How search for lucrative minerals has left eastern Congo in turmoil

Eastern Congo, which is part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is a region rich in natural resources.

The area has been marred by decades of conflict, leaving a devastating impact on its population and environment. These crises are complex, involving ethnic tensions, political instability, and competition over valuable minerals.

According to a report by the Centre for Preventive Action published on the Global Conflict Tracker, the first Congo War (1996–1997) was followed by the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.

This war saw Hutu extremists kill over one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Nearly two million Hutu refugees fled to the DRC, especially North and South Kivu, where Hutu extremists formed militias. Tutsi militias and foreign powers soon intervened, intensifying the conflict.

The Second Congo War (1998-2002) erupted due to strained relations between Rwanda and Uganda on one side and DRC on the other, over mining concessions.

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Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, turned against then-Congolese President Laurent Kabila when the latter ordered all foreign soldiers to leave his nation. The two had backed Kabila in the war that ousted the late Dictator Joseph Mobutu Sese Seko, who later died in Morocco.

This war would later draw in multiple countries, and armed groups, including Uganda, Angola, Namibia, Libya, Chad, Sudan and Zimbabwe. Non-State armed groups such as the Lords Resistance Army, ML, Forces for Renewal, UPC, UNITA, Allied Democratic Forces, Interahamwe and others, fought in support or against the two main belligerents.

As the war deepened, so did its convoluted nature. Uganda and Rwanda would turn against each other and fight on the DRC’s land. Eastern Congo boasts vast deposits of minerals such as coltan, cobalt, gold, and tin, which are essential for global technology and manufacturing industries.

These glittering resources have become a magnet to various armed groups and foreign investors - all are vying for control. The resulting competition has been a catalyst to violence, with profits from illegal mining activities often funding the purchase of weapons to sustain the conflict.

Uganda, for instance, hived part of Orientale Province and created what has not come to be known as Ituri Province, and has been allegedly controlling gold mining in the region.

The ongoing violence has resulted in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises since the end of the Second World War in 1945. It left over five million people dead. The United Nations, in a March 2024 report, estimates 7.2 million people were internally displaced in DRC - the largest number, globally.

According to an Aljazeera report, an estimated six million people have been killed since the conflict began. Around 1.1 million Congolese have sought refuge in neighbouring countries such as Uganda, South Africa, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia and Angola. An alarming 23.4 million people in the DRC face food insecurity, making it the world’s most affected country.

The conflicts are characterised by widespread human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and forced recruitment of child soldiers. Millions of women and girls as young as five years and as old as 80 years have been sexually violated. Civilians often bear the brunt of the violence, with armed groups targeting villages, looting, and committing atrocities.

The absence of effective governance and law enforcement worsens these violations, leaving victims with little recourse for justice.

Despite various peace agreements and international interventions, lasting peace remains elusive. The conflict is further complicated by neighbouring countries like Rwanda and Uganda, which are accused of supporting armed groups such as M23 to secure mineral wealth.

Countries involved in the conflict include Rwanda, Uganda, Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. China also plays a significant role in the region’s mining industry. The complexity and brutality of the conflict highlight the ongoing struggle for control and stability in Eastern Congo.

The conflicts in Eastern DRC are a tragic example of how resource wealth can become a curse rather than a blessing, further stamping the popular adage that ‘not all that glitters is gold’, pun unintended. It will take deliberate, sustained and coordinated efforts to break the cycle of violence and exploitation, to pave the way for a more peaceful and prosperous future for the people of DRC.