La Flamme – US-DRC-RD Rwanda Tripartite Mining Agreement: An imperialist maneuver to better legitimize the plundering of the Congo

See also:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining_industry_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extractivism   

\This translation with notes was sent out July 1st:

Ferñent

"A Free Union of the Free Peoples of Africa. Internationalist solidarity of the workers"

July 2025

US-DRC-RD Rwanda Tripartite Mining Agreement:

An imperialist maneuver to better legitimize the plundering of the Congo

from La Flamme, organ of the Communist Party of Benin [ www.la-flamme.org/ ]

[African leaders image]

The ongoing signing of a military and security agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the United States for the settlement of the conflict between Rwanda and the DRC is an extremely serious event. Behind the discourse of cooperation and security lies a new form of imperialist domination. It is, no more and no less, a disguised return to the old colonial protectorate system which, yesterday as today, has as its sole purpose the subjection and exploitation of the Congolese people. Since its formal independence in 1960, the DRC has known nothing but wars, foreign interventions and chronic instability. This chaos is not the result of chance: it is cleverly maintained by the imperialist powers in order to keep their hands on the immense wealth of the Congolese subsoil. Cobalt, coltan, copper, iron, manganese, diamonds, gold, uranium, lithium, rare earths... are all strategic resources coveted by capitalist monopolies to run their industries and fuel their technological transition. But these riches do not benefit the Congolese people in any way. On the contrary, they are a source of war, misery and desolation, with more than 6 to 8 million deaths in thirty years in the east of the country. In this predatory system, Paul Kagame's Rwanda plays the role of subcontractor. For decades, this country, supported, financed and protected by the Western powers, in particular the United States, France and Belgium, has served as a military and logistical support point for the occupation and plundering of the eastern provinces of the DRC. The crimes committed by armed groups such as M23, supported by Kigali [capital of Rwanda], are widely documented. Yet the major powers turn a blind eye, as these crimes guarantee them indirect but safe access to Congolese minerals, under the guise of "official" supply chains. It is in this context that the regime in Kinshasa [capital of the DRC], weakened, corrupt and totally dependent, chooses to reach out to its executioner in order to sign a mining agreement with the United States, Rwanda's main protector, and with Rwanda as well. As a result, the DRC will institutionalize its own domination. This imminent agreement, presented as a security partnership, is nothing more than a protectorate treaty, like those signed at the time of colonization by African kings who were duped or coerced. It is in no way aimed at the protection of the Congolese people, but at securing imperialist interests in the region, to the detriment of the partisans of Pierre Mulélé [a revolutionary who had been Minister of Education in Lumumba’s cabinet] [DS – August 11, 1929 in Malungu, now Kwilu – Mobutu had him brutally tortured/mutilated alive in public and thrown into the Congo River October 3 or 9, 1968 according to:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Mulele ] and the sovereignty of the country. Let us remember that a year ago (February 2024), the European Union signed an agreement with Rwanda on sustainable value chains for raw materials while the war was in full swing in the DRC with Rwanda's involvement alongside the M23 rebels.

And it is proven and documented by the UN and NATO countries that Rwanda is arming the M23 and plundering the DRC's mineral resources in return. And so, this kind of agreement is so horrible that European Deputies voted a resolution in February 2025 to demand the suspension of this agreement, the freezing of budgetary and military aid to Rwanda and the M23. The United States also called on Rwanda to stop the aggression against the DRC, and even threatened it with sanctions. But here, practically the same people are now working on a mining agreement on the DRC. As a result, this agreement will legitimize Rwanda's aggression against the DRC in a more serious way. It makes Washington an arbiter in a conflict in which it is clearly judge and jury. In reality, the victim (the DRC) is under the guardianship of the protector of his executioner (Rwanda). It is a real politico-diplomatic scandal that shows the degree of alienation of some African leaders. What the DRC-USA-Rwanda agreement organizes is the continuation and legalization of the international network for plundering Congolese resources, with the imperialist powers of NATO, their predatory multinationals, as its conductor, and Kagame's Rwanda as its regional servant. The Congolese people, instead of being masters of their own resources, become hostages of a globalized mafia system that transforms their wealth into a curse. In the face of this new neocolonial aggression, African revolutionaries and patriots must learn the lessons of history. Real independence is achieved neither by military agreements with the imperialists, nor by appeals for help to those who organize our subjection. The only viable path is that of organized resistance, breaking with imperialist alliances and building active solidarity among African peoples in struggle against neocolonialism. This necessary leap forward requires the rejection of any reformist illusion and the overthrow of puppet regimes that sell off national sovereignty in the name of "security" or "cooperation". In conclusion, this agreement under negotiation is not a solution for peace in the Congo: it is a further step in the plan of the dismemberment, occupation and plunder of this martyred country. Like Patrice Lumumba, Pierre Mulélé or Laurent-Désiré Kabila, fighters for the true independence of the country, the Congolese people are called upon to mobilize to put an end to this new imperialist diktat to which President Tshisekedi is submitting. Sovereignty is not begged. It is won in struggle, defended in organization, and consolidated in the consciousness of the popular masses. It is the duty of progressive forces in Africa and around the world to stand with the Congolese people to demand an immediate end to this imposed war, the withdrawal of all foreign forces, and the full restoration of their sovereignty.

Three En Marcha articles: DR Congo in the grip of crisis, Ukraine War negotiations, and the party of the proletariat

Originally posted February 27th at:  www.pcmle.org/EM/spip.php?article13649  A rough machine translation from Google, checked against some translations I received:

Congo in the grip of crisis

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a 21st-century example of the fate of countries rich in natural resources in the midst of a savage capitalism that expropriates them and plunges their inhabitants into misery.

A prison where prisoners escape but first rape and burn female prisoners alive, in February 2025; Mbox, monkeypox, spreads in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) without a health system to deal with it, August 2024; the eruption of a volcano that leads to the disappearance of hundreds of children, in May 2021, are just some of the tragedies experienced by the population of the DRC in the midst of the world's largest reserves of coltan, more than 40%, the mineral from which tantalum is extracted, which is very rare and is used in the manufacture of cell phones and other technological equipment.

The Tutsis, an ethnic group that suffered the Rwandan genocide in 1994, formed a defense group, the M23, which questions the government but does not define its political position. It took over the city of Goma, with a population of one million people, controls part of the coltan production, earning about USD 800,000 a month, which it uses to equip its soldiers and which has the support of Rwanda. It is now the main military force that disputes the government for control of the country, which is headed by Félix Tshisekedi, who has the support of the PPRD, a party located on the right, which among its achievements shows the decision to execute bandits and the prosecution of Apple, the multinational cell phone company, who it accuses of benefiting from the natural resources of the DRC without sharing its profits.

The multinationals of Switzerland, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and above all China own the vast majority of mines in the DRC. China controls 70% of the world's copper and 50% of its cobalt. The DRC is the largest producer of coltan, and its largest exporter is neighbouring Rwanda.

In addition to the M23, which does not claim to be a political movement, there are several political parties, most of which define themselves as centre-left. It faces 120 other armed groups, including one identified with the Hutus, a declared enemy, and another with the Islamic State.

Some history

In 1884 and 1885, the Berlin Conference was held, where the European countries shared out Africa, and it was the personal property of King Leopold II of Belgium until 1908, when it became a Belgian colony.

In 1960, supposedly, Belgian influence culminated, Patrice Lumumba, a Congolese social activist with a Marxist tendency, was appointed Prime Minister, but his leadership was short-lived, the DRC army assassinated him and took power in a coup d'état, with the support of the Kingdom of Belgium, i.e. Belgian influence remained.

In 1965 Ernesto, El Che, Guevara tried to organize armed groups to take power, but his efforts were unsuccessful, deciding to leave RCD and go to neighboring Angola.

The population of the DRC lives in poverty, its more than 102 million inhabitants, of which seven million live as displaced persons, fleeing from areas of conflict between armed groups and ethnic massacres, 75% of Congolese do not have access to drinking water, great difficulties in obtaining food, one in 12 children dies before the age of 12, the DRC is one of the five poorest countries on the planet.

However, the DRC is a very rich country in minerals, apart from its natural beauty and its native species. Its current riches are the attraction of tantalum, tungsten, cobalt, copper, gold, diamonds and the list goes on. A wealth estimated at 24 billion dollars.

The tragedy of the millions of Congolese is that they are the owners of an extraordinary wealth that has been the attraction of the capitalists of the world who, with false offers, with gigantic corruption, have extracted these riches, leaving their owners in a serious situation of survival.

Originally posted February 27th at:  www.pcmle.org/EM/spip.php?article13647 and translated with Google:

Negotiations between imperialist powers 

The European elites received a hard political blow from the decision of American imperialism; the snub by the Americans shows the servile attitude of European imperialism. 

The talks between Trump and Putin, in which they agreed to start talks to end the war in Ukraine, are moving forward at an accelerated pace, without involving Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, or the European Union. 

Donald Trump announced a new phase of negotiations for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine between the American and Russian delegations. The talks would take place in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on February 25, a week after the first round that took place in the same city on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. 

How to understand this change in the position of the United States? The answer must be found in the sharpening of inter-imperialist contradictions. Apparently, the United States is seeking to get out of a conflict that did not develop as they wanted and that has cost them millions of dollars. 

On February 14, at the Security Conference in Munich, Germany, US Vice President JD Vance said that the main threat to Europe was not Russia or China, but “the threat from within, Europe’s retreat from some of its most fundamental values, values ​​shared with the United States of America.” The Europeans received a hard political blow from the decision of US imperialism, the snub of the Americans shows the lackey attitude of European imperialism, they will have no choice but to turn a blind eye and throw away the money and ink invested in escalating a confrontation with Moscow, which could have been resolved by other means. 

The European leaders led by Olaf Scholz (Germany), Emmanuel Macron (France) and Donald Tusk (Poland) refused to accept Ukraine’s defeat. The trio said they would do everything possible to prevent Russian imperialism from winning the war, when the Ukrainians could no longer bear it. The three leaders decided to acquire more weapons, expand the production of military equipment and advance in the manufacture of long-range rocket artillery. The decision to confront the Russians at any cost led the EU to commit economic suicide by renouncing the cheap energy supplied by Russia. 

Ukraine lost the opportunity to reach a peace agreement with Russia in Istanbul in March 2022, just a month after the military intervention began and which would have meant better conditions for it, since it had the initiative, after having stopped the lightning invasion. The pressure of imperialism from the United Kingdom, the United States and others, guaranteed the supply of weapons and safe entry into NATO, thus sealing its future. After three years of war, the economy in tatters, with millions of dollars in debt and thousands of young people dead, the powers are negotiating their future behind Ukraine's back. 

Russia is waiting calmly and, in the meantime, is moving forward with the conquest of Ukrainian territory in order to improve the positions on the border that will be fixed in the agreement with the United States. 

Originally posted February 27th at:  www.pcmle.org/EM/spip.php?article13651 (see for links to related articles from En Marcha); roughly translated through Google (with clear errors?); slightly edited:

The Communist Party, class party of the proletariat

"The stronger our Party organisations are, the more effective Social Democrats are, the less hesitation and instability there is within the Party, the broader and more multifaceted, the richer and more fruitful will be the influence of the Party on the elements of the working masses surrounding it and which it leads..."

Maintaining the class character of the party and its status as a revolutionary vanguard are fundamental elements of the Marxist-Leninist communist party. Only an organization that keeps these aspects in mind and works constantly to affirm and develop them is in a position to lead the struggle of workers, youth and peoples for revolution and socialism to victory.

Like many other aspects related to revolutionary theory and practice, the elements mentioned at the beginning of this article have also motivated deep and heated discussions since the beginning of the international communist movement. It is enough to note that, when the Second Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party (1903) debated how to understand the party of the working class and who can be considered its militants, it split between the supporters of V.I. Lenin and the followers of Yuli Martov, thus giving rise to the separation between Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.

Lenin wrote an entire book in which he analyses the events of that congress and, above all, argues his views on how to understand what the class Party of the proletariat is and who can be a member of it. The text in question is entitled One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, which was published in 1904.

The first point of disagreement at the Congress occurred when they were discussing point 1 of the statute. Lenin proposed an article that said: "Anyone who accepts its programme and supports the Party both with material resources and with personal participation in one of its organisations will be considered a member of the Party." Martov, for his part, presented the following text: "Anyone who accepts its programme, supports the Party with material resources and lends it personal collaboration on a regular basis under the direction of one of its organisations will be considered a member of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party."

If not given due attention, the difference between one proposal and the other would seem minor; However, there is a marked difference between the understanding of party militancy and what the revolutionary party of the working class is in itself. Lenin, in the cited work, says that disagreement "reveals nuances of a principled nature," but that "every small disagreement can acquire enormous importance, if it serves as a starting point for a turn towards erroneous concepts..." The fact is that Lenin's proposal subordinates the condition of party militant to someone who is part of one of its organizations, while Martov believed that it was sufficient to occasionally help from outside with material resources or grant personal collaboration.

We make a brief digression to present what the statute of our Party says on this subject: «Art. 1.- Any person who does not live off the exploitation of the labor of others, especially workers, agricultural wage earners, poor peasants, employees, revolutionary intellectuals who accept the Declaration of Principles, the Political Line, the Program and the Statute of the Party, who is part of one of its organizations and works actively in it, complies with the decisions of the Party, observes its discipline and pays dues according to the established norms, can be a member of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador. As can be seen, our Party adheres to the Leninist conceptions of party organization.

Continuing with the reading of Lenin, we find a fundamental statement: «The Party must be a sum (and not a simple arithmetic sum, but a complex) of organizations. …[And] I make my wish, says Lenin, I demand that the Party, as the vanguard detachment of the class, be as organized as possible and that it should only include those elements that admit at least a minimum degree of organization. Here, it is necessary to make the same clarification that Lenin establishes when analyzing this subject. “The word “organization,” Lenin clarifies, is usually used in two senses: broad and narrow. In the narrow sense, it designates a cell of a human collectivity, as soon as it has acquired even the most minimal form. In the broad sense, it means a sum of these cells, united into a whole. […] a party is also an organization, it must be an organization (in the broad sense of the word); but, at the same time, a party must consist of a series of diverse organizations (in the strict sense of the word).

Lenin advocates that the working-class party militant be dedicated to revolutionary work, and this is possible only for those who develop particular qualities. Not every striker can be a member of the Party, says Lenin himself, not because he devalues ​​the quality of the fighter, but because to be a member of the vanguard detachment of the revolution it is not enough to go out and protest. “The stronger our Party organisations are, composed of effective Social-Democrats, the less hesitation and instability there is within the Party, the broader and more multifaceted, the richer and more fruitful will be the influence of the Party on the elements of the working masses that surround it and that it leads. For one cannot, in truth, confuse the Party as the vanguard detachment of the working class with the entire class.”

[This is the 901st post on DS.] 

Scintilla articles on the Trump administration + the war in DR Congo

 I received these two translated articles; notes are from the translator.

I think the BBC reported earlier today that the Rwandan-backed rebels in DR Congo are in the process of capturing another major city (Bukavu?) and have cut off the region around Lake Kivu (?) on the border with Rwanda.  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M23_campaign_(2022–present)

A reference to Rwanda regarding countries with reserves of the tungsten and other rare metals at stake in the new US-China trade war; note that it has been suggested that some of Rwanda's exports are actual 'laundered' Congolese resources; other major tungsten-producers apparently include Russia, DPR Korea, Vietnam, Bolivia, Australia, Austria, Spain, and Portugal etc.:  sonar21.com/ceasefire-with-palestine-holds-china-creates-big-problem-for-us-defense-industry/  I was surprised to read that the island of Cuba is a large nickel producer, though it has placer gold, so why not other metals.   

A report from Newsweek about a campaign organized by the People's Union to protest the attacks on DEI with a 24-hour consumer spending boycott February 28th, especially targeting Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, but asking people to refrain from making any purchases, in-person or online, for the entire day; if spending is necessary, people are urged to go to "small, local businesses:"   portside.org/2025-02-15/nationwide-economic-blackout-february-28

The unionization campaign at the Amazon warehouse in or near Raleigh, NC failed February 15th?

On Wikipedia:  February 16th is the Day of the Shining Star in DPR Korea, marking the anniversary of the birth of Kim Jong Il. 

The BBC claimed February 16th that support is actually growing for the deposed Yoon in the ROK, and the "opposition" is accused of being anti-woman.  A few weeks ago the BBC was focusing on misogyny in the ROK, a line of criticism they also use against Japan and China (there might have been an example of that today, too).  

The February 15th post has been censored, possibly because a Google algorithm 'thinks' that the content is actually explicit (or rightist "conspiracy theorist??" [or doxxing or whatever?]), rather than because of the politics, and I don't think I can protest the decision.  The content is still there, but I'm not getting the usual statistics about the post from them and this is like a big "Scarlet A," though maybe people will open it out of curiosity.  This is what Facebook's allegedly non-censorious "fact checking" did?  I was already thinking that I should take steps to safeguard against censorship or other problems with Blogger/Chrome.  They reserve a very broad list of reasons to cancel users, seemingly amounting to the drop of a hat.  Read while you can.  The content could be better and much of it isn't original, but there is some value.  This blog has been copied on the Wayback Machine ( web.archive.org ), but worryingly not since the end of 2023.  There have been some technical and personal problems in recent years, and I had planned to take a break for a few days, or some time.  'They' might also be watching more carefully.  I had intended to add to the February 15th post, and I still might, but there might be technical problems.  If something happens to this blog I might post new content, somewhere, using or referencing the same title and email, so any interested readers can find search it out.  There is also a problem with that account, and I didn't/won't get messages sent to it.  I have some old content posted publicly elsewhere online and might use one of those outlets or go to WordPress, etc.  An independent website seems like an obvious but more difficult solution, though those can be silenced as well, as with WikiLeaks, a well-known "conspiracy theorist," Canadian rightists, etc.   Vice President Vance spoke about German, Swiss (?), etc. censorship, causing near EU 'rebellion' at the Munich Security Conference (do Trump and Vance really want to goad the EU into becoming an independent military power?), but left out the obvious examples regarding Palestine, mentioning only the right and "far right."  There has been talk on the left about waging information war against imperialism online, but they don't explain how they propose to get around the control held by Google, banks, etc.  Virality?  Is the Internet more right than left, and frivolous?  Well-known media and activist personalities must have more options in dealing with censorship, but then they can just be arrested or sued with "lawfare." 

[Also regarding the February 15th post, I might have been wrong about Algonquin languages having been spoken in this area in Contact and Colonial times -- the Eno, Sissipahaw, Occaneechi, Shakori, etc. apparently spoke Siouan languages, like the Catawba, now based in and near York County, in northern South Carolina, near Rock Hill, SC, and Charlotte, NC.  Algonquian groups lived near the North Carolina coast, such as the Chowanoke, Roanoke, Croatan, Secotan, Weapemeoc, Pamlico, and Hatteras (some of these names might be redundant), while the Powhatan and Pamunkey lived in coastal Virginia.  Further north there were the Narragansett, Wampanoag, Massachusett, Patuxet, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy,  Miꞌkmaq, Abenaki, Mahican, Mohican, Lenape, Shawnee, Peoria, Miami, Illinois, Kickapoo, Menominee, Potawatomi, Sauk, Ojibwe, Cree, Blackfoot, Gros Ventre, Arapaho, Cheyenne, etc.  Some of these names might be redundant and not what they called themselves and of course many Native Americans or entire tribes still live in or near their traditional lands).  Many of these Algonquin-speaking tribes are famous in US and Canadian history.  I'm not sure what connections they had to the ancient Mississippian city of Cahokia in East St Louis and the mound building cultures known archaeologically in the Midwest.  Some groups have moved great distances in recent centuries, and not always due to European or American colonization, or not directly.  For more information see:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakori , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catawba_people , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algonquian_peoples , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatteras_Indians , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamlico , and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippian_culture

It is a quite foggy and cloudy morning here February 16th.  [Or maybe the window was just fogged up; later in the morning I realized that it was mild or warm, damp, cloudy, and windy.  That morning I was wondering if I was hearing something like a squirrel or raccoon that had gotten inside, but it must have been the wind.  Later in the morning a flock of red-winged blackbirds was singing nearby, I'm not sure now, but I might have heard hawk(s) and a sapsucker, etc.  More of last year's sweetgum balls were blowing down for the spring.]

Originally posted February 14th at:  piattaformacomunista.com/index.php/la-politica-di-trump-inasprisce-tutte-le-contraddizioni-del-sistema-imperialista/ and piattaformacomunista.com/index.php/unaltra-guerra-di-saccheggio-in-africa/

There are a number of interesting articles at:  piattaformacomunista.com/index.php/scintilla-n-151-febbraio-2025/   On YM Sverdlov:  piattaformacomunista.com/index.php/leminente-bolscevico-y-m-sverdlov/ ; February 2, 1943 in Stalingrad and the EU today  piattaformacomunista.com/index.php/gloria-eterna-allarmata-rossa-e-ai-partigiani-vergogna-sul-parlamento-europeo/; On Iris2 versus Starlink, Amazon Kuiper, and One Web, etc.:  piattaformacomunista.com/index.php/la-spocchia-dellimperialismo-italiano/ ; piattaformacomunista.com/index.php/compiti-permanenti-da-assolvere-con-il-giornale-comunista/; the APL and APK statement on Greenland:  piattaformacomunista.com/index.php/solidarieta-con-il-popolo-della-groenlandia-contro-ogni-imperialismo/

Scintilla No. 151, February 2025
Published by Communist Platform – for the Communist Party of the Proletariat of Italy

Trump's policy exacerbates all the contradictions of the imperialist system

The demagogic speech that Donald Trump delivered during his second inauguration and the measures he immediately implemented demonstrate the start of an ultra-reactionary policy that expresses the interests and privileges of a minority, of a handful of billionaires and monopolists present at the act: oil tycoons, owners of technology monopolies, of transnational communication companies, financial institutions, arms merchants.

It is the elite of the US imperialist bourgeoisie that supports Trump's policies aimed at putting the state at their exclusive service, dramatically worsening the lives of hundreds of millions of workers and entire peoples, without taking climate change into account.

From day one, Trump provocatively implemented protectionist measures, imposing tariffs and duties on numerous countries with which he has trade relations; he pardoned 1500 fascists who stormed the Capitol; he eliminated labor protections, such as those against discrimination or the right to unionize for federal employees; he deregulated oil drilling, eliminated the constitutional "ius soli" [birthright citizenship], declared a national emergency at the southern border, which means closing the borders and deporting migrants; he brutally attacked national and social minorities and women.

These measures were taken to support the US as a hegemonic superpower and to demonstrate that it is capable of sustaining a multi-level confrontation with other imperialist and capitalist countries, primarily with China.

Trump has already started this war, especially on the commercial level. The tariffs are already seeing retaliatory measures by some countries (China, Canada, Mexico).

The EU is also preparing to react to the tariffs established by Trump on steel and aluminum; it will do so to protect its monopolies, certainly not the workers.

Trade protectionism will have serious consequences for the world economy, such as a decrease in trade and production, high inflation, reduced investment, disruptions in supply chains, and other problems that arise from a confrontation of this magnitude.

But in the medium term, it will be the United States and the countries most closely linked to Washington, including Italy, that will be affected by this policy. Authoritative centers of analysis predict a 27% drop in exports and 20% in imports for the USA.

Production costs will increase, resulting in a decline in GDP. The majority of U.S. workers will not become richer, but poorer. Social conflict will also flare up in the U.S., rather than "Make America Great Again"!

Trump has also made it clear that he intends to implement a warmongering and colonialist policy, bringing the claws of US imperialism to countries such as Mexico, Panama, Greenland, planning the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the West Bank together with Zionism.

For Ukraine, he is preparing an imperialist peace, a prelude to new unjust wars, while he wants to rob its rare earths.

At the same time, he highlighted his authoritarian conception of power, threatening to send troops and bring hell to those places where the orders of the star-spangled superpower are not carried out.

The new political orientation of the United States translates into a complete reshaping of the state in order to eliminate all concessions to the public sphere, oriented to services for the working masses, while strengthening the mechanisms of support for capital and the war policies of the bourgeois state apparatus.

In the early days of the Trump administration, there have already been elements that make his proto-fascist character evident. Trump has begun a series of mass deportations, labeling undocumented immigrants as "criminal aliens" and treating them as military targets.

He is also instituting a policy of "white supremacy," in which monopolies can exploit and persecute non-white Americans (Latinos, blacks, and other ethnicities), who will be subjected to further discrimination and violence in all spheres of economic, political, and social life.

Not to be underestimated is the Trumpist narrative of an alleged international conspiracy to humiliate the United States, reminiscent of the Nazi German discourse of the 1930s, accompanied by the need to rebuild a U.S. identity based on economic and military supremacy, which the United States would have lost in the 1930s. Musk's fascist salute is a symbol of that program.

The second Trump administration promises to be an exploitative and robbing, chauvinist and warmongering, reactionary and fascist administration, with no respect for the rights of humans and nature.

As the representative of the most aggressive and militarist imperialism, Trump will deepen actions to benefit the industrial tycoons who support him.

The policies of his government will lead to an increase in violence both within the U.S. and internationally, undermining the agencies and institutions that the bourgeoisie has set up to maintain its liberal order.

Trump's second term is a desperate response to the unstoppable decline of the United States, to the loss of global power and influence that has its causes inside and not outside Yankee imperialism.

At the same time it represents the confirmation of a peculiarity of imperialism: that of being political reaction across the board; as well as expressing the sharpening of fundamental strife in every field.

The working class and the popular strata are faced with new conditions, which force them to abandon any illusion of peaceful development.

All the contradictions of imperialism will sharpen and affect the working class and the oppressed peoples.

Years of imperialist offensive and open and intense conflicts await us, to face them it is not enough to just show disgust and contempt for Trump, Musk and associates.

Faced with this scenario, we must not be deceived or impressed by the demagoguery, irrationalism and media power of US gangsters.

Nor can we rely on Trump's imperialist rivals acting for their own exclusive interests (China is openly aiming for a "new phase of mature and stable bilateral relations" to share the world with the US).

The enemies of our enemies are not our friends!

Aggressive imperialist plans require us to quickly unite and mobilize forces in defense of the economic, social and political interests and rights of the proletariat, to resist the proponents of austerity, authoritarianism, war and fascism.

In our country it is necessary to develop the policies of the united front and the popular front, to intensify the struggle against the government led by a Trumpist prime minister, to give life to a mass revolutionary political action to beat the bourgeois offensive, raising the flags of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism.

The problem of the economic crisis and growing misery, the threats of war, bourgeois violence and racism, and fascistization require a radical solution: the proletarian revolution led by the Leninist Party!

Scintilla #151, February 2025
Published by Communist Platform – for the Communist Party of the Proletariat of Italy

Another War of Plunder in Africa

The war in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been reignited.

The armed group M23, supported by Rwandan troops, seized Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, on January 26, taking advantage of the divisions and disintegration of the corrupt Congolese regime.

The population is facing a disastrous humanitarian situation. There have been 3,000 dead. Over 700,000 people have been displaced. The population of Goma is deprived of electricity and drinking water. Hospitals are overloaded. Even before this new escalation, more than 5 million people had been displaced in the area due to years of aggression and conflict. Currently, more than 21 million people across the DRC are in need of humanitarian aid, one of the highest figures in the world.

In this dramatic scenario, the Congolese masses took to the streets to protest. Some foreign embassies, notably those of France, Belgium, the United States, Kenya and Uganda, have been attacked by protesters, showing a clear understanding of who is behind the Rwandan regime of Paul Kagame, which is benefiting from the aggression of M23.

The battle for Goma is much more than a simple military clash that has lasted for decades in its development.

Narratives about ethnic rivalries or claims of "self-defense" cannot hide the real stakes: the robbery of the DRC's resources and the devastating impact of imperialist interference and interference that maintain reactionary military regimes and clans in Africa, arm troops and gangs led by "warlords" who set up parallel governments, They foment and finance armed conflicts, send mercenaries, cause massacres of civilians, murder, torture and violence. And when these means are not enough, they intervene directly with military means, only to issue hypocritical declarations of "peace and development".

The region around Goma is rich in coltan, cobalt, gold, cassiterite and other precious resources that are subject to savage and irrational exploitation.

Near Goma is the strategic Rubaya mine, which produces 15% of the world's coltan. In the DRC, most of the materials used by the leading industries for mobile phones, computers, electric cars, etc., are extracted at bargain prices.

The country has huge mineral resources that are mined for profit, while its population suffers from extreme poverty.

It is not the only African country in this condition. Africa is a continent despoiled by imperialist powers that oppress the peoples, violate their independence and sovereignty, plunder their resources and exploit a huge reserve of labor power at bargain prices, compete with each other for power and geopolitical areas of influence, externalize borders to manage migratory flows.

This rivalry is accentuated even more by the "ecological transition" and the need to extract valuable minerals from the subsoil, essential for the production of the latest generation of electronic equipment.

The investments of the imperialist powers, the credits they grant, the plans drawn up by the IMF, World Bank and other imperialist institutions have only produced greater dependence, backwardness and a mountain of debt that suffocates the lives of the African peoples.

It is in this context that the projects of the European Union's 'Global Gateway' program are introduced, which are oriented towards prospecting, extracting and processing of critical raw materials, which are of strategic importance for the profits of the monopolies of the automotive, arms and aerospace industries.

These are projects subordinated to imperialist priorities, without any concern for workers' rights, environmental and social impact.

What is happening in Congo is not a bolt from the blue. It was widely denounced in October 2024 in a report entitled: "Who profits from the Global Gateway? The EU new strategy for development cooperation" where the agreement signed by the EU and the European Investment Bank with Rwanda was denounced.

It is an agreement, which had seen the clear opposition of the Congolese population, and which was part of the already highly destabilized area of North Kivu.

In July 2024, the magazine "Politico" headlined in one of its correspondences: "Blood minerals: the EU is accused of fueling the conflict in the area following the agreement with Rwanda" and accused the "Memorandum of Understanding" on value chains of critical raw materials signed in February 2024 by Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen and Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta.

The agreement was accused of "creating a smokescreen for blood minerals smuggled out of eastern Congo", with the support of the M23 militias backed by the Rwandan regime.

Here is a concrete example of the causes of the conflicts that develop in Africa, closely linked to the strategies and contradictions between the various imperialist powers and the financial monopolies that are fighting for the sources of raw materials and the territories of dependent countries, to the point of dismembering them.

But the most infamous exploitation, the bandit plundering of natural resources, the inhuman oppression of hundreds of millions of inhabitants of the immense African countries is awakening the consciousness of the proletarians and peoples of these countries.

The increase of the revolutionary movement in many African countries, the mass uprisings that have recently taken place in Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, the growing protests against the presence of troops from the imperialist countries, for their immediate withdrawal, are demonstrations of this.

The African peoples can no longer bear to be plundered of their wealth, sweat and blood; they can no longer accept the criminal imperialist policies.

This is of great importance for the proletariat because it undermines the positions of the bourgeoisie at their roots, transforming the dependent countries from reserves of imperialism into the reserves of the proletarian revolution.

Stop the war of plunder in the DRC! We support the anti-imperialist and anti-neo-colonialist struggle of the African peoples!

BAP on the release of Leonard Peltier + the fighting in eastern DR Congo + a teach-in on "regime change" February 6th

From UNAC:

"What is regime change, and how has the US used it to target nations like Libya, Iraq, and Syria that resist Western dominance? This event will explore how sanctions, propaganda, and military intervention are wielded as tools of imperialism, plunging nations into chaos under the guise of "human rights" rhetoric.

Join us to analyze the devastating consequences of US-led interventions and corporate media propaganda.

Questions? Email us at thenewschoolsjp[at gmail]"

                                                      "The US’ Role in Regime Change

UNAC is a co-sponsor of this online and in-person event

Thursday, February 6, 7 PM

At the New School in New York City and online

Click here to register for the online event

                Click here to register for the in-person event "

Originally posted January 31st at:  blackallianceforpeace.com/bapstatements/imperialism-responsible-for-congo-turmoil  Slightly edited.

See also:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_23_Movement  Last week the BBC interviewed both Rwandan and Congolese officials about the fighting, while I only heard an interview with the Congolese foreign minister (?) on NPR (on Morning Edition February 1st). The BBC clearly has preferences, but they still allowed both governments to air their views on the conflict.  But the BBC hardly ever admits that there are two sides in the wars in the Middle East or Ukraine.  Palestinian and other civilians are often interviewed, but the BBC hardly ever interviews an acknowledged member of a Resistance group, junior or senior, or an Iranian or Ba'athist Syrian government official.  Occasionally they interview an academic in Tehran who gives a strong showing against "Western" imperialism (thus they rarely have him on?).  I think he is sometimes interviewed on The Electronic Intifada's livestream.  The BBC frequently interviews "right" to "far right" Israeli politicians, who frequently make little effort to hide their desire to mistreat, starve, torture, and kill the Palestinian civilian population, until Israel can annex every bit of territory "from the River to the Sea" for "settlements."  The BBC hardly ever interviews Russian officials on the war in Eastern Europe.  I don't recall the BBC ever interviewing a Russian separatist militant or official in Ukraine or a civilian victim of western Ukraine, other than maybe Russian civilians from near Kursk, on pre-war Russian territory.  The BBC lets Israelis officials and politicians openly talk, for several minutes, like we're in the 1940's and they face no risk of being arrested for war crimes, while rarely or never interviewing officials from Hamas, Ansar Allah, Hezbollah, the Russian government, Belarusian government, the Venezuelan government, etc.  Surely they could find someone official to interview?  The BBC does sometimes play clips of Putin or have Steve Rosenberg shout questions at him at events, etc., but they hardly ever interview an official from an "adversary" government, though they must often talk to such officials, 'off camera.'  I think they did let a young Chinese influencer effusively praise China's "AI" (?) or social media recently.  

\

Even US officials usually try to avoid talking like a Likud official on an open mic.  [Maybe I was mainly thinking of "Jewish Power" (Otzma Yehudit); the BBC gives the Israeli right and "far right" 'precious' air time, though they use it to offend or outrage world public opinion:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otzma_Yehudit  Described as "fascist."  The BBC rarely lets Hamas, the Russian government, the Nicaraguan government, etc. air their views and grievances in an extended interview.  I'm not even sure they let AMLO's government in Mexico explain its judicial reform plan, right or not.] [I think that parties such as the Religious Zionist Party and Jewish Home have also been given air time on the BBC recently:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Zionist_Party and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jewish_Home[I think that officials from parties such as the Religious Zionist Party and Jewish Home have also been given air time on the BBC recently:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_Zionist_Party and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jewish_Home On Likud:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Likud  Similar to how senior US officials spoke, publicly, under George W Bush and Dick Cheney?]

Despite the BAP's view below, I've wondered in general if events in the DRC or elsewhere could be related to a loss of US international power or focused attention, in the same way that conflict followed the destruction of the USSR and Yugoslavia, or an increase in the independence of smaller regional powers in a "multi-polar" world.  I'm not saying that Trump is an "isolationist."  Biden was what the mainstream media calls an "internationalist," yet events seemed to be out of US control during the Biden-Harris administration, assuming that the government wasn't just lying about its intentions.  Maybe Biden was too elderly to govern effectively.  Netanyahu made the Biden-Harris administration look weak if not humiliated, and he might be preparing the same treatment for Trump-Vance this year.  The US couldn't stop the civil war in Sudan, which also involves the UAE and other powers.  The US failed to overthrow the governments of Venezuela, Iran, or Cuba, and it failed to weaken Russia and drive it out of Ukraine.  Supposedly Turkey not the US was behind the "rebel" coup that achieved the elites' long-standing dream of toppling Syria.  They appeared unable to control mass migration caused in part by their "kinetic" and economic warfare waged around the world and a changed climate.  Maybe inflation in the USA also related to the government's wars; the EU's economy suffered because they were cut off from Russian resources.  The US also wants the EU and others to be 'on side' against China, perhaps again costing the EU economically.  Trump talks violently, but what if it achieves little, or other countries stand up to his threats?  People aren't willing to go to war for capitalist economic reasons again so soon after the "War on Terror," or there isn't enough money for a new war?  There is a limit to what the government can achieve through Bill Clinton-style aerial wars.

[From Nicaragua:  diario-octubre.com/2025/02/04/el-ku-klux-klan-esta-en-washington/

On the fighting in DR Congo:  diario-octubre.com/2025/02/04/ruanda-invade-el-este-de-congo-y-desancadena-una-guerra-civil/ ]

[ covertactionmagazine.com/2025/01/30/rwanda-invades-drc-on-behalf-of-the-corporate-critical-minerals-supply-chains/ ]

[ covertactionmagazine.com/2025/02/03/keith-harmon-snow-was-a-courageous-investigative-journalist-who-exposed-lies-regarding-the-rwandan-genocide/ ]

[ covertactionmagazine.com/2025/02/01/american-indian-movement-leader-leonard-peltier-finally-freed-from-prison-in-last-minute-move-by-biden-administration/ ]

U.S.-led Imperialism Is Directly Responsible for Turmoil in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The Black Alliance for Peace Africa Team (BAP) and U.S. Out of Africa Network (USOAN) stands in unwavering solidarity with the Congolese People as they endure yet another chapter of violence, exploitation, and masked imperialist aggression in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The ongoing conflict, fueled by Rwanda’s role as an imperialist foot soldier, is not merely a regional dispute but a manifestation of global capitalism’s insatiable desire for Africa’s resources. As the transnational capitalist class fight for dominance in the global clean energy, artificial intelligence, and technology markets, the Congo has been and stands to remain the battleground as a cornerstone of systemic plunder for over a century.

Rwanda, backed by Western powers such as the United States, the European Union (EU), Canada, Israel, etc, has consistently acted as a destabilizing force in the region, providing material support to proxy militias like the M23 to undermine Congolese sovereignty and facilitate the extraction of resources. Much like the sub-imperialist relationship between the United Arab Emirates and Sudan, Rwanda has no significant mineral reserves of its own yet has become one of the world’s leading exporters of critical minerals like coltan. The recent escalation in Goma, where Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF) and M23 have seized strategic areas, is a direct result of this imperialist agenda.

The Congolese People, however, continue to resist valiantly, with the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and Wazalendo self-defense groups reclaiming critical infrastructure like the Congolese National Radio and Television station (RTNC). The responsibility of those outside of the DRC is to heed the acts of the People reflecting the unheard, to unconditionally support their path toward self-determination and right to defend their land and sovereignty. This is the only way to sustainable peace in the Congo.

The conflict in the DRC is not an isolated event but a direct consequence of the global capitalist system in crisis. The so-called “Green Corridor” initiative, promoted by President Felix Tshisekedi at the World Economic Forum in Davos, is a stark example of how imperialist powers and their local compradors, seek to legitimize their pillaging under the guise of development. This initiative, funded primarily by the United States and EU, aims to secure access to the Congo’s cobalt, copper, and lithium — resources essential for the global transition to renewable energy and digital technologies. Yet, this so-called “development” comes at the direct expense of the Congolese People, who continue to suffer from violence, displacement, and poverty. 

The recent attacks on the embassies of Belgium, France, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and the United States, chanting “down with imperialism” and widespread protests across the DRC, from Goma to Kinshasa, make clear the frustration of the Congolese with a government that has failed to protect them, and a global system that exploits them. The uprising reflects a growing consciousness among the Congolese masses, who are demanding accountability, liberation, and an end to decades of suffering. The Black Alliance for Peace recognizes these protests as part of a broader struggle across the African continent. As Che Guevara said, “all free people of the world be prepared to avenge the crime of the Congo.” 

We understand that the liberation of the Congo is inseparable from the liberation of Africa as a whole. The Congo’s land, energy, and resources have fueled the wealth of imperialist powers for generations, while its people have been subjected to unimaginable violence and exploitation. The current crisis is a stark reminder that the struggle for African sovereignty is a struggle against the global capitalist system. We must reject the false narratives that frame this conflict as a regional or ethnic issue and instead recognize it as a fight against imperialism and for self-determination. 

The Black Alliance for Peace calls on all progressive forces, both within the African continent and around the world, to stand in solidarity with the Congolese People. Demand an immediate end to Rwanda’s aggression and the withdrawal of all foreign forces from the DRC. We call for Congo’s resources to be under the democratic control of its People. We call on all anti-imperialist forces across the world to expose the puppeteer role of the U.S.-EU-NATO Axis of Domination in fueling this crisis and to support the Congolese People’s right to life.

The struggle of the Congolese People is our struggle. Their victory is our victory . Let us unite in solidarity to end the centuries-long suffering in the Congo and to build a world free from imperialism, capitalism, and exploitation. The Congo is not for sale—it belongs to its People.

Free the Congo! 

Patrice Lumumba Lives!

Unite Africa under Socialism!

No Compromise!

No Retreat!

Originally posted January 28th at:  blackallianceforpeace.com/bapstatements/welcome-home-leonard-peltier  See also:  durhamspark.blogspot.com/2025/01/samidoun-free-ahmad-saadat-and-all.html

The Black Alliance for Peace Welcomes the Release of Leonard Peltier and Demands Unrestricted Release of all U.S. Political Prisoners

The immoral life sentence of American Indian Movement freedom fighter, political prisoner and prisoner of war, Leonard Peltier was commuted by the U.S. President Joe Biden, only moments before Biden’s term in office ended. Now 80 years old, Peltier languished for over 50 years in prison after being unjustly convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1975 during a terror raid of the Pine Ridge Reservation by agents of the U.S. government.

Biden’s clemency order for Peltier was a vulgar, narcissistic attempt to fabricate a benevolent legacy for himself. Falling far short of an exoneration, the Biden administration insinuated the act was one of compassion for a decidedly “guilty” FBI agent killer. The ailing elder Peltier won’t be released until February 18th, and will still have to remain confined to house arrest for the rest of his life under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons that can rescind his release if they decide he has violated his parole. At least he will be surrounded and cared for by loved ones.

While the Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) welcomes the long overdue release of Leonard Peltier, we hold that he should never have been imprisoned and that his imprisonment reflects the ongoing institutional expression of settler-colonialism that defines the U.S. Even though all evidence in the case of Peltier points to his innocence, BAP’s commitment to an authentic process of decolonization in every sense of that term supports the right of American Indian, First Nation people to defend themselves and resist their colonialist domination by any means necessary.

Neither Biden nor the U.S. government deserves credit or gratitude for commuting Peltier's sentence. All credit belongs to the activists, international human rights leaders, and legal advocates led by the Indigenous people who fought for decades for Leonard Peltier’s release. Peltier’s case is but one in a long and decadent history of U.S. political imprisonment and repression, with a present record that includes the contemporary cases of the Uhuru 3, the nearly five dozen “Stop Cop City” activists indicted on RICO charges, and activists targeted in the Free Palestine movement.

BAP holds the U.S. setter state in contempt for continuing to hold political prisoners and we remain “committed to working against all forms of state and domestic repression, including the issues of political prisoners and prisoners of war in the United States.”

No Compromise!

No Retreat!

The Free Leonard Peltier Ad Hoc Committee is raising funds for expenses related to retaining independent medical experts, accommodations, travel, materials, and other expenditures related to Leonard's medical care. Please contribute what you can. You can also donate via Cash App to: $PeltierOfficialComm