Ruins, Resources and Resistance; Unraveling the war in Congo

The war in the eastern DRC has led to thousands of people fleeing to other parts of the country and into neighboring countries like Burundi and Rwanda. According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have fled the eastern region into neighboring countries. The conflict has claimed thousands of lives, creating one of the world's largest humanitarian crises in the east, displacing more than 7 million people, including more than 100,000 who fled their homes in 2025.

The United Nations is now calling for a peaceful resolution to the crisis, urging all parties to restrain themselves from committing further atrocities in the region.

Congolese refugees carrying their belongings arrive at the Nyakabande Transit Centre, Uganda

Minerals and the war

Congo has high deposits of minerals, including coltan, manganese, and cassiterite, which are essential in producing car batteries, phones, and other modern technologies.

More than 4,000 troops support the M23, which has been fighting for a foothold in the mineral-rich eastern Congo. The M23 now controls several mines around Goma and Bukavu. The Congolese government alleges that the M23 wants to control the mines and smuggle them to Rwanda.

The Congolese government alleges that Rwanda has been supporting the M23. In a recent interview, though denied the allegations, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame stated that Rwanda will always protect its regional interests, including stopping the conflict east of DRC from spilling into its territory.

Kabila factor

In late May, former DRC president Joseph Kabila returned to Congo from South Africa, several years after handing power over to the current president, Felix Tshisekedi. Kabila, who led the DRC between 2001 and 2019, is accused of supporting the M23 rebels. Kabila has been in self-imposed exile since 2023.

His closest allies say he returned to help resolve the conflict between the Congolese government and the M23.

In May, the country's senate passed a motion removing presidential immunity granted to him as a former leader, paving the way for a possible prosecution by the authorities.

According to Justice Minister Constant Mutamba, Kabila is being accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, treason, and participating in an insurrection movement in the conflict-ravaged eastern region.

On the other hand, Kabila accused the Congolese government and parliament of becoming a dictatorship.

The former leader has constantly denied his involvement in supporting the M23 rebels.

Possible war crimes

The Human Rights group Amnesty International has accused the M23 of war crimes that include killings, torture and disappearance of civilians in both Goma and Bukavu.

The rights group said that it interviewed 18 civilians who the M23 rebels had previously detained. They were being accused of supporting the Congolese army. The detainees said that there was no evidence produced to support the M23 allegations and that several of them were not even informed of why they were being detained.

They claimed they were tortured and even witnessed others being beaten with wooden rods, electric cables, or engine belts.

Peacekeeping and Mediation efforts

In recent years, the Kenyan army and the Southern African Development Cooperation (SADC) have collaborated to establish peace in eastern Congo without success. Due to the complexity of the conflict and failed attempts to bring peace, the Kenyan army withdrew from the region. Not long after, in May, the SADC forces began vacating the region from Rwanda to Tanzania.

The African Union (AU)- led mediations, previously spearheaded by Angola, are now led by Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe. Angola stepped away from mediation, citing its own national responsibilities.

Meanwhile, in April, the United States stepped in to secure the extraction and export of minerals from the region, aiming to protect U.S. business operations from disruption amid the ongoing violence.