The Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa is one of the world’s most resource-rich countries, but remains one of the poorest in the world. From colonisation, with the horrors of slavery and other atrocities, to a turbulent and equally brutal present, Congo’s richness in natural resources has brought nothing but misery. Under Belgian rule, Congolese labourers were often required to meet quotas when mining different minerals. Failure could mean punishment by having a hand cut off with a machete. The country gained independence in 1960, but that didn’t put a stop to slave and child labour. Congo has turned out to be a place where nature’s bounty, instead of being a blessing, becomes a deadly curse.
Congo, My Precious
