What’s going on in the DRC?

Historical Conflict

• The region has been a source of conflict between the Hutus and Tutsis since colonial times.

• Imperialist powers like Germany and Belgium ruled over Rwanda through a Tutsi monarchy, ensuring better prospects for the group.

• The Hutus called for a’revolution’ in 1959, costing the lives of around 20,000 Tutsis.

• The Hutu regime came to power in 1960, leading to the country’s independence and the first President in Grégoire Kayibanda.

The Rwandan Genocide

• The Hutus led to systematic repression of the Tutsis, leading to the formation of the Tutsi rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).

• The war reached its inflection point in April 1994 when an aircraft carrying Rwandan President Juvenal Habriyamana and his Burundi counterpart Cyprien Ntarynira was shot down, leading to a rampage of murders.

• The genocide ended only after an RPF reprisal emerged victorious in July 1994.

Post-Genocide

• Two million Hutus, including the perpetrators, crossed into the eastern region of the DRC, now known as Zaire.

• The region comprises over 120 armed groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the M23, which claims to represent the interests of the Tutsis.

Africa’s World Wars

• Rwandan troops invaded Congo in 1996 and 1998, leading to the First Congo War and the Second Congo War.

• The fighting ended in 2003 after killing five million people.

M23 Rebels

• The M23, formed in 2012, aims to protect Tutsis and has captured Goma for the first time in 2012.

• The group is accused of war crimes by the UN.

Ethnic Tensions and Mineral-Rich Regions

• The conflict is not only about ethnic strife but also about the mineral-rich regions in the DRC’s east, which are coveted by nations and armed groups.

• The capture of Goma, a key trading and transport hub, will help M23 to a great degree.

Regional Response

• DRC President Felix Tshisekedi called the capture of Goma “an act of war.”

• Rwandan President Kagambe has urged the M23 to be part of discussions to prevent the spillover of a civil war.

• Uganda is helping Congolese troops hunt down militants with Ugandan origins tied to the Islamic State and allows the M23 to use its territory as a base.