2007年VOA标准英语-Pit Collapse Exposes DRC's Shaky Mining Structu

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
14 January 2007

Miners handle stones on a hilltop of Mbola mines in Democratic Republic of Congo (File photo)

The collapse¹ of a diamond pit mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this month, in which 15 people were reported killed, has highlighted the dangers of primitive², open pit mining. Phuong Tran reports from VOA's West and Central Africa bureau on the debate over how to control this unregulated sector³, which is one of the few ways for people to make a living in the impoverished⁴ region.

Industry experts say poverty and corruption⁵ contribute to the persistence⁶ of unregulated mining with little oversight⁷ and few safety measures.

Diamond consultant⁸ Chaim Even-Zohar estimates there are up to one-million Congolese informal miners and another nine-million people who depend on their incomes.

"What we see is that poor people, diggers who are not very literate⁹, not very educated, that believe that the diamonds will raise them out of poverty," said Zohar.

But, Zohar says, miners find they are not the ones making the money.

"In most places, you get a semi-slave situation, where investors¹⁰ - call them supervisors¹¹, call them traders, they call them supporters in most countries - will put a gang together and give them a little bit [of ] money in advance, and they have to work for him, because they are indebted to him," added Zohar.

Efforts to regulate the informal mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo date back several years. A 2002 regulation requires inspections¹² of mines, and licensing¹³ of diggers. A 2003 presidential decree created cooperatives of informal miners who receive training, small loans and equipment.

But officials have said that both efforts face funding problems.

Carina Tertsakian, with the British-based watchdog group, Global Witness, says miners have few protections.

"There are no health and safety measures," said Tertsakian. "There are no precautions of any kind for the miners, who are most of the time digging with their bare hands, without any special clothing or equipment."

Patricia Feeney with the British-based NGO, Rights and Accountability in Development, says, in the absence of government oversight, and with the country still struggling to overcome the vestiges¹⁴ of its five-year civil war, which ended in 2003, tribal¹⁵ forms of ownership dominate.

"As the old state structures and controls and maintenance systems were eroded¹⁶ or collapsed¹⁷ with the war and the dying days of the [President] Mobutu [Sese Seko] period, informal ways of working these mineral-rich concessions¹⁸ have developed with no concerns for safety," she said.

Carina Tertsakian with Global Witness says that some of these former officials who took control during war years are still in control of mines, and pose another threat to miners' safety.

"They have formed gangs who are well armed and they are fighting for control of the mines," said Tertsakian.

The U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo announced this month that it is now illegal to carry weapons without authorization¹⁹ in the gold-rich Ituri province in the east, where rival militias²¹ vying²² for control of the mines and inter-ethnic violence have claimed thousands of lives and terrorized those who remain.

Tertsakian says that the U.N. strategy of a no-weapons mining zone is one step to increasing worker safety, but is not enough.

"It is not only a question of disarming²³ militia²⁰ groups. It is also a question of looking to see what the national army is doing," continued Tertsakian. "The governance of natural resources is still extremely weak. So, at any given time, it is quite possible that conflict over the possession and profits of these resources could resume once again."

Diamond consultant Zohar says the challenges are enormous.

"The issue comes down to corruption and good governance," said Zohar.

Carina Tertsakian says the upshot is, no one takes responsibility when accidents do happen.

"Because they are working, in theory, illegally, and because no one is responsible for them, what it means is that, when there are accidents, no one is taking responsibility for that. No one is investigating it, and no one is ensuring their basic protection," said Tertsakian .

Newly-elected President Joseph Kabila has said he will make reforming the large mineral sector one of his main priorities.

1 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

2 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

3 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

4 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

6 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

7 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

8 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

9 literate   

n.学者；adj.精通文学的，受过教育的

参考例句：

• Only a few of the nation's peasants are literate.这个国家的农民中只有少数人能识字。
• A literate person can get knowledge through reading many books.一个受过教育的人可以通过读书而获得知识。

10 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

11 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

12 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 licensing   

v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A large part of state regulation consists of occupational licensing. 大部分州的管理涉及行业的特许批准。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• That licensing procedures for projects would move faster. 这样的工程批准程序一定会加快。 来自辞典例句

14 vestiges   

残余部分( vestige的名词复数 )； 遗迹； 痕迹； 毫不

参考例句：

• the last vestiges of the old colonial regime 旧殖民制度最后的残余
• These upright stones are the vestiges of some ancient religion. 这些竖立的石头是某种古代宗教的遗迹。

15 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

16 eroded   

adj. 被侵蚀的，有蚀痕的 动词erode的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The cliff face has been steadily eroded by the sea. 峭壁表面逐渐被海水侵蚀。
• The stream eroded a channel in the solid rock. 小溪在硬石中侵蚀成一条水道。

17 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

18 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

19 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

20 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

21 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

22 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。

23 disarming   

adj.消除敌意的，使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• He flashed her a disarming smile. 他朝她笑了一下，让她消消气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We will agree to disarming troops and leaving their weapons at military positions. 我们将同意解除军队的武装并把武器留在军事阵地。 来自辞典例句