Dirty Profits

In: Welt-Trends: das außenpolitische Journal, Band 22, Heft 97, S. 18-22

Abstract

The African continent is booming. Investors from around the world take over areas supposedly 'pristine' state to natural resources - gold, diamonds, uranium, coal, gas and oil, of course - exploit. This is connected with the promise to bring development to the continent. Investors provide electricity and running water - but primarily for their own projects. They build roads and promise new job opportunities. This understanding of development produces not only winners. On the contrary, access to mines is accompanied by forced relocations and evictions; People are losing their livelihoods, without being compensated for it; many pay with their health, some with life; vast tracts of land, all the rivers, wetlands and deserts are severe and sometimes irreversible contaminated. Adapted from the source document.