Congo: A History of Extraction, Resistance, and Resilience.
The Congo’s latest emergency is not new—it is the continuation of decades of instability, resource exploitation, and unhealed wounds now erupting into one of the world’s deadliest crises. Armed groups have resurfaced in the country’s east, communities are being uprooted, and millions are once again displaced. For many Congolese people, this cycle of war and loss is not an exception but unfortunately a recurring shadow, one that has defined generations.
How Did We Get Here?
The Democratic Republic of Congo has long carried the weight of history, a land rich in resources, yet burdened by exploitation, war, and neglect.
For over a century, Congo’s story has been shaped by foreign powers that viewed it’s land and people as commodities to control. From the brutal colonial rule of King Leopold II to modern conflicts over minerals that power the world’s technology, Congo’s pain has always been intertwined with global demand.
Understanding today’s crisis means looking back, through colonization, dictatorship, wars, and fragile peace so that we see how each chapter has built upon the last.
Colonial Beginnings of Congo’s Suffering
In the late 19th century, King Leopold II of Belgium claimed Congo as his personal property, naming it the Congo Free State. Under the guise of ending the slave trade and bringing “civilization,” Leopold created one of the most brutal colonial regimes in modern history.
Millions of Congolese were forced to harvest rubber and ivory under horrific conditions. Those who resisted faced amputation, starvation, or death. Historians estimate that 10 to 15 million people perished under Leopold’s rule.
In 1908, international outrage forced Belgium to take control from Leopold, turning Congo into a formal colony. Yet the exploitation continued, schools and infrastructure served colonial elites, while Congolese people were denied education, political rights, and economic opportunity.
By the time independence came in 1960, the country had few trained leaders and a system built on extraction rather than empowerment. The seeds of instability were already sown.
Independence and Turmoil
Congo’s independence in 1960 was celebrated with hope, but unfortunately it quickly unraveled.
Just weeks after independence, the young nation descended into crisis: the army mutinied, provinces seceded, and Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, a visionary calling for true sovereignty and resource justice, was assassinated with foreign complicity.
What followed was decades of political upheaval and authoritarian rule.
In 1965, Mobutu Sese Seko seized power, ruling for over 30 years. Backed by Western powers during the Cold War, Mobutu enriched himself while the country’s infrastructure crumbled. He renamed the nation Zaire, but his regime deepened corruption and repression.
When Mobutu’s rule finally collapsed in the 1990s, the country was already fractured and the next wars would be even more devastating.
From Rwanda to Congo: The Spark of the First Congo War
The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda set off a chain reaction across Central Africa. When the genocide ended, tens of thousands of armed Hutu extremists and members of the former Rwandan army fled into eastern Congo, setting up camps near the border.
From there, they launched attacks back into Rwanda and terrorized Congolese communities.
In 1996, Rwanda, with support from Uganda — invaded eastern Congo to dismantle these militias and overthrow Mobutu’s regime. This intervention sparked the First Congo War, leading to Mobutu’s fall and the rise of Laurent-Désiré Kabila in 1997.
But peace never came. By 1998, new tensions ignited the Second Congo War which is often called “Africa’s World War” — involving armies from nine nations and dozens of armed groups. It became the deadliest conflict since World War II, killing an estimated 5 million people through violence, hunger, and disease.
Though peace accords were signed in the early 2000s, eastern Congo remained unstable, its soil rich in coltan, cobalt, and gold, and its people caught between militias and foreign interests.
What Is Happening Now
Today, Congo faces one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.
Armed groups continue to fight for control over mineral-rich territories, particularly in the east. Among them, the March 23 Movement (M23) has re-emerged with renewed strength, capturing cities and displacing hundreds of thousands.
As of 2025:
Over 7 million people are displaced across the country.
Nearly 25 million require humanitarian aid.
Hundreds of thousands of children face acute hunger.
Communities live under constant threat of raids, forced recruitment, and sexual violence.
In places like North Kivu and Ituri, entire villages are trapped between armed groups.
Hospitals, schools, and farms have been destroyed. Women and girls bear the brunt of the violence, they are targeted for rape, exploitation, and slavery.
Who Are the M23 Rebels?
The March 23 Movement (M23) formed in 2012, led by soldiers who accused the government of breaking a 2009 peace deal promising political representation and army integration.
Most fighters are of Tutsi origin, and M23 claims to defend Tutsi communities. But in practice, the group has been accused of mass atrocities, including killings, forced recruitment, and sexual violence.
After being defeated in 2013, M23 re-emerged in 2022, reportedly with Rwandan backing — quickly taking control of key towns and coltan mines.
Their resurgence has displaced millions, heightened tensions with Rwanda, and deepened Congo’s humanitarian emergency.
The Global Dimension
Congo’s crisis is not isolated, it’s deeply tied to global supply chains.
The minerals in its soil — cobalt, coltan, tin, gold — power the smartphones, electric cars, and batteries of the modern world.
But behind the technology lies suffering:
Children working in unsafe mines
Communities stripped of land
Profits funding armed groups
Congo’s story exposes a global contradiction: the world depends on its resources but often turns away from its pain.
A Fragile Step Toward Peace: The Washington Accord
On June 27, 2025, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed the Washington Accord, a U.S.-mediated peace agreement outlining:
Withdrawal of Rwandan troops from eastern Congo within 90 days
Disarmament and reintegration of militias
A framework for regional economic cooperation and ethical mining
The accord offers hope, but challenges remain.
The M23 rebels were not party to the deal, and many fear violence will continue unless all armed groups are brought into a broader peace process.
Why Clarity Matters
Congo’s suffering cannot be reduced to headlines about warlords or minerals.
It’s the story of families losing homes, children growing up under siege, and communities carrying generations of trauma and strength.
It’s also a story of global responsibility, because the world’s wealth is built, in part, on Congo’s soil.
To see Congo clearly is to recognize that justice and solidarity are not optional, they are owed.
How to Stand in Solidarity
Support Congolese-led organizations providing relief and rebuilding communities:
Caritas Congo – Nationwide humanitarian services in health, food, and education.
Fally Ipupa Foundation – Supporting orphans and survivors of violence.
Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) – Investing in community-led development.
Nabahya Food Institute (NFI) – Promoting sustainable farming and food justice.
Fondation Chirezi (FOCHI) – Advancing peace and education through dialogue.
Share accurate information — amplify Congolese voices and journalists.
Advocate for ethical supply chains — demand transparency from tech and energy companies sourcing Congo’s minerals.
Support accountability efforts — push for justice for war crimes and exploitation.
A Closing Reflection
Congo is more than its crisis.
It is a land of vast forests and rivers, of music and poetry, of ancestors who dreamed of freedom and descendants still carrying that dream.
To witness Congo truthfully is to refuse silence.
To act in solidarity is to affirm that even in the darkest chapters, humanity and hope endure.
