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 KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - Soldiers, mercenaries, militiamen, miners and risk-ready foreigners make up a motley group that exploits some of the world's richest mineral reserves, often illegally, in Congo's Wild East.
All will be anxiously watching to see whether Congo's president-elect moves to end the free-for-all. This week, incumbent Joseph Kabila was declared the winner of the presidential runoff, and his people hope he will bring political stability and economic order to a country long mired in war and poverty.
Congo's mineral resources are worth an estimated $300 billion over the next 25 years. In the past, though, the earthly riches have only contributed to misery and today most of the nation's 58 million people remain mired in poverty.
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