Politics

Fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: the rebels of the M23 took the city of Goma

The situation in the North Kivueastern province of Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC). The rebels of Movement of 23 March (M23) After killing the governor of the province, the general Peter Cirimwamithey managed to conquer Gomacapital already the scene of fighting with the regular army. The United Nations They confirmed the death of General Cirimwami, hit while he was on the front line.

As we write, the clashes in Goma continue, despite the announcement of the M23 rebel group, supported by Rwanda, that it has taken control of the main city of the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC). During an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, held on Sunday, it was requested to stop the offensive immediately. The advance of the rebels in the East of the country, a region full of mining resources, has already forced thousands of people to abandon their homes, feeding the fears of a possible escalation of the internal conflict in a regional war. According to some testimonies collected by the agencies Reuters and France Press, in the city, which has about 2 million inhabitants, there are looting, shootings and artillery shots, in particular in the airport area and in the urban center. In addition, there was a mass evasion from the municipal prison, which housed around 3,000 prisoners, with several victims during the escape. The rebels imposed on government soldiers an ultimatum, ordering them to surrender by 3:00 on Monday, local time. In response, a hundred Congolese soldiers delivered weapons to the troops of the United Nations Peace Mission in Congo (Monusco), active in the country for twenty years with a contingent of 14,000 units. In the last few days, the fights against the rebels of the M23 have caused the death of at least 13 Peacekeeper foreigners, said on Saturday theUNwho began to evacuate his staff from the country.

According to reports from a United Nations official to the Associated Press, two South African soldiers were killed on Friday, while a Uruguayan Peacekeeper lost his life on Saturday. In addition, three Malawi blue helmets and seven soldiers from the mission of the Community for the development of southern Africa (Samidrc)active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2021, died during the clashes. The UN accuses the Rwanda of having unfolded between 3,000 and 4,000 soldiers in support of the rebels of the M23. On Sunday, the Security Council condemned the “flagent contempt for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the RDC” by exhorting the immediate withdrawal of the external forces “. In the meantime, the president of Kenya, William Rutowhich also presides over the Oriental Africa communityhas convened an emergency meeting of the regional leaders to face the ongoing crisis. In recent days the United States, Great Britain and France invited their citizens to abandon Goma, where about a million inhabitants remain, half compared to the population before the conflict. The new escalation broke out after the failure of the mediation of theAngola Between Kinshasa and the Rwanda, accused by the Congolese government of supporting rebels. Kigali justifies his intervention by declaring that he wants to protect the Tutsi minority, to which most of the fighters of the M23 belongs. On the other hand, the Congolese authorities argue that the Rwanda is using the rebel group to take over the large mining of the Kivu. Meanwhile, the Congolese president FĂ©lix tshisekedi He has convened a crisis meeting and will preside today the defense council to discuss emergency measures.

North Kivu, in particular the area that extends from Bunagana (on the border with Uganda) passing through Kanyabayonga Up to Goma (on the border with Rwanda), it is one of the richest mining regions in the world. Here there are abundant deposits of colan, tin and tungsten, known – together with gold – like Conflict minerals: resources extracted in war contexts or characterized by serious violations of human rights. These same minerals are at the center of commercial agreements between the Rwanda and the European Union. In a context of conflict such as that of the Eastern Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC), the presence of mining resources becomes an engine of armed violence. However, the interest of armed groups does not simply reduce the greed or direct control of mines to get rich. For many of these groups, the minerals – often smuggled – represent an essential source of funding to pursue political, economic, social and military objectives.

Also for the neighboring states, such as Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, Congolese resources have crucial importance. The military forces of these countries are often present in the East of the RDC – sometimes with the consent of Kinshasaother times illegally – and exploit the conflict to extend their influence on strategically and economically relevant territories. Not infrequently, the minerals are sacked by the soldiers, sent to the respective countries and subsequently sold on the international market as original products of Rwanda, Uganda or Burundi. The conflict, which for three years has opposed the forces of Kinshasa to the M23 supported by an estimated Rwandan contingent in 3-4 thousand men, has further aggravated the humanitarian crisis in a region already tormented for decades of instability.