Child labour at a gold mine in South Kivu, DRC Congo. The battle for the Eastern DRC is intrinsically linked to the West's unquenchable yearning for the region's vast resources, says the writer. Picture: AFP
By Kim Heller
THE thirst of the West for the mineral wealth of Africa has not abated in the post-colonial era. The African Continent, depleted by colonialism, titanic imperialistic plunder, and cultural erasure, is still being bled dry by Western powers.
In 1960, Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was crystal clear when he spoke of how “the colonialists care nothing for Africa for her own sake”. Lumumba said, “They are attracted by African riches and their actions are guided by the desire to preserve their interests in Africa against the wishes of the African people.
For the colonialists, all means are good if they help them to possess these riches.” His words proved to be prophetic. War and conflict have been used as means to steal and seize the jewels of the Continent.
Speaking of the wave of political freedom that was sweeping through the Continent, Lumumba said, “We shall show the world what the Black man can do when working in liberty.” But Lumumba’s confidence in what freedom would bring to Africa has yet to be realised. Today, many decades after political independence, the Continent continues to be stripped and violated by the West, often with the willing acquiescence of African leaders.
Patrice Lumumba was assassinated before he could implement his grand vision for “Congo to be the pride of Africa.” The nation has been trapped in a seemingly inescapable nightmare of conflict triggered by ever-greedy mineral grabs by foreign nations, and unresolved local ethnic tensions.
The recent seizure of Goma, the largest city of the North Kivu Province of eastern DRC, by the M23 rebel group, and growing fears of a possible capture of the DRC’s capital city, Kinshasa, have raised alarm about the stability of the DRC and the region. President Tshisekedi’s recent war talk of a “vigorous" military response against Rwanda and his call for sanctions on Rwanda could escalate the crisis.
The battle for the eastern DRC is intrinsically linked to the West's unquenchable yearning for the region's vast resources. It is a fatal game of proxies, plunder, and power. In 2021, US economist and public policy analyst, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, denounced Glencore, and other multinational companies which were, in his words, “increasingly sucking out the DRC’s cobalt without paying a level of royalties and taxes”.
The incumbent President of DRC, Félix Tshisekedi, DRC, is an obliging proxy of the Western world, willingly facilitating mining contracts with the United States, France, and former colonial master, Belgium.
Less pliant and more intolerant of Western influence than Félix Tshisekedi, Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, has been painted as the modern-day villain of Africa, and as a key protagonist in the current DRC crisis. Kagame is routinely described by Western media as an African dictator, with a sinister plan to annex DRC territory and steal its mineral resources.
In a modern-day African versioned game of Lords of the Land, Kagame is the bad guy and M23 is the organisation of terror. This is even though it is estimated that there are close to 120 rebel groups waging battles against FARDC, the national military of the DRC.
President Paul Kagame has been accused of building a post-genocide Rwanda on the destabilisation of the DRC. The United Nations has claimed that there are between three thousand to four thousand Rwandan soldiers involved in either overseeing or actively supporting M23 fighters in the east of the DRC.
In an exclusive interview on CNN this week, President Paul Kagame, while vague about whether there were Rwandan troops in eastern DRC supporting M23, spoke loud and clear about Rwanda doing whatever was needed to protect itself. In the fierce protection of his cherished Rwanda, Kagame has been implicated in the illicit game of power, and potential plunder of DRC. If true, this will forever tarnish his track record of reconciliation, recovery and rebuilding in Rwanda.
The proxy wars in the DRC, as they are across other parts of Africa, are always the politics of interest. Kagame has stated that South African troops have no place in eastern DRC, describing them as a "belligerent force engaging in offensive combat operations to help the DRC government fight against its people".
Kagame has accused South Africa of sending troops to DRC to secure minerals. The President’s spokesperson, Yolanda Makolo has also intimated that the SANDF is protecting the personal mining interests of South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa. If these allegations are true, it would mean that South Africa has acted dishonestly and deceitfully under the convenient cloak of peacekeeping.
While Rwanda has been painted as the major aggressor in the DRC conflict, President Kagame has long called for a political rather than military solution for the DRC. This should be the rally call of all leaders in the war-torn Great Lakes region.
Conflict resolution expert, Dr David Matsanga has implored leaders to pursue a “balanced, diplomatic approach that prioritizes dialogue over military confrontation.” He has said that a structured, inclusive, and constructive peace process, which harmonises regional efforts and includes all stakeholders is the only sustainable way to resolve the crisis. “This is a time for accountability, for leadership that prioritizes solutions over blame-shifting, and for nations to uphold their duty to all citizens without resorting to scapegoating or violence.”
The recent ceasefire declared by M23 and the upcoming summit between SADC and EAC in Tanzania, which both President Tshisekedi and President Kagame have committed to attend provides a precious opportunity for crucial dialogue. The future of the DRC and the Great Lakes region depends on sustainable peace efforts that prioritize dialogue, security, and development over continued conflict. Now is the time to commit to diplomatic solutions that benefit all people in the region,” Dr David Matsanga has said. He has implored leaders to address the humanitarian crisis by prioritizing the protection of civilians and conflict resolution mechanisms.
Across the Continent, many African leaders have been accused of being proxies for the West. There are some who diligently and lovingly play the role of caretakers of Western powers and former colonial oppressors.
Kenya’s William Ruto is amongst the United States' most obliging servants. The Presidents of Ghana and Nigeria always appear visibly excited to please international politicians and players.
Patrice Lumumba said, ‘The day will come when history will speak. But it will not be the history which will be taught in Brussels, Paris, Washington, or the United Nations…Africa will write its own history and in both north and south it will be a history of glory and dignity.”
For as long as the West is being serviced by its subservient stepchildren in Africa, there will be no proud history for Africa, or glory or dignity.
African leaders, who serve as the proxies of the West are effectively committing treason against the people of Africa. History will judge them harshly.
* Kim Heller is a Political analyst and author of No White Lies: Black Politics and White Power in South Africa.
** The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The African.