Congo

[Comrade Daniel]

I heard about the war in Congo on the news, the army kills civilians and eat them! This is horrible and some people saw it wih their own eyes. Congo needs help and no american invasion cuz the country will be robbed again by them.

[Geddan]

Where have you heard they've eaten people? Sounds quite ridicilous to me. Where do you live?

[Comrade Daniel]

I live in Holland, and I heard it on the news! I saw people speaking about it and it was no nonsens!

[Geddan]

I don't really trust that, don't believe the media. Lies are spread every day about everyone.

[Umoja]

That's a lie, the only thing that the Neo-colonialist in Congo are warring over to eat, is diamonds.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

Big chance that it's a lie, but don't judge to fast. There are in wich soldiers forced children who they had kidnapped to drink blood of humans. It went like this. A group of civilians were bond and the children were given knives, they had the choice their own life or letting the hostages alife, they had to cut them open with their knives to drink their blood, the soldiers had on purpose not tapped the mouths of the hostages, so that they could scream for mercy and the children could get even harder, to be "good" soldiers.

So let Comrade Daniel give us a (reliable) source or something.

[Geddan]

How humane and glorious.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

There are also cases inwich childsoldiers had to rape women, shoot a defenseless persons in their heads while those persons were bond.

Childsoldiers are actually in advantage in battle. They are smaller(get less hits and easy to hide), are loyal(they see their battlegroup as their family), aren't afraid of anything(they are thougend from the start, with those disguisting methodes) and they don't cost a lot(they just plunder some homes and don't ask for a paycheck or power)

But this sort of threatment causes heavy psychological problems. Most childsoldiers commit suicide before they get adults.

[Panamarisen]

This is just one more example of the collateral damages that historically has been created thanks to Imperialism/Colonialism. :angry:

¡HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE!

[sin miedo]

Don't forget the use of aids as a weapon now. Soldiers that are known to carry HIV are ordered to go and rape women in a certain village (of different ethnicity) to transmit the disease. The DRC and the whole congo basin is fucked. Royally.

[Dhul Fiqar]

It's well documented that in neighbouring Rwanda several people were forced to eat their dead relatives, those that refused were tortured, dismembered and/or killed.

Some of the groups fighting there are basically the same people, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that they'd eat a person or two, although I don't see why. There's plenty of animals around and such.

--- G.

[sin miedo]

Not for long, after all the poaching going on. The mountain gorillas are in serious dangers 'cause of these fucks.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

Quote: from sin miedo on 8:57 pm on Jan. 24, 2003
Don't forget the use of aids as a weapon now. Soldiers that are known to carry HIV are ordered to go and rape women in a certain village (of different ethnicity) to transmit the disease. The DRC and the whole congo basin is fucked. Royally.


Really? From wich country's/groups?

[sin miedo]

All sides. The Rwandans, Ugandans, the Mai Mai, the DRC forces, all sides.

From:http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/Index/AFR620...NTRIES%5CRWANDA (http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/Index/AFR620122001?OpenDocument&of=COUNTRIES%5CRWANDA)
"2.4 Rape by government soldiers

Many women have been subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence by members of the security forces. However, rape is thought to be seriously under-reported. Investigations into cases of rape are extremely difficult particularly because of the social stigma associated with it. In many cases, women are reluctant to report rape because they may be abandoned by their husbands or they may even be accused of having been targeted because of their loose morals. In a number of cases women who have been raped are stigmatized as likely to have contracted HIV and hence shunned by those who get to know about the rape. Fear of stigma and reprisals usually leads women to request that their identities are not revealed in public reports such as this one.

Several days after the arrest of Jean-Calvin Kandolo (see section 2.2 above), two soldiers staying in his home raped a girl who had gone there to visit his younger brother, Papy Kandolo. The girl reported the abuse to the commanders at the GLM who took no action to investigate the rape and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Numerous cases of rape by military recruits reportedly took place in areas around N'djili airport near Kinshasa in early 2000. Among the victims was a woman who was abducted by three recruits near Tata Raphael stadium on 16 February. A woman friend found with her was also reportedly gang-raped. In the nearby village of Dingi Dingi a woman was raped by soldiers on 20 February 2000. Her husband was reportedly severely beaten during the rape."


http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/news/stori...ies/020509s.htm (http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/news/stories/020509s.htm)

http://gbgm-umc.org/mission_programs/globa...ca/rapeweap.cfm (http://gbgm-umc.org/mission_programs/global_connections/africa/rapeweap.cfm)


I don't know if they are intentionally trying to commit genocide on a particular group, my initial statement might have been a bit exageratory, but I wouldn't discount it.

(Edited by sin miedo at 10:37 pm on Jan. 25, 2003)

[El Brujo]

Wait. Isn't Laurent Kabila's son currently in control? In any case, this wouldn't be happening if it weren't for Tshombe, Mobutu and the neo-colonialist bastards that pupeteered them.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

Killing and raping for a piece of shiny yellow metal..............humanity makes me sick.

[Panamarisen]

Quote: from CCCP on 9:31 pm on Jan. 25, 2003
Killing and raping for a piece of shiny yellow metal..............humanity makes me sick.


Indeed, this is the main point of a lot of really intelligent writers, and artists in general, regardless of their political points of view...
And I share it, CCCP!

¡HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE!

[Umoja]

The source of most of these problems is that Africa is probubly the only continent in the world with such unnatural borders. No sense of nationalism really developed in most of the modern African nations, and as such they are forced to think both as tribes (which disregard natural borders) and as nations.

[Panamarisen]

Very true, Umoja!

¡HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE!

[ovrproofmentalz]

the congo indeed has a troubled past, and questionable future in it's current state... colonial times have indeed left their mark on the people, but i agree with others that have mentioned Amerikan supported leaders like tshombe, and mobutu... the CIA had their hand in removing patrice lumumba... a very large part of the cold war was fought in sub saharan africa.. it was deemed whoever controlled the congo (capitalist vs socialist) would control the entire continent due to it's vast size, population and extensive resources...

the civil war right now is sickening... ethnic conflicts are almost impossible to solve, as they have been going on since the beggining of time... the massive influx of small arms by western companies does no help either... the collapse of the congolese economy, aids epidemic, rwandan refugees, tremendous foriegn debt, and a collapsed infrastructure (example of the mining district of katanga) places very steep pressure on whichever leader inheirits this nation... i just hope that my people in the congo realize that they are leading themselves to self destruction... more attention needs to be paid to the condition of the african continent... nuff respect to the starter of this thread..

guidance

[Uhuru na Umoja]

Have none of you heard bout the recent agreements made? Kabila has encorporated leaders from the four major opposition groups into his present parliament and there are plans for elections in two years' time. The vast majority of rebel groups have stopped fighting. This agreement is also more than just a piece of paper - I know because I live in Dar es Salaam and personally know Ernest Wamba dia Wamba's (one of the most important rebel leaders) wife.

As for the suggestion that the Congo is important from a geopolitical standpoint... I'm not quite so convinced (although the Dominoe Theory definitely played a role). I think US interest was sparked primarily by a combination of minerals in Katanga and the presence of Lumumba. Besides, Mboutu's presence hardly prevented Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Mozambique, etc. from establishing socialist or communist regimes. I think the fear of communism spreading influenced the US, but I do not think the Congo's location had a major affect on American actions.

[sin miedo]

I've heard that groups are still fighting, like armed militia groups and just all around punk gangs fighting for resources. But If you're there first hand, I'll take your word for it over other sources. If you could elaborate on the agreements and the current conditions that would be very enlightening, and I'd be much obliged.

[Uhuru na Umoja]

There continues to be violence in the Congo, but it has decreased. The problem is that not all the violence was organised. The RCD and ML (the two main opposition groups) along with most other important groups have agreed to a cease-fire, unfortunately brigands continue to make the most of the chaotic situation. Websites you might want to look at are www.congorcd.org (the RCDs website, which contains many of the agreements), or allafrica.com/congo_kinshasa//, which has recent new reports regarding (amongst other things) the rebels' denial of any cannibalism.

[Uhuru na Umoja]

There continues to be violence in the Congo, but it has decreased. The problem is that not all the violence was organised. The RCD and ML (the two main opposition groups) along with most other important groups have agreed to a cease-fire, unfortunately brigands continue to make the most of the chaotic situation. Websites you might want to look at are www.congorcd.org (the RCDs website, which contains many of the agreements), or allafrica.com/congo_kinshasa//, which has recent new reports regarding (amongst other things) the rebels' denial of any cannibalism.

[Spiritual Minded]

What does "Umoja" mean?

[Uhuru na Umoja]

"Umoja" means unity or togetherness in KiSwahili. The slogan "Uhuru na Umoja" ("Freedom and Unity") was used by Nyerere following Tanzanian (well... at the time Tanganyikan) independence.