Greed and guns. Uganda’s Role in the Rape of the Congo

July 22, 2006

This report deals specifically with the recent Ugandan involvement in the military, political and economic affairs of its giant western neighbour, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has contributed to a pattern of serious human rights abuses of the Congolese people. To corroborate evidence and gather additional information on Uganda’s involvement in the Congolese conflict the authors of t


The State versus the people? Governance, Mining and the Transitional Regime in the Democratic Republic of Congo: the Case of Katanga

June 5, 2006

Resource Extraction and Transparency, in: OPENSPACE Vol. 1, no. 4, Open society initiative for Southern Africa, June 2006. Download in pdf or open with issuu reader. http://issuu.com/ipisresearch/docs/juli_2006_artikel_osisa


De Congolese politiek als sleutel tot een rationeel beheer van natuurlijke rijkdommen

May 5, 2006

De bodem van de Democratische Republiek Congo (DRC) herbergt een fabelachtige schat aan natuurlijke rijkdommen. In de regio van Ituri vind je enorme goudafzettingen, de Kivus bevatten grote concentraties columbo-tantaliet (‘coltan’) en cassiteriet, diamant wordt gedolven in de Kasaï provincies, en doorheen het zuiden van Katanga loopt de Centraal- Afrikaanse ‘copper belt’ die respectievelijk 34 en


The State vs. the People. Governance, mining and the transitional regime in the Democratic Republic of Congo

March 27, 2006

27/03/2006 PRESS RELEASE Netherlands Institute for Southern Africa – Fatal Transactions Fatal Transactions publishes DR Congo report – The State versus The People Fair distribution of DRC natural wealth undermined by poor administration and corruption in transitional government Three years of transitional government in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has led to anything but stability and ec


European companies and the coltan trade: An update

September 10, 2002

Coltan and Congo: the implication of the private sector Coltan is a rare metal ore used for the production of capacitors and other high-tech applications. It is mined in several countries in Africa, Asia and the U.S. and later refined by a small number of processing companies in Germany, the U.S., Kazakhstan and the Far East (see frame: coltan, the black gold). For the high-tech industry, coltan p


Network War. An Introduction to Congo’s Privatised War Economy

June 16, 2002

This report provides a preliminary analysis into the conflict economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Gradually, the scope of the war in DRC (1998-today) has shifted from political to economic motivations. Today, six states and many other rebel movements are fighting each other to gain control over Congo’s precious resources: diamonds, gold, coltan and others. Millions of Congolese have d


Supporting the War Economy in the DRC: European Companies and the Coltan Trade

January 16, 2002

Since the outbreak of the second Congolese war in August 1998, the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo have been caught up in a fight over their country’s vast natural resources. Six neighbouring states and several rebel groups compete to extract maximum commercial and material benefits at an exorbitant human cost for millions of Congolese. The private sector plays a vital role in the conti


Have African-based Diamond Monopolies Been Effective?

June 16, 2001

Allegations of links between certain monopoly members and illicit activity will be assessed, with several cases highlighted to provide a more complete picture of the dynamics within the monopolies. Above all, this article seeks objectivity in attempting to separate fact from fiction, and in citing the possible sources, and reasons behind, numerous rumours in circulation – and how these rumours may


Mineral Exports by RCD-Goma in 2000

June 6, 2001

The following is a summary of gold, colombo-tantalite (coltan) and diamond exports in 2000 from territory controlled by the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie-(RCD-Goma) rebels in Eastern Congo. These figures were obtained from the RCD Department des Terres, Mines et Énergie in Goma, March 2001, with copies of the documents in the possession of IPIS. The data supplied below is an abridged


Sierra Leone en de diamanthuurlingen (114)

June 25, 1998

De vergeten oorlog in Sierra Leone werd niet beslecht door de rebellen, het leger of de door Nigeria beheerste regionale vredesmacht. Het private huurlingenbedrijf Executive Outcomes klaarde de klus en bracht president Kabbah opnieuw aan de macht. Het Britse ministerie van buitenlandse zaken speelde een niet onaanzienlijke rol in deze staatsgreep-op-bestelling en ook de Verenigde Staten en de Vere