The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been plagued by conflict for decades, resulting in a devastating humanitarian crisis that has displaced over 6 million people and claimed the lives of another 6 million. The mineral-rich nation, home to valuable resources such as coltan, a key component in the production of cell phones, laptops, and electric vehicles, is embroiled in a complex struggle for control. More than 100 rebel groups and Congolese national military forces are vying for power, with the M23 rebel group, primarily comprising ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army in 2012, having recently resurged.
The M23 has launched attacks on Congolese soldiers, prompting concerns that the group may be backed by neighboring Rwanda, a claim that Rwanda has denied. In recent months, the M23 has seized key roads leading to the eastern city of Goma, threatened to capture the nearby city of Sake, and taken control of the valuable mining town of Rubaya, which is home to significant coltan deposits.
The escalation in violence has sparked widespread protests in Congo, with demonstrators accusing Western governments of ignoring the crisis and supporting Rwanda. Human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented mass killings and rapes committed by M23 fighters against civilians.
The conflict between Congo and Rwanda dates back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hutus fled Rwanda for Congo, including soldiers who had perpetrated atrocities against Tutsis. Two years later, Rwanda invaded Congo, citing concerns about the threat posed by Hutu groups to the Tutsi population. The conflict ultimately led to the forced exile of Congo’s leader, Mobutu Sese Seko. A second war in Congo in 1998 resulted in an estimated 5.4 million deaths, according to the International Rescue Committee.
News Peg
Congo named a new government Wednesday, about five months after elections were held, securing a second term for President Felix Tshisekedi. Days after the Congolese army said it had stopped a coup d’état attempt, three American citizens were arrested.
Tangent
The ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ phrase picked up steam this week, aided by an AI-generated image promoting the slogan that was reshared millions of times on social media. The image was reposted more than 37 million times in less than 24 hours on Instagram, NBC News reported, and a post bearing the same image on X was viewed more than 8 million times and reposted nearly 200,000 times. Celebrities, including Nicola Coughlan, who played Bridget in “Bridgeton”, and singer Kehlani, reposted the image on Instagram. The phrase appears to have been first used by Rick Peeperkorn, director of the World Health Organization’s Office of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, who said in February: “All eyes are on Rafah,” days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a plan to evacuate the more than 1.3 million displaced people occupying the city. The phrase surged in popularity after an Israeli airstrike, which Netanyahu said targeted a Hamas compound, killed at least 45 people and wounded 249 others. Following international condemnation, including from French President Emmanuel Macron, who said he was ‘outraged’ and urged an immediate ceasefire, Netanyahu called the deaths a ‘tragic accident’.
