War in the Congo
April 13, 2025
The DRC is fighting armed rebels backed by its neighbour, Rwanda
Other countries and militant groups exploit resources in the warzone
China and the US are trying to influence the conflict
In 2022 the Rwandan military entered the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to support a rebel militia fighting against the Congolese military and pro-government militias.
The DRC is home to more than 100 militia groups.
A powerful militia, the March 23 Movement (M23), has gained territory in eastern DRC, recently taking over two more cities. M23 said they want to overthrow the Congolese government.
In April 2025, M23 rebels withdrew from a recently captured mining town as a “gesture of goodwill” ahead of peace talks in Qatar.
Most of the violence involving M23 occurred in battles against the Congolese military, but violence against civilians, including sexual violence, has also increased.
Neighbouring Rwanda has been accused of supporting M23 rebels to pursue its own security and economic interests.
In 2012, M23 was created with Rwanda’s backing, who was later forced by international organisations to stop this.
The DRC holds natural resources that are central to global trade. Some estimates suggest that undiscovered minerals in the DRC could be worth $24 trillion.
The country’s large reserves of cobalt, copper, diamonds and other minerals are driving internal conflict and external actor involvement.
DRC also has significant hydropower and agricultural potential, as well as the world’s second largest rainforest.
Despite this, the DRC is among the 5 poorest nations in the world:
Around 74% of its population live in extreme poverty (less than $2.15 a day)
To compare, 1 in 6 people leave in extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa
What is happening in eastern DRC?
Since late 2021, the M23 militia has been destabilising eastern DRC provinces, particularly the mining regions of North and South Kivu.
More than 8 million people have been displaced, of whom 7 million to other parts of the DRC.
The refugee camps have poor access to water and experienced disease outbreaks.
How mineral production contributes to conflict?
DRC’s economy relies on its mineral extraction industry for:
25% of GDP
95% of exports
The country is the world’s largest exporter of cobalt – around 74% of global supply.
Cobalt is an essential component in lithium-ion batteries, used for producing most electronics.
The main minerals being extracted in eastern DRC are generally referred to as 3TG (tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold). These minerals are directly linked to the conflict in the east.
Militant groups and foreign states extract minerals in ungoverned conflict zones and sell them on the black market for profit.
The extraction of conflict minerals is linked to human rights abuses, like forced labour and poor safety.
The origins of the conflict
Ethnic tensions in the region mainly involve two tribes: the Tutsis and the Hutus.
Rwanda Genocide: in 1994, around 800,000 Tutsis were killed by Hutu militants. After the genocide, over 2 million Hutus - including genocide perpetrators – fled into eastern DRC.
First Congo War: Rwanda invaded DRC (then Zaire) in 1996 to fight Hutu militants and overthrow the local dictator, while also securing access to minerals. Neighbouring countries joined, and a new regime in the DRC was installed.
Second Congo War: The new president of the DRC betrayed his former allies, setting off another war, which involved 9 African nations and 25 armed groups. Around 5.4 million people have died in the two Congo Wars.
Who is involved in the conflict?
DRC military:
The Congolese army is estimated at 140,000 troops. The exact number of soldiers involved in the east is unclear.
In 2023, DRC more than doubled its military spending to $794 million. However, corruption complicates the adequate spending of funds.
Bad conditions within the army have led to poor soldier morale, desertions and looting of local communities.
Around 2,300 police officers had allegedly joined the M23 after the military failed to stop the militia’s advance into North Kivu.
Recently, DRC doubled the salary of soldiers and police officers to discourage desertions.
The Congolese army is allied with a rebel coalition of pro-government militias that are opposed to the M23.
Last year, the Congolese army claimed to have trained 40,000 of these fighters.
M23:
Reports claim that the M23 have more than 6,000 soldiers fighting in eastern DRC.
The M23 is a Tutsi-led militia formed in 2012 when around 300 Congolese troops rebelled due to the poor conditions within the army and the government’s failure to integrate militants.
In 2012, with military support from Rwanda, the M23 took the city of Goma for the first time.
Rwanda came under pressure from the international organisations for supporting the M23.
Over $200 million in aid was suspended, forcing Rwanda to stop supporting the rebellion due to its dependency on these funds.
At the time, international aid accounted for around 40% of its government spending and 12% of the GDP.
The M23 gave up control over Goma and other territories it had gained, leading to its defeat in 2013 and to the signing of a peace agreement.
In November 2021, M23 resumed their armed activity saying that the new agreement was not implemented.
The goals:
Protection of Tutsis from ethnic violence and from Hutu militias
Achieving representation of Tutsi community in the DRC politics
Implementation of peace agreements promised by the government
Economic exploitation of conquered regions
Rwanda:
Rwanda claims to be involved in the conflict to secure its border with DRC fearing a spillover of violence from Hutu militants.
However, Rwanda has been accused of using this conflict to extract minerals from eastern DRC.
Rwanda has allegedly sent 3,000-4,000 soldiers to support the M23. Another estimate claims this number could be as high as 7,000-12,000 soldiers. Rwanda denies these claims.
Currently, Rwanda is using its alliance with the M23 to smuggle coltan and other key minerals from eastern DRC to then sell it internationally.
Rwanda’s coltan exports grew by 50% between 2022-2023, despite having limited supplies of this mineral.
Uganda and Burundi:
Uganda and Burundi have deployed troops to eastern DRC under the pretext of fighting armed groups.
Uganda, with 5,000-6,000 soldiers, focuses on an Islamist militia near its border but faces allegations of supporting the M23 and exploiting DRC’s mineral wealth, particularly gold.
Similarly, Burundi initially stationed up to 12,000 troops but withdrew most after setbacks against M23. Currently, their presence numbers 2,000-3,000 soldiers.
Both nations have been accused of smuggling gold out of the DRC, while their involvement deepens regional tensions and complicates conflict resolution efforts.
UN Peacekeeping force:
11,000 peacekeepers are stationed in eastern DRC.
A withdrawal was planned for 2024, but UN decided to pause it indefinitely due to the unstable situation faced by the Congolese army.
There have been 292 fatalities among the peacekeepers in the DRC since 2010.
China
China is the largest commercial partner of the DRC. It buys 69% of DRC exports.
In 2005-2022, China loaned $3.2 billion to the DRC to fund key infrastructure, such as roads and the electricity grid.
China has financed and built hydropower plants and a dry port in the country.
Chinese state-owned companies control 80% of the cobalt production in the DRC.
In 2023, DRC exported $2.4 billion worth of cobalt globally. China imported $2.7 billion worth of cobalt that same year.
The conflict has disrupted gold and coltan mining operations that China benefits from.
China has good relationships with both the DRC and Rwanda, and it tried to manage the conflict so that its mining operations in the region can continue.
Despite a history of non-interference in global conflicts, China’s UN ambassador recently asked Rwanda to stop supporting the M23.
China’s military equipment has also reached the conflict:
The Congolese military uses Chinese drones
Ugandan soldiers in the DRC use Chinese arms
United States
The US is the largest donor to the DRC.
The US covered 70% of the total aid received by DRC in 2024 ($910 million).
Between 2002 and 2021, the US sent more than $10 billion in aid.
The US has been using its influence to pressure Rwanda and the M23, whilst also trying to curb Chinese influence in the region.
The US imposed sanctions on M23 leaders
A US-brokered pact looking to normalise relations between the DRC and Rwanda in 2023 was largely ineffective
In 2025, the Congolese president offered mineral access to the US in exchange for military assistance
The US supported a cobalt export ban from the DRC to China aimed at limiting Chinese market dominance
Humanitarian crisis
The ongoing conflict has had serious consequences for the Congolese population.
21 million people in the DRC urgently need medical aid and food
Nearly 300,000 people, including 183,000 children, lack access to water
2,500 schools have closed due to the conflict, with 1.6 million children out of school
Sexual violence against women has continued to rise, as 2024 saw more than 56,000 cases in North Kivu alone
Outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, ebola, and measles
Corporations
Global backlash due to rising awareness of the link between everyday consumer goods and conflict minerals is forcing multinationals to improve their transparency and control processes.
Tesla has implemented policies to reduce reliance on conflict minerals and cobalt sourced from high-risk areas.
In December 2024, the DRC initiated criminal charges against Apple in France and Belgium, alleging that the company's supply chain includes tin, coltan and tungsten sourced from the conflict zones in eastern DRC.
Author Lisandro Diaz Villarruel
Editor Anton Kutuzov
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