VOA慢速英语2014 AS IT IS 2014-02-22 Gold Gains Importance in DRC Conflict 黄金是刚果民主共和国冲突的重要因素

 

AS IT IS 2014-02-22 Gold Gains Importance in DRC Conflict 黄金是刚果民主共和国冲突的重要因素

Welcome to As It Is, from VOA Learning English!  I’m Bob Doughty¹ in Washington. 

Today on the program, some nations are attempting to cut links between the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and eastern Congo’s mineral exports.  Later in the show, we hear what Western governments are doing to avoid fueling the unrest. 

But first, researchers recently produced a map of mining areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  The map shows mines under the control of the Congolese army and armed groups.  The study suggests that the top “conflict mineral” in the area is now gold.  Economics reporter Mario Ritter has more on the story.

Gold Increases in Importance as a Conflict Mineral in DRC

A Belgian group, the International Peace Information Service, carried out the study in partnership² with the DRC registry of mines.

The researchers found that armed groups were involved in about 200 of the 800 mines they studied.  The Congolese army was involved at 265 mines.  The researchers reported that both the military and the militias⁴ are taxing mine workers illegally.

The International Peace Information Service carried out a similar survey in 2009.  Filip Hilgert was the lead researcher.  He told VOA the map they made four years ago is no longer correct.  He said many of the miners are now digging for gold.  And he said the armed groups are profiting much more from gold than from other conflict minerals, such as tin, tungsten and tantalum.  These minerals are often called the “3Ts.”

One reason for the change has been an increase in the price of gold.  Another reason has been stronger international rules for mineral imports.  The United States Congress passed legislation⁵ to fight the trade of conflict minerals.  Mr. Hilgert says such efforts have had a big effect on trade in the 3Ts.  But it has not affected⁶ the gold trade.

Judith Sargentini is a member of the European Parliament.  She has been campaigning for a European law on conflict minerals.  She notes that gold, like diamonds, is easy to transport in small amounts.  That explains why it is hard to know where it was mined.

The German geological⁷ institute BGR has collected minerals from hundreds of mines in Rwanda.  The collection could be used to prove whether a sample of minerals came from a conflict area.  But, Judith Sargentini suggests that geophysical tests will not work.  She says buyers need to know about their suppliers.

“You cannot solve every trade in commodity⁸ by trying to find out what the geological background of a material is.  It shows that you need, first of all, a due diligence supply chain, and second of all, initiatives⁹ that lead to fair trade gold mining.”

Due diligence, in this case, means knowing and being able to trust your supplier.

You are listening to As It Is from VOA Learning English.  Thanks for joining us today.  I’m Bob Doughty.   

Western Nations Act Against Conflict Minerals

Western governments want to cut links between the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the area’s mineral exports. 

Both the United States and the European Union have taken steps to tighten¹⁰ control of mineral imports to avoid fueling the conflict in eastern Congo.  Mario Ritter has more.

The United States Congress passed the Dodd Frank Act in 2010.  The law deals mainly with financial rules.  But it also includes a special requirement for American-listed companies.  It says buyers of tin, tantalum, tungsten or gold need to show they have not supported conflict in Africa’s Great Lakes area.

Now the European Union is also writing a bill to prevent deals that help private armies in the eastern Congo.  Judith Sargentini says the aim of the European law is to help break the link between the minerals trade and armed conflict.  She suggests the law will require EU companies buying minerals to prove they were mined without supporting the conflict in the Congo. 

“We cannot just have the U.S. work on the issue, where we are the bigger trading countries with Africa and ignore this.  It will influence European companies that want to trade on the U.S. market, but besides that, more importantly, Europe has a responsibility towards a lot of countries that are actually even former colonies.”

She says the bill is not a reaction to an increase in Chinese imports of these minerals by companies that are not concerned about the Dodd Frank Act. 

“But I would say that European communication on trade and raw materials, of course, is completely influenced by the fear that Europe has that China will buy out everything and we don’t have anything in the future anymore”

Judith Sargentini says the American law reduced trade and jobs.  She notes that the proposed law will not stop imports from eastern Congo.  She says some imports will continue even if the minerals were mined under what she called bad circumstances. 

Critics say the Dodd Frank Act stopped trade and led to the illegal transport of minerals through nearby countries.  Ms. Sargentini agrees but says the planned law should have a different effect.  She says the EU trade commissioner¹¹ wants to increase trade with the Congo.  She says the law will reward businesses that make an effort to trade minerals fairly and openly. 

Some Congolese experts say they think the Dodd Frank Act has helped to cut the flow of money to militia³ leaders.  In eastern Congo, workers at the Enough Project say people have changed behaviors because of it, but the conflict minerals part of the law has yet to be enforced. 

 

And that is As It Is.  I’m Bob Doughty.  Be listening again tomorrow for another program from VOA Learning English.

1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

2 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

3 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

4 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

5 legislation   

n.立法，法律的制定；法规，法律

参考例句：

• They began to draft legislation.他们开始起草法规。
• The liberals band together against the new legislation.自由党员联合一致反对新的立法。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 geological   

adj.地质（学）的

参考例句：

• aeons of geological history 数以亿万年计的地质史
• The workers skirted the edge of the cliff on a geological survey. 工人们沿着崖壁作了一次地质勘察。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 commodity   

n.日用品，商品，物品

参考例句：

• The authorities took measures to roll commodity price back.当局采取措施使物价全面回降。
• Commodity prices remain stable and there are plenty of goods on the market.商品价格稳定，市场货源充足。

9 initiatives   

n.主动性( initiative的名词复数 )；主动的行动；初步；主动权

参考例句：

• Economic policy is liberalized to encourage initiatives in production. 放宽经济政策以鼓励生产的积极性。
• They are tireless in thinking up initiatives. 他们不厌其烦地想出种种采取主动行为的倡议。

10 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

11 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。