Why is congo so poor

Q: What advice do you have for businesses intending to invest in the country? A: Have impeccable local political contacts, or don't even try. Q: Do you think the war in Congo is the obstacle to the country's poor utilization of it natural resources? A: Warlords control access to the resources and the bigger, more responsible mining firms will not risk the investment. Q: Is poverty in such a rich nation caused by greedy Congolese leaders or post-colonial powers? A: Nationality of the rulers hasn't mattered much, they've all behaved the same.

The potential wealth has corrupted all of them. Q: How difficult was it to travel through the Democratic Republic of Congo? A: Exceptionally. Roads collapsed, bandits own the night, no road travel between the major cities. Q: How can we help the Congolese people to benefit from their own natural resources?

A: We can pressure international players in the resources extraction industry to be more transparent. Q: If you could pick just one thing to change in Congo, what would it be? A: The rule of law. People need protection when rights are violated, to start businesses and to find out where the money goes. And finally. The Um Bongo thing. Everybody asks. Mbongo in a local language means money. So kids in the street shout it at you all the time. Henry Morton Stanley - Many of the country's mining operations are connected to the waters of the mighty Congo River.

Image source, Getty Images. Stanley's expeditions opened up the Congo for exploitation by King Leopold. Instead it is the world's most hopeless. Image source, Science Photo Library. Congo rubber was in high demand after the pneumatic tyre appeared on the market in Uranium used to construct the atomic bomb was sourced from Congo. Image source, AFP. Mobutu, pictured with Jacques Chirac, was courted by the West for decades. This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

This has contributed to 4. The increase in conflict between and has caused more than , Congolese to seek refuge in neighboring countries and a doubling of humanitarian needs in the DRC. Though the war in the DRC officially ended in July , the eastern region of the DRC remains plagued with violence among armed groups, land disputes, sexual violence and intercommunity conflicts , contributing to humanitarian crises and poverty in the DRC.

Presidents Mobutu Sese Seko, Laurent Desire-Kabila and Joseph Kabila have all profited from the presidential position, allocating wealth and resources for themselves. The use of public offices for personal profit is deeply ingrained in the political culture of the DRC, contributing to economic mismanagement, ethnic cleavages, the erosion of infrastructure and increased poverty in the DRC.

Though the situation regarding poverty in the DRC is dire, efforts to improve conditions continue. The DRC has made significant strides in its education sector since The completion rate for primary age children has increased from 20 percent in to 70 percent in Menu Donate. DR Congo by the Numbers Subscribe to our Newsletter When you sign up to receive email from Opportunity International, we'll keep you informed with updates, news, and stories from our work around the world.

Donate to Opportunity Make a difference by creating jobs through the work of Opportunity International. How is it that it is still one of the poorest countries in the world? Take a close look at it. Did you know some parts are made of the element tantalum? This resource is primarily imported from the DRC and can be found in most everyday electronic items. Besides tantalum, the Democratic Republic of Congo has many more incredibly valuable natural resources, such as gold and coltan.

Despite this wealth of resources, the DRC is the poorest country in the entire world in terms of personal income. So how is it that a country so rich in resources is so poor?

Aside from being one of the poorest, it is also one of the most violent countries on earth. The country ranked th of countries on the Human Development Index, and they now have the second-largest hunger crisis in the world after Yemen. In general, essential public services are minimal. Congo is a product of complex historical forces, from being a monarchy to a colony of Belgium. King Leopold II of the Belgians wanted to conquer the nation and formed the Committee for Studies of the Upper Congo in to open up European trade along the Congo River from which the country derived its name.