DRC: The Situation in North-Kivu

Photo: Monuc/Myriam Asmani

The Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced 2 wars in the last 12 years, resulting in over 5.4 million deaths. The first war, which was in 1996, was a consequence of the Rwandan genocide and the second followed in 1998 as fighting for control over the DRC’s vast resources had heightened. The rising death tolls from past as well as present conflicts are not only a result of violence between ethnic groups, but also, as a result of disease, lack of food, shelter and medicine. The UN has stated that over a quarter million people have also become displaced due to the rebel groups that run rampant throughout the DRC.

Map: La-croix.com

The DRC currently has a democratic transitional government in place, with Joseph Kabila as president. Opposing him is General Laurent Nkunda, who is Tutsi by birth, but claims to be fighting for all Congolese. Nkunda leads his rebel army out of North Kivu. Along with Nkunda’s rebel army occupying the DRC and Kabila’s National Congolese Army, there are also Hutu rebels from Rwanda as well as The Lord’s Resistance Army from neighbouring Uganda – all active players in the fighting. Why all the fuss?

Demonstration in Montreal Against the Conflict in DRC – November 08

The DRC is one of Africa’s richest countries in terms of its vast mineral and natural resource wealth – it is rich in gold, diamonds, timber, copper, coltan and cobalt. And Although the holes within the peace process, ongoing competition of rebel groups and a massive lack of social infrastructure are a large part of the problem silver none repeat scroll the shared desire for control of the DRC’s resources is also a main driving force behind the conflict. The exploitation of resources does not solely stem from groups within the DRC or its neighbouring states, Uganda or Rwanda, but the West is also a key player in the quest for the DRC’s resources.What is happening within the region is that neighbouring countries, like Uganda and Rwanda, are extract them to Western companies. According to his article, published in the Briarpatch in 2001, Asad Ismi states that the diamond industry alone in the United States supplies $2 million US per year to the Rwandan Army. Money is being funnelled back into these countries and as Ismi suggests, is potentially being used to fund the activities of the rebel militias. The bottom line is that the spark behind what is fuelling these fires is western demand for these resources and the profit that is to be made from them.

Although the UN maintains its largest humanitarian mission in the DRC, it does not seem to be enough to halt the violent actions of local rebel groups. More attention, more action, more aid and more concern must be brought to the DRC. Furthermore, the groups, governments and international institutions that are also directly or indirectly involved must be held accountable for their covert complicity.

• The Economist where you can find an interactive map explaining the conflict (the video is on the third line)
• The UN Refugee Agency and its action in DRC
• World Vision, how you can help the population in DRC and a lot of interesting ressources on the topic