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"content": "country in Africa, it has got the largest natural resources that any country in the world can think of, for example, gold, diamonds, uranium and titanium. Today, mining consortiums in the DRC are hiring mercenaries from Europe. You remember the notorious mercenaries like Bob Denard and others, a new crop of mercenaries have now been hired as armies to protect mining interests in the DRC. Meaning, the mining processes in the DRC is divorced from the state. So, there are no taxes being levied, the taxes are either paid to the warlords or corrupt state officials. The warlords then bring mercenaries to protect and levy unlawful taxes in the DRC with its now 72 million strong population. It is important to mention that we in East Africa have a greater affinity with the people of the DRC. If you go to the DRC, Congo Forest divides the country into two. From the eastern side of the DRC in towns like Bunia, Kisangani, Butebo, and other towns, you cannot travel to Kinshasa by road and this is 60 years after their independence. If you are in Bunia, Butebo, Virunga or Kisangani, you can only go to Kinshasa by air. In fact, most people fly to Nairobi then take Kenya Airways and fly back over their country to go to Kinshasa. This is a country that is 60 years old after independence and the richest in Africa. Right from the leadership of Moïse Kapenda Tshombe, Patrice Émery Lumumba, Kasa-Vubu, Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, Laurent-Désiré Kabila, Joseph Kabila Kabange and Étienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba; they have all been ravaging the country. This makes it very difficult for this organization to try to bring peace. ICGLR is working with the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN) by reports to the Security Council and it has been monitoring elections, but what elections can you monitor in DRC? That is the big question. So, I want to encourage that parliamentarians in the region from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Angola, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Sudan and Cameroon be proactive in trying to help this country because there is an annual meeting every other year of parliamentarians from these countries. We want to see that the resolutions we make – I want to encourage my brother Sen. Poghisio - in September during the UN Annual General Assembly (UNGA 72) are presented and this Report also tabled there to assist the world in realizing the plight of DRC. It is a very sad event that a country so rich and endowed is now degenerating to just a producer of Lingala music for our night clubs and all manner of things that are totally unhelpful to the generation and growth of wealth and improvement of the people. It is sad! Madam Temporary Speaker, I also want to touch on the management of our water resources and the humanitarian situation that has come out of the problems in DRC. I do not know if you have come across the information that the Inga Dam on Congo River has the capacity to generate over 100,000 megawatts of power that can power this continent with cheap green energy. The AU has from time to time been toying with the idea of putting a consortium together to exploit the natural resource that is the DRC and generate green energy that will serve as far as South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. In Africa, you will find many countries have a small economy, Kenya included. Even as we call ourselves the giant of this region, our consumption capacity of power is The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}