Stimulus L: ColonialismAs with most conflicts in Africa, the current situation has much to do with the legacy of colonialism. From the violent 1885 Belgian imposition of colonial rule by King Leopold II who regarded it as his personal fiefdom and called it the Congo Free State (but apparently never once went there himself), millions have been killed. After 75 years of colonial rule, the Belgians left very abruptly, relinquishing the political rights to the people of Congo in 1960. However, economic rights were not there for the country to flourish.
0023241007667625Stimulus M: Living in Poverty
In the countries of Africa that lie south of the Sahara Desert (Sub-Saharan Africa) almost half of the population lives on less than US$1.25 a day. While this proportion has decreased in the last few decades, it still leaves 420 million people in absolute poverty. Almost 60 million of these live in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the world’s poorest country.
Stimulus M: Living in Poverty
In the countries of Africa that lie south of the Sahara Desert (Sub-Saharan Africa) almost half of the population lives on less than US$1.25 a day. While this proportion has decreased in the last few decades, it still leaves 420 million people in absolute poverty. Almost 60 million of these live in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the world’s poorest country.
-8858251390649Stimulus B: Minerals and Poverty
Gold mining in the DRC is hard, back-breaking work with little hope of personal wealth. For many people in rural areas, however, it provides