According to the Swiss federal criminal court last week, the corruption destroying the Democratic Republic of the Congo – where devastating conflicts over minerals used in our electronics have killed more than six million people – is inextricably linked to the UK, Gibraltar and Switzerland. It was a significant moment exposing corruption that has fuelled not only grinding poverty, famine and unemployment in DRC but also the impunity and violence required to sustain it. Yet, unless there is accountability, it won’t change. According to the ruling, between 2006 and 2011, at the height of ex-president Joseph Kabila’s rule, individuals and entities in the UK, Gibraltar and Switzerland paid almost $380m (£280m) in cash bribes to authorities in DRC through an array of shell companies and subsidiaries – and, in this case, the UK’s Serious Fraud Office told the Swiss court that it has the evidence to back it. In 2003, a groundbreaking UN report named about 125 individuals and entities, including at least 16 from the UK, directly or indirectly involved in conflict minerals.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
More Stories
Best Style Moments of Tems
To the World
From ‘The Woman King’ to Netflix’s ‘African Queens’ – How Africa’s History Went Pop
Who is Pretty Yende, the Soprano Performing at King Charles III’s Coronation?
Discover Dakar: From African Art to Rooftop Hangouts and Culinary Gems
Graffiti Now Covers the Walls of Libya’s Ancient City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
When to Visit Malawi
The Beauty about Exploring Africa is that the Continent has a Lot to Offer
Ugandan Kids get Introduced to Irish Dancing Via Online Lessons
Get a Symmetrical Trim at this Kenyan Barber
Standard Bank Hosts Central Bankers to Demonstrate Africa’s Potential to Learn – and Lead
Ghana’s Debt Crisis is Affecting Companies Beyond its Borders