[VIDEO 😲] – Watch how a mountain collapsed in Kantaga (DRC) revealing tons of copper

It surprised the world on the 17th of November 2024 when a mountain in the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo burst open to disclose copious amounts of copper. Not only did this incident reveal the richness of mineral resources in the region, but it also raised voices and debates in social media regarding colonialism, resource imperialism, and the prospect of Congo’s mineral wealth in the future.

With videos of the collapse circulating around and the internet abuzz, netizens voiced out their conflicting opinions, with many of them praying that new exposed resources will not be utilized by foreign powers, especially from Western countries.

A catastrophic event such as the mountain collapse in Katanga was shown in videos that depicted people running away as the rocks and substances started to roll down. The crisis uncovered a massive copper deposit, which is essential to a wide range of sectors, namely renewable sources of power and electric cars. It is located in the Katanga region that is regarded as part of the Central African Copperbelt that contains some of the richest mineral ores in the world, such as copper, cobalt, and uranium. 

Copper is special given its high-grade resources and low cost; it assists in wiring and renewable energy applications. As the global market transitions to non-renewable sources of energy and other industrialization, copper demand increases and puts the DRC copper reserves strategically in the supply chain. 

This prompted a chain of reactions on social media, where many people recalled the resource exploitative history of African countries. One user, in a tragic tone, said, “But the west will not allow any African country to enjoy their resources,” which contributes to a general belief about imperialism and colonialism in Africa. 

Another user was more briefly worried and said, “Hope the Brits won’t come and steal it,” which shows a desire not to be taken advantage of once more by individuals from Western countries that are rich.

 Watch video👇

Such reactions have historical background when colonizers used Africa, and particularly the DRC, as a source of raw materials without consideration for the local people’s suffering. The DRC, for instance, is a country that has suffered high levels of exploitation of its resources, and the citizens’ suffering does not change despite the rich resources in the country. This is evident from a quote of one user: “But the country remains one of the poorest countries in Africa; I really don’t know why.” 

Read more

• Celebrating the Graduation of SAFE Academy’s Cohort 7: Empowering Families, Transforming Lives
  
• Top 10 Most Usel*ss Courses: Reno Omokri Counsels Youths On Courses Not To Study
  
• Support Tinubu’s Reform and Lose 2027 Re-election: State Governors Thre@aten Federal Lawmakers
  

Ironically, as the world turns to copper and cobalt for the green energy revolution, the DRC’s assets are at even higher risk. Pressure on the region’s already exposed communities is exacerbated by the steadily increasing need for metals used in lithium-ion batteries for electrical automobiles. The task remains to meet the need for economic growth together with human rights and environmental protection.