🇨🇩 What's driving DR Congo's deadly conflict with M23? | The Stream

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been facing political instability and armed violence since 1996, with an estimated six million people killed since the conflict began.

In March 2022 the M23 armed group launched a new offensive and seized territory in eastern DRC, displacing more than a million people. According to a Human Rights Watch report, the M23 allegedly executed scores of villagers and militia members between November 2022 and April 2023, burying them in mass graves in the village of Kishishe, North Kivu.

The report says that M23 has committed unlawful killings, rape, and other war crimes since late 2022, exacerbating the dire humanitarian crisis in the country. 171 civilians were executed in the last ten days of November alone, according to the UN's human rights office.

In this episode of The Stream, we’ll look at how the battle between M23 and DR Congo’s government is affecting civilians and ask what can end this cycle of violence.

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[danielnjovu]

This news should have been bigger than it is right now.

[mariejae]

I'm in America, how can we help? All thats being shown on our news was Ukraine, now Palestine vs. Isreal. I want to help Africans and bring attention to the corruption. The US also had slavery & r*pe victims and it was abolished. It's crazy to me that this is still happening. I hope it is abolished everywhere as well.

[muzerwadeo]

The great difficulties DRC face is to receive on his land rwandese ( tutsi in 1959 and hutu in 1994) in order to protect them as refugees. This cost expensively to Congolese who are killed up to now from 30 years ago. The very bad thing is the tutsi power installed in rwanda and Uganda which impose an economic war to DRC in order to steal minerals and killing his population unfortunately!!!! This is supported by UN and many strong countries like USA 🇺🇸, France 🇫🇷, UK 🇬🇧 and others... Because of this, Congolese people are right now ready and determined to defend his integrity at all cost.

[sadepenia]

The host was so concerned with staying on time! It truly became a major distraction for me…

[svenheilborn]

Congratulations for your national holiday on 30th June Democratic Republic of Congo from your friends in Germany <3
Congo is a beautiful country with amazing landscpaes, chaming people and so much culture.
Wish all conglese people only the best fpr the future <3

[Paul-tcxm]

Every conflict has a history. The first mistake being to give a country as big as the DRC with that many different ethnic groups to a minority at the west of Congo. The banyamulenge have been treated as 2nd rate citizens since the independence and truth to be told. The largest exactions against the Tutsi before the Rwandan genocide in 94, was in Goma in 93.

People need to understand that the central government is as corrupt as one can be and prone to the worst exactions. Please keep in mind that based on ALL the reports UN included, in terms of cheer numbers it's the Congolese Army that is responsible for 40% of human right abuses and crimes, then follow the Mai Mai/ADF/FDLR, etc.. the local auto defence forces and at the bottom of the list are the M23.

Keeping this hierarchy in mind, let someone explain to me who the army abuses are being committed against. As it's known that the FARDC, Mai Mai, FDLR are allies. Now if defending oneself for the right to live in peace, makes on a criminal. Then the moral compass lies with them.

If one is asking those people, to trust their butchers and recognise their rule based on borders they never agreed on and was signed by the most corrupt leaders in Africa in 1964.

Also how can you do independent research on what is really happening there? Most area's are not accessible for journalists due to security risks. And every displacement of researches, journalists are done in presence of the FARDC (the nbr one committers of human right abuses). Why does it seem I am the only one thinking this is just a twisted situation. Why is no one also stating that most of the armed group in East Congo are funded by Political actors in the government.


Please find a small overview of what those so called criminals M23/Tutsi had to swallow and are still swalowing on a daily base.

1996 According the UNHCR, government ministers in Kivu region began actively advocating ethnic cleansing against the Congolese Tutsis (Banyamulenge) in March. Congoan government forces have sided with the Interahamwe, extremist Hutus who fled RPA (Rwandan Patriotic Army) forces in Rwanda after the Hutus killed up to one million Tutsis in 1994, and are even reported to take payments from them to participate in attacks on the Banyamulenge. Official sources in Rwanda said that between the last week in March and April 2nd, more than 2600 Congolese Tutsis fled to the Rwandan border town of Gisenyi, joining over a thousand who had already fled since January. The refugees came from the district of Masisi in eastern Congo. (IPS, 4/4/1996)

1996 - 2 ans apres le genocide ...

Congolese Tutsis fled to Nkamira Rwanda from North Kivu province, Congo. They reported that they had been attacked by Interahamwe, Congoan armed forces, and local Bahunde groups. Many of the Tutsis had lived in North Kivu for generations. Before the Belgians arrived in the late 19th century, North Kivu as well as parts of Uganda were part of the Rwandan kingdom. (Inter Press Service (IPS), 2/16/1996)

1996 a nouveau - the deputy governor of South Kivu, Lwasi Ngabo Lwabanji, told ethnic Tutsis to leave Congo. For months, the Banyamulenge and the army have been at odds. Ethnic Tutsis and Hutus in Congo have been denied citizenship rights and have long been resented by other Congolese who consider themselves to be "native" to Congo. The tension between the Banyarwanda and other Congolese in the east was exacerbated by the arrival of Rwandan and Burundian refugees beginning in 1994. The warning by Lwabanji sparked a revolt by the community, and Banyarwanda in North Kivu also began fighting the Congoan government. The rebellion in the east encouraged opposition groups, separatists and pro-democracy activists throughout Congo. Laurent Kabila joined the Banyamulenge in their fight against Mobutu, and eventually took over the rebellion. Their forces is called the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Congo. Kabila had a long history as a rebel beginning as a youth leader in a political party allied with Patrice Lumumba. He headed a Marxist organization, the People's Revolutionary Party, from 1964 to the early 1980s during which time he ruled an enclave among the Bembe people in eastern Kivu Province. He then lived in Dar es Salaam as a businessman before returning to Congo in 1996. The Congoan government accused the Rwandan government of arming the Tutsi ethnic group in eastern Congo, the Rwandans denied the charge. Unconfirmed reports suggested that Banyamulenge soldiers in Mobutu's army were deserting to join their ethnic kin in the Mitumba Mountains, a Banyamulenge stronghold. (IPS, 10/16/96)

1998 - Hundreds of Hutu rebels from Rwanda living in the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), mostly Interahamwe and ex-FAR, have been recruited by the DRC government to fight rebels in the east. Republic of Congo representative Jean Claude Gakosso said that his government was not involved and that it objects to the practice. Other refugees in Congo-Brazzaville said that refugees had not been recruited by the DRC government. (IPS)

1998 - The BBC obtained a copy of an Eastern DRC radio broadcast, in Swahili, that was transmitted 11 December 1997. The "Voice of the Patriot, " radio of the Union of Forces for Liberation and Democracy, broadcast for several hours on the night of 11 December urging "true" Congolese to do all in their power to oust Tutsis from the country. The following are excerpts from the broadcast: We have been telling you since yesterday that we have an enemy whom you know very well. However, we would like to remind you that the enemy is gearing up to harm you...These Tutsi killers who invaded our country continue to prepare themselves to plant their flags on both sides so that Bukavu town can become theirs...; You know the cunning of those people, they claim to be Congolese. First of all, the Banyamulenge tribe does not exist here. We have a map of the tribes but there is no Banyamulenge tribe on that map. They come with guns, they kill us, and after killing us they call upon us, the survivors, to accept them as Congolese. Who are they that we should accept them?...; We urge you citizens, if you see our soldiers, give them food. If you see a Hutu soldier, give him food. These Hutus have suffered a lot. And, these Hutus are our brothers. Let no one deceive you that a Hutu is a Tutsi...But these stupid people [Tutsis], these lazy people, we have accommodated them since 1958 when they arrived here. They were our servants. Today they have turned against us saying that the country has become theirs...; Aren't you aware that the AFDL [Kabila's army] set up an occupation army...We are living under foreign occupation...But the Congoan people should not be worried since we, the UFLD, are already well-organized. We shall totally liberate ourselves from the occupation...; The UFLD also claimed white mercenaries had joined the national army and were fighting Hutus, and that Tutsis originate from Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia and should be sent back there. It claimed that it represents the Bantu people, including Bashi, Balega, Tembo, BaHutu, Banande, Bafulero, and Babembe.

[bonganincube]

Why is the conflict in Central Africa not attracting as much attention as the Ukraine-Russia war and Israel war on Palestine?

[sambaprojectllc]

As usual, Kambale Musavuli is an informed source. Al Jazeera needs a presenter who is informed and who listens. 5-6 million people were killed in the Second Congo War involving 9 different African nations. This was no civil war!

[WayneDawkinsThePartyMan]

6 million dead! My goodness what will it take to stop this.

[bweresquirrel]

Thank you very much for covering this important subject.

[s.a.muhammed]

The most valuable resource in drc, ug, and rw are it's human resources. As long as ethnocentrism or tribal arrogance and greed come before unity there will always be instability and foreigners will profit. Stop looking external for solutions and search the soul. There is more than enough wealth for the whole region but like the short sighted slave traders of centuries before, Africans trade away there most precious resource.

[didierndz]

In Congo there are 260+ armed groups including FDRL genocidaires who committed genocide in Rwanda, Congolese GVmt finance and support all those armed groups except M23, the problem is the Congolese government

[darkright]

This was very educative. I’d been totally ignorant on this topic.

[didierndz]

Kaneza the human rights watch officer is Burundian she is well placed to understand the root causes of that conflict,

[ccsims]

Glad to have come across this video - much needed. 👏🏿👏🏿

hope she is able to follow up with each person, set her "must implement in interview" aside, & just gather info.
Her guests were all specialists in 3 separate areas of the Congo conflict - but, we didn't get to hear from the journalist on the ground or how to follow her reporting.
Would like to know why 6.3 million is being quoted at UNHCR when most read "2.5 to 5 million displaced". The bigger the number of victims - the harder it is for non-involved people to grasp the severity.

[lt]

This interview needed as much time as they can have to speak. A dedicated channel towards this conflict and solutions. 24hrs a day 365 days a years until solutions are made involving Universities Globally, Governments and Corporations that benefits from the resources of the land.

[williammushegekwa]

I have been hearing many versions about the course of war in my country DRC, dear Congoleses and the rest of the world, it's not because of Hutu or Tusi or either one of the African conflict, it's those who likes seeing blood, those who feel pleasure by seeing people being killed because of their particular interest, ambitious and rudes. What is wrong in shearing a bit with others?
They want to take whatever they want, we need peace, fk all the minerals in DRC people are not worried with that. Many of Congoleses died without even knowing gold or anything said to be precious! Why can't they take resources and lie to people with constructions or use their methods that they use in their countries to maintain peace and preserve life?
But remember, a faire that burns your neighbor you should expect it to you as well.
Today you are burning us, but it will go rolling up to you and you won't have a way of switching off because it'll come 100 times than yours.

[s.zen.]

Too short, but thanks for trying to bring awareness

[NjieZiphougarth]

Why will united state help u 😂😂which country did united state help?

[rainwellwisher]

Only problem in DR.congo green mineral, Niobium and Tantalum elements used in stealth technology making curse for this country.