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Escalation of Conflict in Eastern Congo

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(Source – Indian Express, Section – Explained- Page No. – 18)

Topic: GS2 – International Relations
Context
  • The M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda, have escalated their offensive in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

 Analysis of the news:

Eastern Congo

Conflict in Eastern Congo

  • The M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, have expanded their offensive in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), capturing Goma and advancing south towards Bukavu in South Kivu province.
  • This marks a major escalation in a decades-old conflict driven by power struggles, ethnic tensions, and resource control, displacing over one million people and causing widespread devastation.

Current Situation and Military Advances

  • The M23 rebels captured Goma on January 28, seizing control of the airport and facing limited resistance from Congolese forces, many of whom surrendered.
  • By January 30, they had consolidated control over the city and begun advancing southward into South Kivu, engaging Congolese troops and allied Burundian forces.
  • Reports from the UN suggest Rwandan troops have also crossed into South Kivu, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.

Who Are the M23 Rebels?

  • M23, named after the March 23, 2009, peace agreement, is a Tutsi-led insurgent group that accuses the Congolese government of failing to integrate Congolese Tutsis into the army and administration.
  • It fights primarily against ethnic Hutu militias such as the FDLR, a group formed by Hutus involved in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
  • Since 2022, M23 has held Rubaya, a coltan-mining region, generating nearly $800,000 per month through mining taxes.

Rwanda’s Role and Regional Implications

  • The DRC, UN, and Western nations have accused Rwanda of directly supporting M23, citing a 2022 UN report with evidence of Rwandan troops fighting alongside the rebels.
  • Rwanda denies these claims, arguing that its actions are defensive and accusing the DRC of collaborating with the FDLR, which threatens Tutsi communities.
  • The conflict risks escalating into a regional war involving multiple countries, deepening instability in Central Africa.
About Democratic Republic of Congo
Eastern Congo

  • The DRC is 2nd largest country in Africa and the 11th largest in the world.
  • It has a small coastline with the Atlantic Ocean. DRC is bounded to the north by the Central African Republic and South Sudan; to the east by Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania; to the southeast by Zambia; and to the southwest by Angola.

○      Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, is located on the Congo River, the only river to cross the equator twice in Africa.

  • The official language is French, but other languages include Kituba, Lingala, Swahili, and Tshiluba.
  • Katanga Plateau is considered to be a rich mining region, which supplies cobalt, copper, tin, radium, uranium, and diamonds.
PYQ: Consider the following pairs: (2023)

Regions often mentioned in news         Reasons for being in news

1)     North Kivu and Ituri           War between Armenia and Azerbaijan

2)     Nagorno – Karabakh         Insurgency in Mozambique

3)     Kherson and Zaporizhzhia           Dispute between Israel and Lebanon

How many of the pairs given above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans. (d)

Practice Question:  Examine the role of the M23 rebels in the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. How has Rwanda’s involvement in supporting the rebels impacted the regional stability and what are the broader implications for the Great Lakes region?(150 Words /10 marks)

Check more…. Uttarakhand UCC

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