The flaring conflict in eastern Congo

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

Recent escalations in conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have intensified the humanitarian crisis there, with numerous fatalities and hundreds of thousands displaced due to clashes between the Congolese army and the Rwandan-supported M23 group near Goma in North Kivu province.

Details:

The situation has escalated further with the seizure of Nyanzale by rebels, resulting in significant casualties and displacement. Accusations of Rwanda‘s support for the rebels have heightened tensions between Congo and Rwanda, increasing the risk of broader conflict and threatening food security for millions.
This surge in violence coincides with the UN beginning to withdraw its peacekeepers from South Kivu province and comes after floods that left over two million people needing humanitarian assistance.

What is the conflict?

The conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) traces back to the 1990s civil wars and the 1994 Rwandan genocide, where extremist Hutus killed around 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Post-genocide, approximately two million people fled to the DRC, forming militias that reignited conflicts.
These tensions led to the First Congo War, with Rwanda and Uganda supporting the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL) to overthrow Zaire’s government, renaming the country the DRC.
The Second Congo War followed in 1998 due to fears of Rwandan annexation, involving multiple foreign armies and resulting in immense casualties and a humanitarian crisis.
Despite numerous peace agreements, ongoing conflicts involving various groups have caused nearly six million deaths and displaced millions in the region, marking it as one of the world’s deadliest conflicts since World War II.

Who are the M23 rebels, and what do they want?

The M23 rebels, also known as the March 23 Movement, are one of over a hundred insurgent groups active in eastern Congo, primarily fighting to defend Tutsi interests against Hutu militias.
Originating in 2012, M23 is named after a 2009 ceasefire deal where the Tutsi-led National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) was to integrate into the Congolese army, a promise M23 accuses the government of failing to keep.
This led them to seize Goma and other towns in 2012, though they were briefly pacified by a 2013 peace deal.
Reactivating in 2022, M23 resumed attacks in North Kivu province, citing aggression from the Hutu-led Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (DFLR), allegedly in collusion with the Congolese army.
Their recent offensives, aimed at Goma and causing mass displacement, have intensified the region’s humanitarian crisis and spurred protests demanding an end to Rwandan support for the rebels.

Tensions between Rwanda and Congo:

The violence in eastern Congo has heightened tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, with the former accusing Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels through funds, troops, and arms, a claim backed by a United Nations report but denied by Rwanda.
Rwanda attributes the escalation to Congo’s repatriation of regional peacekeepers and defends its military activities near the border as measures for national security.
International pressure on Rwanda has increased, notably from the U.S., which condemned Rwanda’s support for M23 and called for the withdrawal of its defense forces and missile systems from the DRC.
France also urged Rwanda to cease its support for the rebels.
This surge in conflict risks regional destabilization and augments the humanitarian crisis, with NGOs reporting artillery strikes on civilian areas and the consequent retreat of health and aid workers.
The situation’s severity is compounded by global attention being diverted to other international crises, raising concerns that the escalating humanitarian disaster in Congo might be overlooked.

Places in news:

Town of Sake and Goma– in North Kivu province of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Nyanzale- A town and a camp for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Source: TH