South Sudan Terrorism Stirs Massive Refuge

South Sudan has been the target of guerilla warfare and its brutality reveals itself in devastating numbers. Nearly a million civilians have taken refuge to flee the corruption and thousands have died in the crossfire of gruesome militia tactics. Since December 15 within the country’s region, 723,000 people have been displaced and over 100,000 have fled to neighboring countries trying to escape the violence. What initially began as a political accusation between South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir and his prior representative Riek Macha turned into an ungovernable attack.

South Sudan has become the newest nation across the globe, achieving full independence in July 2011. However, the newly independent country is anything but independent with a fog of political allegations and rioting, civilians can’t distinguish who is right or wrong, bad or good.

In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, peace talks have begun in hopes to remedy the mayhem and resolve the core of the country’s many issues.

There is no real astonishment when headlines of terrorism in Africa hit the news stands. It is an unfortunate and inhumane reality for civilians who are accustomed to a life of anarchy and fear. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is also struggling with mass genocides and child soldiers revolving around the country’s natural and rich resources.

Conflict Minerals are prominent in Africa’s regions and are the source of extreme “conflict” hence the name. The minerals are also referred to as the 3TG: tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold. The raw materials are extracted in extreme violation of human rights and are found in almost all manufactured items in the U.S as well as internationally.

On May 31, 2014 under Section 1502 of the SEC’s Conflict Minerals Rule, U.S. publicly traded companies will have to file a special disclosure for the 12-month reporting period ending on December 31, 2013. The aim of the rule, mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, is to provide transparency into corporate practices and specifically to reduce funding for armed groups involved in human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and surrounding countries.

By: Jahara Singh