The US Rape of the Congo

Crisis in the Congo: Uncovering the Truth

Friends of the Congo (2012)

Film Review

Crisis in the Congo is a heart breaking documentary about the invisible US proxy war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. For the last 20 years, the US (and Britain) have been arming and training Rwandan and Ugandan-backed rebels who are plundering DRC’s rich mineral resources (gold, diamonds, cobalt, coltan, copper and tin) for the benefit of the electronic and aerospace industry.

The US has a long ugly history in the Congo, one of the most mineral-rich countries* in the world. After the CIA assassinated Patrice Lamumba, DRC’s first democratically elected president, the US installed the brutal dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. When the cold war ended, the US abandoned their support for Mobutu and sponsored a joint Rwandan/Kenyan invasion to remove him from power.

DRC’s 20+ year civil war has resulted in the death of over six million civilians, the brutal rape of thousands of women and children and the forced induction of thousand of child solders.

Barf alert: there’s a disgustingly hypocritical speech by Obama starting at 18.00, in which he accuses Africans of “pointing the finger” at other countries and reminds them of their responsibility to enact democratic reforms.

Postscript: In 2012. after this documentary was made, Obama briefly reduced aid to Rwanda (based on evidence they were recruiting child solders) but resumed funding in 2013. As of 2015, Rwanda remained dependent on foreign aid (mainly Britain and the US) for 40% of their national budget.

Despite the presence of UN peacekeeping forces, the civil war continues in the eastern DRC. It continues to be regarded as a failed state

Meanwhile, the US continues to increase military bases and direct troop deployment in Africa and the corporate media largely refuses to report on it.

Hear Edward Herman talk about his recent book “Enduring Lies,” examining the falsehoods circulated by Western governments about the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and the ongoing use of that event as an excuse for military intervention around the world at Project Censored Radio

11 thoughts on “The US Rape of the Congo”

This is truly mind boggling, Stuart. Thank you for another eye opening film review.

“Meanwhile, the US continues to increase military bases and direct troop deployment in Africa and the corporate media largely refuses to report on it.”

I guess, hardly anyone would get to know about it, even though there are ways to look it up in some alternative media. I would like things like this to be known by more people and especially by people of influence who maybe could make more of an effort to work towards change in a peaceful way. I am going to reblog your review, Stuart.

Why is it, that the UN can do hardly anything of significance when it comes to preventing exploitation? I know, because it is a toothless tiger, But why? Is it because corporations rule the world. It is so very frustrating that beautiful words are not going to change anything soon enough. I just hope, that in the long run maybe more people are going to have a chance for a peaceful life

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stuartbramhall on April 9, 2016 at 1:48 am said:

I think the main reason the UN is so ineffectual is that it’s main role is to promote the interests of the US and its allies. Sad but true.

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Reblogged this on auntyuta and commented:
This is truly mind boggling, Stuart. Thank you for another eye opening film review.

“Meanwhile, the US continues to increase military bases and direct troop deployment in Africa and the corporate media largely refuses to report on it.”

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Yes, the interview with Edward Herman is a necessary corrective to the video in that, on the one hand, the video seems to give credence to “the myth” of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and, on the other hand, Herman broadens and deepens our understanding of the geopolitical role of Kagame’s Rwanda in The Great Lakes Region; otherwise, I found the video very much worth my while. At least it doesn’t go so far as to call for Western intervention in the name of preventing atrocities, under the pretext of R2P, although in places it seemed to me to be flirting the edges of that appeal.

(And now Burundi is in “their” sights. “They” never rest, do they?)

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I share your skepticism, Norman about the way the so-called Rwandan genocide is presented.

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‘there’s a disgustingly hypocritical speech by Obama . . .’ I remember the touching optimism expressed by US liberals when they voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012 – and what did they get? And now they are once again naively falling for the same propaganda to back Sanders. Do they really think he will be any different? Change your system guys, before it’s too late, and stop kidding yourselves you’ve got a democratic country!

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Reblogged this on vaskaxtumir and commented:
For the last 20 years, the US (and Britain) have been arming and training Rwandan and Ugandan-backed rebels who are plundering DRC’s rich mineral resources (gold, diamonds, cobalt, coltan, copper and tin) for the benefit of the electronic and aerospace industry.

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