Re: Already a problem
Not trolling, mate, just dropping a few bald facts on the table rather than hysterical memes. See, I actually worked in commodities for many years.
The Congo has been "at war" with itself and its neighbours for one HELL of a lot longer than half a century. Suggest you do a bit of research, which to be clear does NOT include goggling at the Guardian, but actually reading original documents wherever possible -- they're available for several centuries that I've seen so far.
And if you SERIOUSLY think that "oligarchs" would deliberately threaten what is almost the ONLY economic global resource utterly critical for every bit of high-tech electronics we have (the bulk of the world's supply comes from a single mine) (eg, the computer you're reading this on, your phone, all PV solar power, your building's elevator, the train network's signalling, aircraft, cars, etc.etc. and nowadays a surprising amount of household and whitegoods stuff) ,
you are out of your freaking mind.
.
I mean, just this simple statement of fact (catastrophic global cost to "oligarchs" from supply interruption) flatly requires by your own conspiracy theory that "Western oligarchs" would be doing everything in their damn power to ELIMINATE conflict in Congo. Hells bells mate, it's routinely cited as the overwhelming risk factor by EVERY damn mining company that looks at it.
Get a grip. Make your mind up: either they're shadowy superpowers utterly dominated by the profit motive, in which case the Congo would utterly free of war, or maybe there's "a bit" more going on than you've had exposure to. And/or you've been fed a crock of shit by mummy's boys sitting in an airconditioned office in the Docklands typing drama pieces.
And to try to recast deep and longlasting local intercultural conflict as purely created by WhiteBoys shows a staggering level of racist wannabe-superiority. "Awwww... those pore lil black boys, they'd all live happily in peace singing the whole dingdong day because they're all so simple and lovely, if it wasn't for EVIL white men manipulating them. They just don't KNOW any better, they just can't be RESPONSIBLE for their actions." Whereas actually they're human beings, with their own lives and their own preferences. You'll note that the UN Security Council's investigation found Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi fielding military in DRC to secure minerals, and that money going straight into those locals' pockets. "By one estimate, the Rwandan army made at least $250 million over a period of 18 months through the sale of coltan, even though no coltan is mined in Rwanda."
Biting the hand that feeds IT
