Mineral Extraction, Human Rights Violations, and the Church’s Social Responsibility in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The rights and dignity of citizens, especially women and children, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are being violated by local and foreign actors, including five United States tech firms, accused of subjecting the people to hazardous and dehumanising working conditions in mining sites, in...
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Network for African Congregational Theology
2025-05-01
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| Series: | African Theological Journal for Church and Society |
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| Online Access: | https://atjcs.netact.org.za/index.php/netact/article/view/202 |
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| author | Emmanuel Ojeifo |
| author_facet | Emmanuel Ojeifo |
| author_sort | Emmanuel Ojeifo |
| collection | DOAJ |
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The rights and dignity of citizens, especially women and children, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are being violated by local and foreign actors, including five United States tech firms, accused of subjecting the people to hazardous and dehumanising working conditions in mining sites, in the quest for the country’s mineral resources, such as cobalt, copper, tin, tungsten, and tantalum. Research has linked the extraction of these minerals to toxic contamination that has resulted in negative health outcomes in women and children and grave violations of human rights such as forced evictions of communities from farmlands and homesteads, sexual assault, arson, and beatings. Locating this mode of violence and exploitation within the neocolonial and neoliberal logic of the sacrifice of African lives, this paper undertakes a critical historical, political, economic, and theological approach to analyse the violence and argues that various stakeholders, especially the church in DRC, have a crucial role to play in standing up against the violence and exploitation going on in DRC and in working for justice, peace, development, and restoration of the dignity and value of human life in the country. At the heart of the paper is the conviction that African lives matter.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6d18eb24ec4544f38e896e9354067e1d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2708-7557 2708-7565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Network for African Congregational Theology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Theological Journal for Church and Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-6d18eb24ec4544f38e896e9354067e1d2025-08-20T02:27:10ZengNetwork for African Congregational TheologyAfrican Theological Journal for Church and Society2708-75572708-75652025-05-0161Mineral Extraction, Human Rights Violations, and the Church’s Social Responsibility in the Democratic Republic of CongoEmmanuel Ojeifo0University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA The rights and dignity of citizens, especially women and children, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are being violated by local and foreign actors, including five United States tech firms, accused of subjecting the people to hazardous and dehumanising working conditions in mining sites, in the quest for the country’s mineral resources, such as cobalt, copper, tin, tungsten, and tantalum. Research has linked the extraction of these minerals to toxic contamination that has resulted in negative health outcomes in women and children and grave violations of human rights such as forced evictions of communities from farmlands and homesteads, sexual assault, arson, and beatings. Locating this mode of violence and exploitation within the neocolonial and neoliberal logic of the sacrifice of African lives, this paper undertakes a critical historical, political, economic, and theological approach to analyse the violence and argues that various stakeholders, especially the church in DRC, have a crucial role to play in standing up against the violence and exploitation going on in DRC and in working for justice, peace, development, and restoration of the dignity and value of human life in the country. At the heart of the paper is the conviction that African lives matter. https://atjcs.netact.org.za/index.php/netact/article/view/202DR CongobloodmineralscobaltUnited Statespolitics |
| spellingShingle | Emmanuel Ojeifo Mineral Extraction, Human Rights Violations, and the Church’s Social Responsibility in the Democratic Republic of Congo African Theological Journal for Church and Society DR Congo blood minerals cobalt United States politics |
| title | Mineral Extraction, Human Rights Violations, and the Church’s Social Responsibility in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_full | Mineral Extraction, Human Rights Violations, and the Church’s Social Responsibility in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_fullStr | Mineral Extraction, Human Rights Violations, and the Church’s Social Responsibility in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mineral Extraction, Human Rights Violations, and the Church’s Social Responsibility in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_short | Mineral Extraction, Human Rights Violations, and the Church’s Social Responsibility in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_sort | mineral extraction human rights violations and the church s social responsibility in the democratic republic of congo |
| topic | DR Congo blood minerals cobalt United States politics |
| url | https://atjcs.netact.org.za/index.php/netact/article/view/202 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT emmanuelojeifo mineralextractionhumanrightsviolationsandthechurchssocialresponsibilityinthedemocraticrepublicofcongo |