The Lenten Campaign - Fastenopfer

Introduction to the theme
The right to food and mineral
exploitation in the Democratic
Republic of Congo
It has become a commonplace that: “the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is
a geological scandal involving more than
1100 different mineral substances”. Although
these minerals are highly prized on international
markets, they do not generally
provide any benefit for the Congolese.
The DRC possesses one third of the
world’s known reserves of cobalt, 10% of
its copper reserves and 80% of its coltan
reserves. It is one of the world's major
suppliers of diamonds. And yet “its”
mineral wealth does not bring the DRC
much in return: it ranks among one of
the poorest countries.
The impact of mineral extraction
on food security
The Congolese do not seem to realise that
their agricultural and natural resources
would bring them equal benefits. The
chance to earn a small sum of money in the
mines has a negative impact on education
and on agriculture. One of the first consequences
is a reduction in the supply of
food products. Price rises logically result
from this, as well as food insecurity. If noone
cultivates the land, how can sustained
access to food be possible?
The State has obligations with regard to the
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right to food of its citizens. Agricultural
activities have been abandoned because
the land was sold either by agreement or by
force to the mining companies. Losing access
to the means to produce their food, men and
women are driven to work in the mines.
The ones who gain from the mineral exploitation
are the mining companies themselves,
who generally export the raw materials. The
Congolese State profits from this through
the various taxes it collects from the companies.
But as corruption has become “a
way of life”, the tax revenue is insignificant
and the mining sector’s contribution to
the national budget is purely symbolic. The
Congolese population hardly benefits from
the mineral exploitation.
The theological, social
and ethical perspective
The dignity of Congolese men and women
must be restored by helping them to go
from a less to a more human condition.
Without the ethical reference, without the
moral values of those engaged in the mining
sector, no social, economic, environmental
or cultural well-being can be guaranteed.
From the theological perspective, “Man
is truly human only if he is the master of his
own actions and the judge of their worth,
only if he is the architect of his own
progress. He must act according to his
God-given nature, freely accepting its
potentials and its claims upon him” (Populorum
Progressio, 34). Progress must
not be understood as the growth of the mining
sector, although this is an important
activity, often the only source of income for
the poor. “The Glory of God is Man fully
alive” (St. Irenaeus of Lyon), that is, able
to live with dignity.
In the Bible, several words are used to
define the mandate given to Man by God.
He gave Man, who is the summit of his
intrinsically “good” creation (cf. Gen. 1.31),
the obligation to “take care of it” responsibly
(cf. Gen. 2.15).
My view is inspired by the Church’s vision
of a person created in the image of God and
of a society where love, justice, peace and
solidarity reign. It is borne along by the
notion of the “integral human development”
of all, according to the phrase used
by Pope Paul VI in Populorum Progressio.
This implies that the exploitation of our
natural resources should be methodical,
monitored, transparent and carried out for
the benefit of the people.
Extracts from the introductory text by
Ferdinand Muhigirwa Rusembuka, Director
of the Catholic Institute CEPAS (Study
Centre for Social Action) in Kinshasa,
DRC.
Photo: © Patricio Frei, Action de Carême