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Why Rebels Seize Goma: DR Congo’s Ongoing Struggle for Stability”

 

 

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is once again engulfed in chaos as the M23 rebel group advances on Goma, a vital city in the mineral-rich eastern region. This conflict, which has persisted for over three decades, has drawn in neighboring countries, further destabilizing the region and amplifying the humanitarian crisis.

 

M23 rebels, predominantly ethnic Tutsis, claim to have seized control of Goma, home to over a million people. This key city near the Rwandan border and Lake Kivu is a gateway to lucrative mining areas supplying essential resources like gold, tin, and coltan—materials critical for mobile phones and electric vehicles. However, Congolese authorities insist their troops still hold strategic positions.

 

The origins of the conflict trace back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, where 800,000 Tutsis were slaughtered by Hutu extremists. Many Hutu refugees, including some perpetrators, fled to eastern DRC, fueling ethnic tensions. Over the years, numerous armed groups, including the M23, have emerged, vying for control of the region’s resources.

 

Rwanda has been accused by the United Nations and Western nations of supporting M23 with weapons and troops—a claim Kigali denies. Rwanda justifies its involvement by pointing to the presence of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Hutu militia it describes as a “genocidal threat.”

 

Despite a UN peacekeeping presence since 1999, the violence remains unchecked. Recent clashes have claimed the lives of 13 peacekeepers from South Africa, Malawi, and Uruguay. Efforts to mediate peace, including a ceasefire brokered by Angola, have repeatedly failed, leaving the region in turmoil.

 

As Goma falls under siege, the crisis underscores the dire need for international action to prevent further devastation in a region already scarred by decades of bloodshed.

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