What's going on in DR Congo, where Rwanda-backed rebels have taken over city of Goma?

The situation in Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is worrying. On Monday (January 27), Rwanda-backed rebels claimed to have captured the city. The city holds strategic importance as a region containing trillions of dollars in mineral wealth that remains largely untapped.

According to analysts, the M23 fighters have seized control of the city that is home to around two million people.

This event marks a significant escalation in one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts, with the potential to severely worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis.

The latest escalation in the conflict has resulted in thousands of people fleeing their homes with close to one million being displaced who are already in Goma. Meanwhile, hospitals have also been stretched to the limit with hundreds of wounded coming in every day as civilians get caught in the crossfire.

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Here is all you need to know about the conflict.

Who are the M23 rebels?

The M23 rebels are a group made up primarily of ethnic Tutsis vying for a foothold in eastern Congo , where a decades-long conflict has raged. The Tutsis, who could not integrate into the Congolese army, led a failed insurgency against the Congolese government in 2012. The force went dormant for a decade, until its resurgence in 2022.

Eastern Congo was integral to the conflict in the region often referred to as ‘Africa’s world war’ between 1996 and 2003 as several armed groups fought over access to metals and rare earth minerals such as copper, cobalt, lithium and gold. As many as six million people died.

The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in neighbouring Rwanda, where Hutu militias killed between 500,000 and one million ethnic Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutus and Twa, Indigenous people.

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When Tutsi-led forces fought back, nearly two million Hutus crossed into Congo, fearing reprisals. Tensions between Hutus and Tutsis have repeatedly flared in Congo since then.

Rwandan authorities have accused the Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide and alleged that elements of the Congolese army protected them. They have argued that the militias formed by a small fraction of the Hutus are a threat to Rwanda’s Tutsi population.

M23 claims to defend Tutsi and Congolese of Rwandan origin from discrimination. Critics say it’s a pretext for Rwanda to obtain economic and political influence over eastern Congo.

What is the need to control eastern Congo?

The world relies on Eastern Congo for metals and rare earth minerals used in the production of electronics making the region like a rare metal itself. Meanwhile, neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda along with China and the United States have financial interests in Congolese mines.

Most of Congo’s mineral resources, estimated to be worth $24 trillion, remain untapped, according to the US Department of Commerce last year, which called the country the world’s leading producer of cobalt, key to making batteries.

Little of the region’s wealth has trickled down to Congolese citizens, with 60 per cent out of its 100 million residents living below the poverty line. Instead, fighting over natural resources has destabilised the country.

What is Rwanda’s role in the conflict?

Congo, the United States and UN experts have accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group, which has significantly expanded its ranks. With an estimated 6,500 fighters today, according to the United Nations, this represents a substantial increase from the hundreds of members it had in 2021.

While Rwanda denies that claim, it acknowledged last year that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo, allegedly to safeguard its security. UN experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

Analysts say that Rwandan troops in eastern Congo have been increasingly active in recent weeks.

Why is Goma important for the rebels?

Goma serves as a crucial regional hub for trade, security and humanitarian operations with its airport playing a vital role in the transportation of essential supplies. Since 2021, a joint effort by the Congolese government, allied forces, including troops from Burundi, and UN forces has successfully prevented the M23 rebels from capturing the city.

The capture of such a large city will be a huge boost for the rebels and a major defeat for government forces. Goma’s fall would also have a “catastrophic impact on hundreds of thousands of civilians, putting them at risk of heightened exposure to human rights violations and abuses,” said Ravina Shamdasani of the UN Human Rights Office.

Can the conflict be resolved?

In 2012, the rebels seized Goma and controlled it for about a week but surrendered the city after mounting international pressure on Rwanda, including suspension of aid from the United States and Britain. But analysts say this time around, it will be more difficult.

“Previously, they (M23) had clear demands to be integrated into the DRC army and have greater participation in the political process,” said Darren Davids, an analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit. But now, he said, “it seems like M23, with the help of Rwanda, are intent on holding control of Goma and, more specifically, the supply chain routes in North Kivu.”

The rebels could use Goma as a bargaining chip, strengthening their position in possible negotiations with Congo.

What is the situation for civilians?

There are four million displaced people in eastern Congo. The UN refugee agency says more than 400,000 have been displaced already this year, exacerbating “desperate conditions” in severely overcrowded displacement centres in and around Goma and triggering an increase in cholera cases.

As rebels closed in on Goma, many more fled from surrounding villages and displacement camps into the city. Others fled from Goma into Rwanda. Some of the staff at Goma’s main hospital were sheltering in a bunker, treating the wounded while coming under gunfire and artillery fire.

With inputs from AP