Congo’s Crisis Explained: How Conflict, Minerals, and Power Struggles Collided
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. Colonial rule stripped its land and people for rubber, ivory, and minerals, leaving scars of violence and division. After independence in 1960, the young nation endured political upheaval, assassinations, and authoritarian rule under Mobutu Sese Seko.
Colonial Beginnings of Congo’s Suffering
Congo’s long history of suffering under outside control began in the late 19th century, when King Leopold II of Belgium claimed the territory as his personal possession under the name Congo Free State. Behind promises of ending the slave trade and bringing “civilization,” Leopold oversaw one of the most brutal extractive regimes in modern history. Millions of Congolese were forced into labor to harvest rubber and ivory, with those who resisted facing mutilation, famine, or death. Historians estimate that as many as 10 to 15 million people perished during this period. Though Belgium later took the territory from Leopold in 1908, colonial exploitation and systemic racism continued, setting the stage for Congo’s cycles of instability and injustice.
In the 1990s, the First and Second Congo Wars brought devastation, drawing in multiple African nations and leaving millions dead. Though labeled as “post-war,” eastern Congo never found peace. Dozens of armed groups, fueled by ethnic rivalries and mineral wealth, continued to shape daily life. The promise of democracy after the 2019 transition raised hopes, but fragile governance and corruption left the country vulnerable.
From Rwanda to Congo: The Spark of the First Congo War
The genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994 didn’t just devastate Rwanda—it spilled directly into Congo. When the killings ended, tens of thousands of armed Hutu extremists, along with members of the former Rwandan army, fled across the border into eastern Congo. From refugee camps there, they launched attacks back into Rwanda and terrorized local Congolese communities.
Rwanda, fearing another genocide and determined to dismantle these militias, invaded Congo in 1996 with the support of Uganda. This intervention—aimed at neutralizing the Hutu fighters but also toppling Mobutu Sese Seko’s failing regime—ignited the First Congo War. In just months, the war reshaped the country and set the stage for the even larger Second Congo War, often called “Africa’s World War.”
What Is Happening Now
In recent years, the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group has re-emerged with renewed strength, capturing major eastern cities and displacing hundreds of thousands. Backed by regional support and controlling key mining areas, their advances have shaken Congo and the region.
Today, more than seven million people are displaced across the country, nearly twenty-five million require humanitarian assistance, and hundreds of thousands of children face acute hunger. Communities live in constant fear of raids, recruitment, and loss. Women and girls, in particular, face increased risks of violence and exploitation.
Eastern Congo’s mineral wealth—coltan, cobalt, gold—sits at the center of the conflict. These resources power smartphones, electric cars, and global technology, yet their extraction often funds armed groups and deepens instability. Artisanal miners, including children, dig in dangerous conditions for pennies a day while profits flow into international supply chains.
Other groups, such as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), aligned with extremist networks, continue attacks that kill dozens at a time. In many provinces, healthcare, education, and infrastructure have collapsed under the weight of unending crisis.
Who Are the M23 Rebels?
The March 23 Movement, or M23, is a rebel group that first emerged in 2012 in eastern Congo. It was formed by former members of another militia who accused the Congolese government of breaking a 2009 peace deal that promised them integration into the army and political representation.
Most of its leaders and fighters are of Tutsi origin, and the group claims to protect Congolese Tutsis against other militias operating in the region. In reality, M23 has become one of the most powerful armed groups in the DRC, accused of mass abuses including forced recruitment, rape, and killings.
After being defeated in 2013, M23 re-emerged in 2022 with stronger backing—reportedly supported by Rwanda—and quickly began capturing key territory. Today, the group controls major cities and mineral-rich areas, including coltan mines that fund their operations.
The resurgence of M23 has displaced millions, fueled regional tensions, and left civilians trapped between warring forces. Their presence is one of the central drivers of the current humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo.
The Global Dimension
Congo’s story is not just local. Its minerals are woven into the devices and technologies that shape daily life around the world. Its instability affects regional neighbors, refugee flows, and African geopolitics. Foreign powers, while negotiating peace agreements, have often fueled the very dynamics that sustain war—through arms, extraction, and strategic interests.
A peace agreement signed in 2025 between the Congolese and Rwandan governments offers a glimmer of hope, calling for troop withdrawals and regional cooperation. Yet with M23 and other militias excluded, many fear the cycle of conflict will continue.
What Is the Washington Accord?
In a pivotal moment for regional diplomacy, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed a U.S.-mediated peace agreement—known as the Washington Accord—on June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C. It was formalized by their foreign ministers, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner (DRC) and Olivier Nduhungirehe (Rwanda), in the presence of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The deal outlines a 90-day withdrawal of Rwandan troops from eastern Congo, the disarmament and integration of armed groups including the FDLR (and in principle the M23 though the latter was not part of the deal), and the creation of a regional economic integration framework with U.S. involvement in mining investments. Importantly, while it represents a hopeful diplomatic breakthrough, the M23 rebel group was not a party to the agreement and remains in separate talks.
Why Clarity Matters
The crisis in Congo is often reduced to headlines about warlords or minerals. But at its heart, this is about people—families losing homes, children growing up without safety, and communities carrying both grief and resilience.
It is also about justice. Congo’s suffering cannot be separated from the global demand for its minerals or from the silence of an international community that benefits from its resources but turns away from its pain.
How to Stand in Solidarity
Support trusted Congolese and international relief organizations delivering food, shelter, and medical care.
Share knowledge responsibly, ensuring Congo’s story is told with accuracy and dignity.
Advocate for ethical supply chains, demanding transparency from companies that rely on Congolese minerals.
Amplify Congolese voices, centering their narratives rather than speaking over them.
Trusted Congolese-Led Relief Organizations
Caritas Congo – National reach via the Catholic Church, delivering relief, health, and education services.
Fally Ipupa Foundation – Artist-founded NGO helping orphans and conflict survivors with essentials and learning support.
Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) – Grants and advocacy organization investing in community-first Congolese partners.
Nabahya Food Institute (NFI) – Uvira-based, advancing sustainable agriculture and food justice in eastern DRC.
Fondation Chirezi (FOCHI) – Grassroots peace and education NGO focused on empowering communities through dialogue and training.
A Closing Reflection
The Congo is more than its crisis. It is the land of vast forests, rivers, and mountains; of music, poetry, and ancestral wisdom. Its people carry resilience in ways that defy the weight of history.
To witness Congo truthfully is to refuse silence. To act in solidarity is to affirm that even in the darkest chapters, humanity and hope can endure.