VOA慢速英语:黄金是刚果民主共和国冲突的重要因素
Welcome to As It Is, from VOA Learning English! I’mBob Doughty in Washington.
Today on the program, some nations are attempting tocut links between the conflict in the DemocraticRepublic of Congo and eastern Congo’s mineralexports. Later in the show, we hear what Westerngovernments are doing to avoid fueling the unrest.
But first, researchers recently produced a map ofmining areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The map shows mines under the control of theCongolese army and armed groups. The studysuggests that the top “conflict mineral” in the area isnow gold. Economics reporter Mario Ritter has moreon the story.
Gold Increases in Importance as a Conflict Mineral in DRC
A Belgian group, the International Peace Information Service, carried out thestudy in partnership with the DRC registry of mines.
The researchers found that armed groups were involved in about 200 of the 800 mines they studied. The Congolese army was involved at 265 mines. The researchers reported that both the military and the militias are taxing mineworkers illegally.
The International Peace Information Service carried out a similar survey in 2009. Filip Hilgert was the lead researcher. He told VOA the map they madefour years ago is no longer correct. He said many of the miners are nowdigging for gold. And he said the armed groups are profiting much more fromgold than from other conflict minerals, such as tin, tungsten and tantalum. These minerals are often called the “3Ts.”
One reason for the change has been an increase in the price of gold. Anotherreason has been stronger international rules for mineral imports. The UnitedStates Congress passed legislation to fight the trade of conflict minerals. Mr.Hilgert says such efforts have had a big effect on trade in the 3Ts. But it has not affected the gold trade.
Judith Sargentini is a member of the European Parliament. She has beencampaigning for a European law on conflict minerals. She notes that gold, likediamonds, is easy to transport in small amounts. That explains why it is hardto know where it was mined.
The German geological institute BGR has collected minerals from hundredsof mines in Rwanda. The collection could be used to prove whether a sampleof minerals came from a conflict area. But, Judith Sargentini suggests thatgeophysical tests will not work. She says buyers need to know about theirsuppliers.
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DRC soldiers, part of an African peacekeeping force, patrol along a street in Bangui, Feb. 12, 2014. |
“You cannot solve every trade in commodity by trying to find out what thegeological background of a material is. It shows that you need, first of all, adue diligence supply chain, and second of all, initiatives that lead to fair tradegold mining.”
Due diligence, in this case, means knowing and being able to trust yoursupplier.
You are listening to As It Is from VOA Learning English. Thanks for joining ustoday. I’m Bob Doughty.
Western Nations Act Against Conflict Minerals
Western governments want to cut links between the conflict in the easternDemocratic Republic of Congo and the area’s mineral exports.
Both the United States and the European Union have taken steps to tightencontrol of mineral imports to avoid fueling the conflict in eastern Congo. MarioRitter has more.
The United States Congress passed the Dodd Frank Act in 2010. The lawdeals mainly with financial rules. But it also includes a special requirement forAmerican-listed companies. It says buyers of tin, tantalum, tungsten or goldneed to show they have not supported conflict in Africa’s Great Lakes area.
Now the European Union is also writing a bill to prevent deals that help privatearmies in the eastern Congo. Judith Sargentini says the aim of the Europeanlaw is to help break the link between the minerals trade and armed conflict. She suggests the law will require EU companies buying minerals to provethey were mined without supporting the conflict in the Congo.
“We cannot just have the U.S. work on the issue, where we are the biggertrading countries with Africa and ignore this. It will influence Europeancompanies that want to trade on the U.S. market, but besides that, moreimportantly, Europe has a responsibility towards a lot of countries that areactually even former colonies.”
She says the bill is not a reaction to an increase in Chinese imports of theseminerals by companies that are not concerned about the Dodd Frank Act.
“But I would say that European communication on trade and raw materials, ofcourse, is completely influenced by the fear that Europe has that China willbuy out everything and we don’t have anything in the future anymore”
Judith Sargentini says the American law reduced trade and jobs. She notesthat the proposed law will not stop imports from eastern Congo. She sayssome imports will continue even if the minerals were mined under what shecalled bad circumstances.
Critics say the Dodd Frank Act stopped trade and led to the illegal transport ofminerals through nearby countries. Ms. Sargentini agrees but says theplanned law should have a different effect. She says the EU tradecommissioner wants to increase trade with the Congo. She says the law willreward businesses that make an effort to trade minerals fairly and openly.
Some Congolese experts say they think the Dodd Frank Act has helped to cutthe flow of money to militia leaders. In eastern Congo, workers at the EnoughProject say people have changed behaviors because of it, but the conflictminerals part of the law has yet to be enforced.
And that is As It Is. I’m Bob Doughty. Be listening again tomorrow for anotherprogram from VOA Learning English.
Keep listening to VOA for the latest world news coming up at the top of thehour, Universal Time. Thanks for spending part of your day with us.
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