The Democratic Republic of Congo has been subjected to centuries of international intervention by European powers, as well as its African neighbours.
With one million Congolese seeking refuge abroad and twenty-one million people in the country in need of urgent medical, food, and other aid, the DRC represents one of the largest and deadliest humanitarian crises in the world.
For many decades, Congo has been a “sweet spot” for colonizers as well as other neighboring warmongers seeking to control its territory and valuable natural resources. While its citizens suffer and are scattered worldwide, its resources are being robbed and shipped to foreign lands to make others comfortable.
Case in point; Apple’s CEO Tim Cook plans to follow through with its pledge to invest $600 billion in domestic manufacturing in the US, no one is talking about where the valuable components of Apple’s products come from.
According to award-winning Congolese spoken word poet Melodie Ntumba,”The minerals that power Apple’s iPhone, iPad, and MacBooks all comes from Congo, yet Apple has never built a school or a park in Congo to say thank you to the children, nor support the children who work 12 plus hours in the mine pits digging for these minerals which Apple relies heavily on. Apple has never set up a scholarship, nor even provided proper PPE for these Congolese children.”
“Are you aware that women are being force-fed human flesh?”
Professor PLO Lumumba once said, “There are countries which are former colonizers whose subterranean hands are ever present, because an unstable Congo and an unstable Africa is a good hunting ground.”
The suffering of the Congolese people is well documented from the time of Belgium’s King Leopold, who amputated their limbs in the process of looting the country’s rubber and ivory, which led to over 10 million deaths. Imagine having your fingers chopped off or your entire arm just because you did not meet the quota of rubber that a colonizer wanted from your country. Fast forward to today, and the motive is the same, the same, control, kill, and steal.
The more I investigated the convenient forgetfulness of the Western world when it comes to the plight of Congo is the more I am motivated to ask these questions from the Congolese poet named “Melodie Ntumba.” Please help in asking the outside world these simple questions. Where is your outrage for Congo?
“Over 8 million displaced, 24 million staved, six million battling severe malnutrition over seven million dead. Where is the attention for the millions of lives affected in Congo? Where is the support for children dying every day from malnutrition?
Where is the march for the women and girls getting sexually assaulted every single day? Where are the songs, the chants for the little boys whose childhoods are stolen so that they could serve as child soldiers?
“Where is the outrage? The rallies? The march? The chants? The songs? The fundraisers?”
Where is the outrage? The rallies? The march? The chants? The songs? The fundraisers? Your silence is deafening. Your silence is loud. Your silence is selective. Your advocacy is behind the paywall.
Did you know that one in every five kids in Congo will pass away before their fifth birthday? Are you aware that women are being force-fed human flesh? Are you aware that little girls become mothers before they are sweet 16?
Are you aware that Congo has been nicknamed the rape capital of the world? Where is our outrage? Where is your anger? What did the children of Congo do to deserve the cold shoulder?
What crimes against humanity did they commit to deserve this treatment? What crime have they committed to deserve this silent treatment?
Where are the protests to stand with Congo, the moment of silence, or the blackout? Haven’t we suffered enough? How many more before you consider us humans? How many more before you stand with us? Where is the outrage?
Your outrage is selective. Your advocacy is behind the paywall. You only react when you see blood. Haven’t you seen enough? Are you serious? Where is your outrage? Where are the protests, the chants, the songs, the fundraisers for Congo? Where are they?”
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