speculation.

In mid-December, The Ugandans joined with the FARDC (the Congolese army) and the South Sudanese in an abortive attempt to kill or capture Joseph Kony, whose rebel group, the Lords Resistance Army, has been carrying on its fight against Yoweri Museveni's government for the last several years from bases in Congo. The operation, which was mounted with logistical and strategic backing from U.S. military advisers, proved to be a debacle, with 900 Congolese civilians murdered, thousands more raped and kidnapped, and 85,000 driven from their homes by Kony's gangsters in retribution. A handful of LRA officers have been captured and a few dozen soldiers killed, but the operation has been a grand failure otherwise.

The Ugandans promised to leave Congolese soil by the end of February, then didn't. The latest announcement calls for a departure by the end of this month, even though Kony remains at large and his troops, though scattered, continue to terrorize the population.

In the meantime, Kabila met with Museveni to discuss improved relations between the two countries. Not revealed in the public announcements was any decision about how oil reserves on the border between the two countries are going to be divided. Oil has long been a bone of contention between the two nations. When I was in the region researching Heart of Diamonds in 2007, shots were fired over the development of those reserves.

The second part of the mystery was Kabila's highly unpopular invitation to Paul Kagame to send Rwandan troops into North Kivu in pursuit of the FDLR, the Hutu Interahamwe rebels who have terrorized the region since fleeing there after the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Strangely enough, the only significant accomplishment of that joint operation was the arrest of Tutsi rebel warlord Laurent Nkunda, who was detained as he traveled in Rwanda not long after it started. His troops, the CNDP, are being integrated into the Congolese army under the command of indicted war criminal Bosco Ntaganda.

The FDLR? They scattered into the same hills where they have operated with impunity for over a decade. The Rwandan army went home to enjoy their victory parade (unlike the Ugandans), but the FDLR returned and started raping and murdering civilians they accuse of co-operating with the Rwandans.

So what has been accomplished? For the civilians, not much. They are still hugely at risk in the conflict zones. Uganda strengthened its influence in the northern DRC while Rwanda did the same in the Kivus. The DRC got rid of Laurent Nkunda and co-opted the CNDP, at least on paper.

Joseph Kabila may have gained something else, though, and this is where my speculative instinct takes over. The next DRC Presidential election is to be held in 2011. My guess? Kabila is building personal ties with Uganda and Rwanda to back his candidacy when the time comes. In a truly dark scenario, he also my be laying the groundwork for their military intervention in the event that his re-election attempt fails.

As disturbing as such a scenario may be, let me add another layer. Kabila's budding alliances with Uganda and Rwanda also open him to support from their biggest backer, the United States. The potential has already been seen in the American support for the Ugandan operation, with intelligence, strategic advice, communications gear, and a reported $1 million in fuel supplied by the U.S. While American involvement in the Rwandan campaign hasn't been revealed, there is no secret about the U.S. use of Rwanda as a military staging area for humanitarian relief efforts (so far) for Darfur. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to see an expansion of U.S. military involvement in the DRC.

Now let me offend more than a few people.

Putting aside the pros and cons of Joseph Kabila's past and future performance as President and the possible influence these alliances might have on his re-election, it is conceivable that this may be the path to peace in the eastern DRC. It's obvious the Congolese army isn't capable of bringing calm to the region; the United Nations has proven to be much less than effective for numerous reasons; and other help from outside, particularly the EU and AU, just isn't going to happen. If six million dead aren't enough to bring the rest of the world to Congo's aid, what is?

In other words, a regional solution backed by the United States might be the only viable alternative. The motives of ALL the players would be suspect, but the results might be worth it. IF peace can be brought to the country, the Congo's economic and social development can take place. IF that happens with full transparency, truly competitive bidding, and carefully monitored performance contracts, the DRC can fully profit from its natural wealth and begin to achieve its full potential.

A stretch? Certainly, but it may be the only pragmatic solution.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Women Voices Raised Against Congo Rape

Yesterday's Break The Silence Forum provided an excellent overview of the rape epidemic that continues unabated in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The program at the New School in Manhattan featured a screening of "The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo" followed by an informative panel discussion. Many eyes were opened by the presentations.

Jennifer Thomas-Boateng, the Program Coordinator for the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, NY Metro Chapter, began the program with a powerful discussion of how corporate interests around the world are fueling the war in Congo. She termed several firms "corporate rapists," including Cabot Corporation and OMG Group, who process minerals that are illegally mined in the DRC, as well as contractors Bechtel, Brown & Root, and MPRI, who are major suppliers to the armed forces of Uganda and Rwanda, nations that have played significant roles in the violence in the DRC.

Actor Vinie Burrows gave a brief history of Congo from King Leopold II to the present, highlighting the continuing theme of exploitation that has marked the nation's history.

Misengabo E. Kapuadi, a founding member of the Georges Malaika Foundation, spoke about the growing role of the Congolese diaspora in breaking the silence. She quite eloquently pointed out that we were gathered not just to celebrate International Women's Day, but to make sure women in the Congo are not forgotten.

"The stop the rape, we have to stop the conflict," she said. "To stop the conflict, we have to stop the economic exploitation of the Congo."

Nita Evele, representing the Friends of the Congo and Congo Global Action, gave an impassioned explanation of how terror rape has grown to epidemic proportions in the DRC. The Congolese army, she pointed out, is made up of former rebel groups--the same people who victimized the civilian population for years. Many of the soldiers were children when the fighting started in 1996, and were themselves traumatized.

The rebel forces use terror rape to control villages near the mineral deposits and rich farmlands they covet. The idea, as Nita put it, is to "kill the soul and spirit of the people by inflicting harm that hurts forever." Raping and killing children in front of their mothers, forcing children to rape their own mothers, humiliating men and boys by raping them, and using guns, sticks, knives, and other foreign objects to destroy a woman's ability to reproduce are some of the abominable tactics these criminals use.

The event was sponsored by Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and Friends of the Congo, as well as Project Africa at the New School, Black Radical Congress, Granny Peace Brigade, Barnard Center for Research on Women, and Medgar Evers College.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Georges Malaika Foundation Brings Hope To Congo

International Women's Day would be a time to write about the horrible problem of rape and sexual abuse in the Congo and I am, in fact, going to the Break The Silence Forum today at the New School in Manhattan. It will include a screening of Lisa Jackson's award-winning documentary, "The Great Silence: Rape In The Congo" and a panel featuring four amazing women, Nita Evele (Congo Global Action), Vinie Burrows (Actor/Lifetime Activist), Jennifer Thomas-Boateng (Program Coordinator, WILPF NY Metro), and Misengabo Esperance (photographer/Georges Malaika Foundation).

But rather than write about the horrors of war today, I'd rather shine a light on an organization that Misengabo brought to my attention, The Georges Malaika Foundation. That small but dedicated group is providing educational opportunities for young women in the Congo, the surest path to a brighter future. Their mission statement says it all:

The Georges Malaika Foundation is dedicated to the advancement of African communities by providing educational opportunities to young girls, aged 5 to 18. Its vision is to mobilize the resources necessary to overcome the insurmountable obstacles a young girl faces to obtain an education in the Democratic Republic of Congo. GMF will provide assistance that paves the way for opportunity, generates greater choice and empowers girls to make informed decisions. GMF endeavors to permanently alter the cycle of illiteracy and poverty within the D.R. Congo.

Ambitious goals, certainly, but the organization has made tremendous progress since its founding just two years ago by international model Noella Coursaris Musunka. In the first year, the GMF raised funds to sponsor 18 girls from Maison Magonne to attend the Ecole Primaire Salongo in Lubumbashi.

As commendable as such efforts are, the foundation's sights are set even higher, with plans well underway to construct a school in the Quartier Kalebuka in Lubumbashi. The authorities of the Katanga region--including the Governor, the Minister of Education, and the Mayor of Lubumbashi District--have endorsed an entitlement of land for construction of the GMF school and a grant has been secured to prepare construction plans and estimates.

The single most important factor in breaking the cycle of poverty and violence is education. The Georges Malaika Foundation is bringing that hope to the Congo.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Talking About Congo Economy - Part 2 of 4

I recently spoke to a class in Economic Growth and Development at St. John's University in New York. The instructor, Dr. Joyce Furfero, had assigned Heart of Diamonds to the class. This is the second of four brief excerpts from my talk.

Basic Congo Economy and the Mining Industry (mp3)

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Speaking Out For Congo

Two strong voices for the Congo were heard recently on NewsChannel 8, an affiliate of WJLA-TV 7 (ABC) in Washington, DC. They are Nita Evele, Co-Chair of Congo Global Action, and Kambale Musavuli, an activist with Friends of the Congo. Their appearance was part of the growing chorus of voices asking the world to step in and stop the violence against women and other depredations against the civilian population stemming from the struggle to control the DRC's mineral wealth. You can watch Nita and Kambale make an articulate, impassioned case for what we can do to break the silence.

I'll be doing my part in the weeks ahead as I continue my speaking tour with appearances at the Suffern (NY) Library on Monday, March 16 at 7 PM and the Shrub Oak (NY) Library on Sunday, March 22, at 2 PM. I'll discuss the current situation in Congo and read passages from Heart of Diamonds that illustrate the dire plight of the people of that war-torn nation.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Congo Diamond Mine Recovery Prospects

Coffey Mining, a Canadian firm with interests in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), recently reported on its efforts to revitalize the Mbuji Mayi mine, once one of the most productive diamond mines in the world. The mine's output has dwindled to a trickle--along with the rest of the country's legitimate diamond industry--as war continues to take its toll on the DRC. The company's report mirrors the fate of the diamond mine in Heart of Diamonds.

The report points out that, since the 1960's, the DRC has historically produced ten million carats of industrial diamonds each year, but production declined sharply as war raged from 1998 to 2003, then collapsed to less than one million carats in 2007.

Dr. Norman Lock, senior principal consultant and regional manager for Coffey Mining, is overseeing the restoration of the Mbuji Mayi mine, which is a key part of the larger goal of rebuilding the region's ailing diamond industry. He points out that there's more to the project than pumping money into mining operations:

"...we can't develop just a technical solution alone. Any money poured into that would be like water in the sand. We also need to look at social issues in the region like poverty, which have contributed to the decline of the mine."

Among the problems faced is the prevalence of illicit mines in the Mbuji Mayi concession. They not only operate without paying legitimate taxes or royalties, which impair the government's ability to provide security and services to the country, but are grossly unsafe and dangerous as well. Dr. Lock says the problem is massive:

"About half of the actual productivity from the concession area has been legitimate legal mining. The other half has been illegal mining from artisanal mines. Any action to try and stop that is going to run up against tremendous resistance from the local community so this is an issue that will have to be addressed somehow."

Restoring the legitimate mine to profitability, however, faces other big hurdles:

"The mine is also dramatically overstaffed. If this was a fully operational modern mine, it would have a complement of around 500 staff but it currently has over 5000. Therein lies a problem. The local community is dependent on this mine and they are going to be laying off two to three thousand people."

Lock calls for retraining of the laid-off miners as the solution, but other problems remain, not the least of which is the near total lack of environmental awareness in mine operations.

"The mine has been operating in the same way it was back in the 1950s so they have some archaic practices in place. For example, basically the tailings are pumped straight into the river, which is a big no-no."

Instability in the Congo's government and continued violence in the country has deterred investors from putting up the massive amounts of money needed to turn the industry around. The current global economic meltdown doesn't bode well for the DRC, either, but the longer term prospects may be brighter than we realize. The Congo's potential is so great that it will take only a brief movement toward peace and stability to attract the needed investment.

Dr. Lock says Coffey hopes to address not only the Mbuji Mayi mine's operating problems but the larger ones of the surrounding community as well:

"We are anticipating that a more holistic approach to managing the economic and social issues at the mine - as well as the technical ones - will increase the mine's chances of success."

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.

Talking About Congo Economy - Part 1 of 4

A friend of mine and an innovative associate professor of economics and finance at St. John’s University in New York, Dr. Joyce Furfero, assigned the students in her class on Economic Growth and Development to read Heart of Diamonds and report on how the book reveals the state of economic progress in the Democratic Republic of Congo. After they'd read the book, I visited the class and discussed the social, political, and economic conditions. This is the first of four brief excerpts from that talk.

A Brief History of Congo and Heart of Diamonds (mp3)

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds a romantic thriller about blood diamonds in the Congo.