Exploring the Resource Curse of the Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or The DRC, is—despite being in one of the most resource-rich regions on the planet—one of the poorest countries in the world. It sits atop a wealth of minerals that form the central components to much of our technology in the 21st century, and yet, none of this wealth remains in the country. Well, almost none of it—there is of course some that is skimmed off the top by local elites. But the vast majority of the wealth, along with the raw materials, are exported from the country and end up not just lining the pockets of multinational corporations and their shareholders, but, of course, the wealth ends up in the pockets of Western consumers in the form of iPhones, for example, that should be priced much more highly than they actually are. 

In this episode, we’re going to take a deep dive into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in doing so, explore why this resource-rich country is as impoverished and as immiserated as it is. And we’ve brought on the perfect guest to talk us through it all. 

Vijay Prashad is a journalist, political commentator, and executive-director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He’s the author of Washington Bullets: The History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations, and Red Star Over the Third World.

In this episode, we explore the history of The Congo and situate it within a much broader framework of colonialism, neocolonialism, and imperialism which shaped—both literally and figuratively—the continent of Africa for hundreds of years. We explore the Congolese’s fight for independence and sovereignty as it manifested through their independence leader Patrice Lumumba, who was assassinated in 1961. We explore the current state of the country, what many refer to as the “silent genocide,” with millions of Congolese having been killed, displaced, and impoverished as a result of war, destabilization, super exploitation, and voracious extraction. And finally, we explore how the Congolese are fighting for their sovereignty and independence.

This episode was produced in collaboration with EcoGather, a collapse-responsive co-learning network that hosts free online Weekly EcoGatherings that foster conversation and build community around heterodox economics, collective action, and belonging in an enlivened world. In this collaboration, EcoGather will be hosting gatherings to bring some Upstream episodes to life—this is one of those episodes. We hope you can join the gathering on Monday, November 11th at 8pm Eastern to discuss the topics covered in this episode. Find out more at www.ecogather.ing.

Further Resources

• Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
• The Congolese Fight for Their Own Wealth, Tricontintental
• Letter from Thysville Prison to Mrs. Lumumba 

Related Episodes:

• [UNLOCKED] How the North Plunders the South w/ Jason Hickel
• Walter Rodney, Marxism, and Underdevelopment with D. Musa Springer & Charisse Burden-Stelly
• Better Lives for All w/ Jason Hickel

Cover art: Sanyika Intermission music: “African Jazz” by Grand Kalle, part of album Joseph Kabasele and the Creation of Modern Congolese Music, Vol. 1

Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support

If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at  upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship

For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.