Democratic Republic of the Congo

In 1995, an outbreak of Ebola VHF affected more than three hundred people in and around the city of Kikwit in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the former Zaire) and approximately 80 percent of the victims died. An international investigation team worked with local authorities to introduce VHF isolation precautions as well as standard precautions. When the types of precaution featured in the manual mentioned above were installed in Kikwit, no further nosocomial (hospital) transmission of the Ebola virus was documented. 

Chinese metals companies and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, involving development of infrastructure in return for commitments of significant quantities of base metals, has been put in abeyance until base metal values improve to the point where development of mines and their associated infrastructure is economically more advantageous than simply buying base metals from available providers. 

Because of reports of severe hyperthyroidism after the introduction of iodized salt in two severely iodine-deficient African counties (Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo), a multicenter study has been conducted in seven countries in the region to evaluate whether the occurrence of iodine-induced hyperthyroidism after the introduction of iodized salt was a generalized phenomenon or corresponded to specific local circumstances in the two affected countries (46). Iodine deficiency had been successfully eliminated in all of the areas investigated and the prevalence of goiter had fallen markedly. However, it was clear that some areas were now exposed to iodine excess as a result of poor monitoring of the quality of iodized salt and of the iodine intake of the population. In these areas, iodine-induced hyperthyroidism occurred only when iodized salt had been recently introduced. 

That is where the problem arises. One of the world s biggest sources of coltan is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an impoverished African nation where most people live on about 20 cents a day. As more people around the world use cell phones and computers, manufacturers need more coltan and are willing to pay high prices to get it. 

The Board is seriously concerned about evidence that Africa has become a major area used for the diversion of precursors of amphetamine-type stimulants. During the period 2006-2007, participants in Project Prism and Operation Crystal Flow identified numerous suspicious shipments to Africa, where the consignments were to be diverted, or to North America or Oceania. In total, over 75 tons of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were prevented from being diverted to or through Africa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo alone was the destination of seven stopped shipments involving a total of 23 tons of pseudoephedrine in 2007. 

Figure 21.10 Treating patients with Ebola HF during outbreak of the disease in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in 1995.

Indonesia ranks third, after Brazil and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), in its area of tropical forest. Of Indonesia s total land area of 1.9 Mkm, current forest cover estimates range from 0.9 Mkm to 1.2 Mkm, or 48% to 69% of the total. Forests dominate the landscape of Indonesia (Makarim et al., 1998). Large areas of Indonesian forests burned in 1982 and 1983. In Kalimantan alone, the fires burned from 2.4 Mha to 3.6 Mha of forests (Makarim et al, 1998). It is interesting to note that there is an uncertainty of 1.2 Mha or an uncertainty of 50% in our knowledge of the burned area of fires that occurred 16 yr ago ... 

Democratic Republic of the Congo (28 October 2005) Madagascar (12 March 1991)... 

As at 1 November 2005, the 1988 Convention had been ratified, acceded to or approved by 177 States, as well as formally confirmed by the European Community (extent of competence article 12). Currently 90 per cent of all States in the world are parties to the Convention. Since the 2004 report of the Board on the implementation of article 12 was issued, Angola, Cambodia, the Cook Islands, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Samoa and Switzerland have become parties to the Convention. 

Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 

ICJ, Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Advisory Opinion of 9 July 2004, ICJ Rep. 2004, para 106 and Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda), l.C.J. Reports 2005, para 216 (Congo V. Uganda). 

See Human Rights Watch Accountability for Atrocities Committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (1 April 2014) http //www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/01/accountability-atrocities-committed-democratic-repubUc-congo (accessed 3 July 2015). 

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