Why the war in eastern DR Congo matters

As the global leaders look at the future of Ukraine from DC to Paris and Johannesburg, the two-decade old country at the heart of Africa gets neglected... Is this fair in today's world?

Melissa Chemam

Feb 21, 2025

Dear readers,

I feel that the news is once again getting turned off by many…

Yet, we see daily how neglect and ignorance make the state of our affairs worse.

If you have a little time and courage, here is my update on the Congo, and this potential third Africa’s regional war…

First, the facts…

DRC conflict

Rwandan-backed M23 gains in eastern DRC spark UN warnings and regional fears

As Rwandan-backed M23 fighters continue to make significant advances in eastern DRC, having captured the cities of Goma and Bukavu, the conflict is now triggering warnings from the UN Security Council and fuelling fears of a wider regional crisis.

Issued on: 21/02/2025

*Burundian military personnel in Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on 5 March 2023. © ALEXIS HUGUET / AFP*

By: Melissa Chemam

After seizing control of the town of Kamanyola, about 45 kilometres from Bukavu in South Kivu province, M23 fighters are continuing their advance further south, towards Uvira, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

Sporadic gunfire, looting and panic have been reported in several surrounding areas all week, including Uvira.

The United Nations warned on Wednesday that the M23 "continues to advance towards other strategic areas" in the provinces of North and South Kivu.

South Kivu's provincial capital Bukavu, home to one million people and bordering Rwanda, is roughly 50 kilometres from Burundi, which is dealing with its biggest influx of refugees in 25 years.

Some 42,000 people fled eastern DRC to Burundi in two weeks, according to the UN.

Fleeing shootings

Families are fleeing the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations refugee agency said.

"This is the largest number of refugees that Burundi has seen since the beginning of the 2000s," Brigitte Mukanga-Eno, representative for the UN refugee agency UNHCR in Burundi, said on Thursday.

"Over the past few days and weeks, we have received thousands of people here in Burundi," she also told a press conference in Bujumbura, on Wednesday, estimating roughly 30,000 people had crossed.

"People are still pouring in by the thousands every day."

The Burundian government said last Monday that around 10,000 people had crossed the country's western border, fleeing the violence in the DRC.

Interior minister Martin Niteretse said the government intended to relocate the refugees to eastern Burundi, "in order to guarantee their safety". He added they would be granted refugee status.

Amid the crisis, Congolese Catholic and Protestant leaders have launched efforts to mediate between the parties.

Donatien Nshole, Secretary General of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), told us that war is not a solution. "We need to find a national consensus about all our issues sitting around a table," he said.

Fear of regional war

The UN is also worried about wider consequences for the whole region.

Bintou Keita, head of the UN's DRC peacekeeping mission, expressed concern to the UN Security Council over M23's advance. She said on Wednesday that the group was approaching the "the junction of the three borders between the DRC, Rwanda and Burundi."

Huang Xia, the UN Secretary-General's special envoy for the Great Lakes region, told the Security Council that M23 and its allies were continuing their advance towards "other strategic areas" in North and South Kivu, warning "the risk of a regional conflagration is more real than ever".

Since October 2023, Burundi has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to help the Congolese army against the M23 and other armed groups.

Late Wednesday military and official sources said some Burundian troops were staging a "tactical withdrawal", although the army's spokesman denied any retreat.

Nshole hopes to see an international conference on peace in the Great Lakes region.

The UN Security Council acknowledged the urgency of the situation and once again condemned the actions of the M23 rebels and Rwanda’s involvement.

For more on the crisis, my most recent podcast episode:

A M23 combattant stands guard during a press conference at the North-Kivu Governorate in Goma on 6 February 2025.

Spotlight on Africa - Podcast

18/02/2025

The crisis in the DRC and the African Union response

As fighting continues in South Kivu between M23 rebels and Congolese forces in the eastern regions bordering Rwanda, uncertainty surrounding the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo grows. This week, we discuss how the African Union can assist with an International Crisis Group expert and address humanitarian risks with a UNICEF worker.

The M23 has launched additional attacks in South Kivu, and despite talks in Tanzania earlier in February and a brief ceasefire, the fighting persists. As a result, millions of Congolese have been displaced, with nearly 3,000 lives lost.

To explore the role of diplomacy in the country, as well as in other violent crises across the continent, my first guest is Liesl Louw-Vaudran from the International Crisis Group.

She joins us from Addis Ababa, where the African Union's headquarters are located, following the release of the group’s annual report outlining the eight priorities the AU should focus on.

We will also hear from civilians fleeing Goma and from Paulin Nkwosseu, the Chief of Field Offices at UNICEF for the DRC.

Listen from our website here: https://www.rfi.fr/en/podcasts/spotlight-on-africa/20250218-the-crisis-in-the-drc-and-the-african-union-response
or from Apple Podcast here.

Episode mixed by Erwan Rome.

Spotlight on Africa is produced by Radio France Internationale's English language service.

The, to understand the global repercussions of this conflict, you can go back to our first podcast episode of the year:

DRC takes on Apple: can conflict mineral mining be stopped?

08/01/2025

The Democratic Republic of Congo is launching an unprecedented case against the American tech giant Apple over conflict minerals. To explore the issues at hand, RFI talked to a former UN expert to discuss whether any progress has been made in curbing illegal mining.

Conflict minerals is the term used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to describe minerals sourced from conflict-affected and high-risk areas, such as tantalum, tin, tungsten (referred to as the '3Ts'), gold, cobalt, coltan, and lithium.

These minerals are essential for high-tech applications, including smartphones, electric batteries, and other advanced technology such as appliances, cars, and even wind turbines. They are predominantly found in the African Great Lakes region, especially in eastern DRC.

In an effort to combat the illegal and exploitative trade of these minerals, the NGO Global Witness established a transition team several years ago.

The May 2022 a report from Global Witness revealed that these minerals are used in products by international brands such as Apple, Intel, Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, and Tesla.

To examine the situation, we spoke to Gregory Mthembu-Salter, a researcher specialising in Africa's political economy and a former consultant to the UN Group of Experts on the DRC on due diligence regarding conflict minerals.

Listen from here: DRC takes on Apple: can conflict mineral mining be stopped?

In other news…

The top diplomats from the Group of 20 major economies convened this week in South Africa on Thursday and Friday for meetings dominated by a packed global agenda but overshadowed by a snub by the top US envoy.

Why the G20 matters

South Africa is the first African country to lead the forum in 20 years. It took over the G20 presidency in November last year in a move meant to be an opportunity to get wealthy nations to listen to their counterparts from the global south.

The group currently consists of 19 countries - from Brazil to South Korea, Russia and China, including the members of the G7 - as well as the European Union and the African Union. It makes up more than 80 percent of global GDP and two-thirds of the world population.

Podcast episode about it: Africa’s changing diplomacy as G20, Ecowas divisions and new global alliances loom

But the group's richest member, the US, snubbed the two-day talks after its Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would not attend and accused Pretoria of an "anti-American" agenda…

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as well as his Chinese and Indian counterparts have confirmed their attendance.

European diplomats are also present, including France's Jean-Noel Barrot, the UK's David Lammy and Ireland's Tánaiste / Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Harris.

Wars and conflicts in both Africa and Europe are set to be common themes, Xolisa Mabhongo, South Africa's Ambassador to the United Nations, said on Wednesday.

Ramaphosa told G20 foreign ministers that multilateralism and international law were key to solving world crises.

"It is critical that the principles of the UN Charter, multilateralism and international law should remain at the centre of all our endeavours. It should be the glue that keeps us together," he said at the opening of a meeting.

His other key priority is discussions on climate change and a fairer deal for the global south.

Melissa on the Road

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