Congo DR and the Intrigues of Resource-Based Conflict

Abstract

Congo DR is one of Africa’s most fabulously resource-endowed countries. It has the world largest reserve of cobalt; 80% of global reserve of tantalum; 60% of global reserve of niobium. It is also rich in coltan zinc, gold, diamond, uranium, tin, copper, rubber, ivory and tusk, among others. It is against this backdrop that this study interrogates the politics of resource-based, bitter and enduring conflict in the country. It traces the history of the conflict, discusses its content, examines the motives of stakeholders and appraises the dynamics of third-party intervention in the country’s recurring conflict.

Key words: resources, plunder, mining, looting, rebel.