Issues That Affect the Extraction of the Resources in Africa - Paper Example

Introduction

There are numerous resources across which should make the continent developed. Unfortunately, a few individuals who have enriched themselves instead of using it for the benefit of the country have misused the resources. There are also many issues that affect the extraction of high-value resources in Africa. One of the issues that affect the extraction of the resources is labor relations. Several countries do not pay fair wages to their employees. Despite the resources fetching millions of dollars, these people are paid little money that can hardly sustain them (Pratten, 2008). The people are also not allowed to join labor unions making it hard for them to negotiate for fair wages. The companies sometimes bribe government officials who allow them to do as they wish in the minefields. The complicity with the government officials makes it hard for the employees to ask for wages that is fair.

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Secondly, there is the use of child labor in the minefields. Countries that are facing political instability such as the Congo and Liberia have been accused of using child labor in extracting the high-value minerals. Because there are not officials to oversee the extraction of the minerals, different militias control these mines and use their own laws and rules in the extraction of the minerals. These children are paid little money and sometimes they are not paid at all. The labor used can be equated to modern-day slavery because of the working condition that the people in the mines undergo (Pratten, 2008). Sometimes the militias kidnap people and force them to work in the fields. Other times, the local community work in the fields because it is their only source of income. Because of this desperation, the people controlling the mines pay whatever they want.

Thirdly, there is the issue of working conditions. Some companies that extract resources in Africa have been accused of having poor working conditions. These companies do not take measures to protect the workers in their fields. People working in these fields do not get the protective gear that they require. They are left to work in the fields with very little protection for living them prone to diseases. The minefields are also done in a less professional way making the extraction of minerals labor intensive. People have often been killed in these mines as they collapse on them. There are also cases of pollution that affect the extraction of high-value resources. In countries such as Nigeria, the oil fields have leaked several times leading to the pollution of the oceans and sea. The people in these areas have been affected because they depend on fishing.

Finally, the resources in Africa have been called the curse of Africa because of the negative effects that it has on the country and the economy. People in Niger Delta, for example, have felt marginalized despite the resources coming from their area. The government policy does not take into account the development of the area that the resources are being extracted. These feeling of exclusion has made people to revolt against the companies in their areas. People have blown up oil pipes and taken workers from the oil companies hostage. They feel that the only way to get the government attention is by using violence. Unfortunately, the government sends its military to deal with the militias. Instead of talking with the people and understanding what they want, the government uses force to suppress the people.

References

Pratten, D. (2008). 'The Thief Eats His Shame': Practice and Power in Nigerian Vigilantism. Africa, 78(01), 64-83. doi:10.3366/e0001972008000053