Congo Bishops Alarmed by 'Uncontrolled Pillaging of Natural Resources'

Bishops and archbishops from across the Democratic Republic of Congo have pulled together to form an episcopal commission to monitor the exploitation of natural resources in the country.

DRC is a country replete with natural mineral resources, including gold, diamonds and copper.

The church leaders have called for an end to what they call the "uncontrolled pillaging of natural resources" in DRC, says a report from CAFOD (the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development).

The commission will also encourage mining and forestry companies to meet human rights standards.

In a statement, the church leaders call for a change of mentality to "save the country from the dangers that are looming".

"Let us not sleep; the house is on fire!" they warn.

The bishops also expressed concern over "international investors with questionable mining and forest contracts" and the "anarchical exploitation of natural resources".

Rape, harassment, abductions, murder and arbitrary arrest by the armed forces, militias and foreign rebel groups on Congolese soil add to their concerns.

The statement outlines the bishops' concerns over an oil war, particularly in the Lake Albert area in the district of Ituri. They fear that oil exploration in the area will only leave local people shortchanged.

"The people need to know the truth in order to diminish the tension, because there is a real fear of war over oil," the statement says.

"Instead of contributing to the country's development, mining, oil and forests have become causes for our misfortune.

"It is incomprehensible that our citizens have no recourse to compensation, stripped of their lands due to the fact that large tracts of land were conceded or sold off to mining companies," it added.

Plans are now in the pipeline for the formation of an Economic and Social Council including church representatives to turn around the DRC's economy.

"We invite our leaders to have political courage and not be fearful," it says, urging politicians to confront the problem of "biased contracts, the selling off of national assets and the emebezzlement of public funds".

The bishops added: "Mining and forestry companies must be required to respect contractural and salary arrangements that are favourable to the workers and the wider Congolese population, and to take into account the ecological impact of their activities."