Last Update: January 31, 2023, 23:45 IST
Violence in the East since the 1990s has killed millions and displaced millions. (File photo: Reuters)
The conflict in Congo is decades old, making it difficult to isolate certain causes, said Jason Stearns, director of the Congo Research Group.
The focus of Pope Francis’ visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday is a meeting with some 60 victims of decades of violence in the country’s east, who have traveled cross-country to see him.
The pontiff had expected to visit the eastern city of Goma but canceled the stop following a resurgence of fighting in the mineral-rich region, where more than 120 armed groups are fighting for control of land and natural resources.
Violence in the East since the 1990s has killed millions and displaced millions.
What is the reason behind the violence in eastern Congo?
The conflict in Congo is decades old, making it difficult to isolate a few causes, said Jason Stearns, director of the Congo Research Group. Initially, insurgencies abroad with rear bases in Congo, local conflicts over land, resources and identity – especially over the status of Rwandan language-speaking groups, and the weakness of the Congolese state were the main reasons, he said.
He said the state has a greater responsibility as it has not done much in the past to break, disintegrate or defeat any of the 120 armed groups.
Competition for control of the region’s rich natural resources has also contributed to the violence.
Pierre Boisselet of Kivu Security Tracker, which monitors unrest in the region, said: “The conflict has reached a stage where it appears self-sustaining because, over the decades, there has been a class of professionals in violence, both between local and foreign armed groups and states in the region.”
who are the main actors in the violence
Numerous armed groups are involved in the violence, some with a few dozen members while others with hundreds of armed combatants, sometimes along ethnic lines. The most active in recent years include:
* M 23. The name refers to the March 23 date of the 2009 accord that ended the previous Tutsi-led insurgency in eastern Congo. The group says the government has not kept its promise to fully incorporate Congolese Tutsi into the army and government.
It occupied large swaths of the region in resurgence from March 2022, displacing over 500,000 as they advanced on the gates of Goma, leading to the cancellation of a visit by the Pope.
* The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group run mostly by ethnic Hutu who fled Rwanda after participating in the 1994 genocide. He is seen as the main rival of M23. Rwanda accuses Congo of using the FDLR as a proxy, while Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23. Both sides have denied the allegations.
* The fighters of the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, commonly known as CODECO, come mainly from the Lendu farming community, which has been in conflict with the Hema herders. He is seen as one of the most violent against civilians. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo blamed militias for a mass grave with 49 bodies, including 12 women and six children, found on 19 January.
* The Islamic State-affiliated militia, known locally as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), is another violent group operating in the region. It killed and maimed many people in raids and bombings of villages. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for some of the ADF violence. The group is suspected of killing 20 people in a raid last week and another 14 in a church bombing.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)