| Titel |
|
The emergence of a new order?: resources and war in Eastern Congo |
| Auteur/Redactie |
Vlassenroot, Koen and Hans Romkema |
| Editie |
PDF ed. |
| Uitgave |
Bradford, University of Bradford: Journal of Humanitarian Assistance |
| Jaar |
2002-10-28 |
| Pagina's |
12 |
| Samenvatting |
The motivation for the continuation of the conflict in the Eastern DRC is often said to be the greed of the foreign backers of the anti-Kinshasa rebel movement. Also, it is stated that the local population no longer wants to be part of the informal trading networks because these are only serving the interests of these foreign powers. This article demonstrates both assumptions are wrong: these war economies should be seen as by-products rather than as causes of conflict, while the plunder of Congo’s natural resources is only one of the many elements fuelling the conflict. The recent competition for the coltan business exemplified how local businessmen, armed movements, foreign government forces and Western private business interests are all part of the same ‘illegal’ commercial networks, but also continuously fuel the present conflict in the two Kivu provinces and beyond. The result is a remodelling of local and regional modes of economic transaction and the consolidation of violence as the organising principle. And, often neglected, these networks not only facilitate the rebel movements to continue their military activities but for large parts of the local population, they are also the sole mechanisms left for coping with the conditions of the present conflict.
Download the article from the JHA website |
| Bestand |
jac-vlassenroot20021028.pdf (76 Kb) |
| Land |
DRC |
| Thema's |
- Conflict
- Economie
- Samenleving
|
|
