Congo Kinshasa
A short poem reflecting on Congo’s colonial history, modern cobalt mining and the continuing human cost of resource exploitation.
Cobalt is being dug
Where the forest stood yesterday,
In subhuman conditions
For a few dollars a day.
I imagine this is dire
For humanity and the planet.
But if you disagree, then
Pay no attention to this.
Footnote: King Leopold II of Belgium controlled the Congo Free State in the late 1800s, during a period marked by forced labour and mass suffering. Today, cobalt mining raises questions about labour conditions and global supply chains.
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