Congo and the Fight for Minerals

Often seen as a theater of ethnic cleansing, the Congo suffers from the brutal repercussions of being a mineral rich land. Here, mercenary profit drives genocide and systematic rape. As a Belgium colony, the Congo produced large amounts of gold which helped to fund WWII efforts. Now overseen by warlords and guarded by glassy-eyed gun-bearing youths, this once rich land produces the minerals required to make our electronic goods and gold jewelry. Writer and activist Ann Garrison offers this interview to Pacifica Radio's KPFA.