#south kivu

[dazesanddoodles]

remembered i have some sort of a following here so for anyone interested in helping to lay the groundwork for structural change in the drc, check out the idjwi island education fund!!

Years of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Rwanda has resulted in a substantial influx of refugees, including many orphans, to Idjwi Island in Lake Kivu between the two countries. The island lacks basic infrastructure and the existing schools on Idjwi Island are inadequate and lack resources. Although many international organizations are active in Eastern Congo, there is virtually no support for the Idjwi community.

the island gets sidelined a lot in talks of humanitarian aid but systematic change is needed throughout the whole country and the island is one place to build that foundation

link (again<3):

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/a-new-school-on-idjwi-island/

[khizuo]

(this article was published on Nov. 3, 2023. I highly recommend reading the whole thing to get a good overview of conflict in the DRC as of that date.)

Almost seven million people have been internally displaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) — the highest number on record— amid an escalation of fighting in a war that has been ongoing for two decades.  The country’s eastern provinces have been the worst-affected following a resurgence of attacks by the M23 rebel militia, internationally acknowledged to be a proxy force backed by neighboring Rwanda, in 2021. The DRC currently also has over 100 armed groups operating within its territory. 

In Masisi for instance, there has been a “worrying increase” in the cases of severe acute malnutrition, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Reduced trade amid the ongoing conflict has also led to a major increase in food prices, with the cost of cassava flour rising by four times.  The ongoing fighting has also had a severe impact on the health and disease response, with the DRC reporting the highest number of suspected cholera cases and deaths in West and Central Africa region. The country alone accounts for almost 80% of disease transmissions and approximately 60% of all deaths, as per a report released by UNICEF last month. The provinces of North and South Kivu alone accounted for 80% of all cases in the country and 33% of all deaths. 

The current mandate of the EACRF is set to expire on December 8. Meanwhile, the DRC has also called for a removal of the UN peacekeeping force, MONUSCO, whose current mandate will expire on December 20, around the same time as the country is set to hold its elections.  The Congolese government has indicated that it wants the EACRF to withdraw from the country after its current mandate expires. On November 1, government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said, “some Congolese are now questioning why we even asked to join the EAC […] When we joined the EAC, it was to connect our country with the region. The regional bloc was committed to peacebuilding but unfortunately, we have little progress.” 

[datsderbunnyblog]

Two Containers to Restore Life in Congo

Focus Congo are sending two containers to restore life in the Democratic Republic of Congo. What do they contain?

1) Medical supplies and equipment to treat the wounded and sick in the war-torn regions of Eastern DRC.

2) Urgently needed humanitarian relief goods for the internally displaced. Donations will be distributed by our local team to different partners we are working with on the ground in both provinces of South-Kivu and North-Kivu.

The collected funds will be used for the transportation of the two containers and all incurring costs until they reach the DRC.

[adarinas]

(WIP) Resources Masterlist

*Note: a lot of these are geared toward American and/or English-speaking populations, my apologies, but plenty of them are global!

GENERAL

End Global Genocides Master Document | Another Master Doc | Tumblr Post - Links to Informational Articles/Websites

Donations: Fundraisers - Gaza, Sudan, Congo, and more | Doctors Without Borders | Care.org | World Central Kitchen | Operation Olive Branch | Islamic Relief USA

Discord: Global Strikes Against Genocide Discord Server

SUDAN

Eyes on Sudan | Sudan Solidarity Collective | Linktree - Sudanese Diaspora Network

Info: 500 days of war... | Sudan War Explained - Interview

Petitions/Letters: Stop Sudan War | Justice for Human Rights Abuse Victims in Chad and Sudan | Stop Arming Saudi Arabia and the UAE to stop the Sudan genocide

Donations: Sudan Funds | Tumblr Masterpost - Sudan Orgs/Fundraisers | Water for South Sudan

ROHINGYA

Free Rohingya Coalition

Info: CNN - Hundreds of Rohingya face drone strikes / ethnic cleansing in Myanmar

Spotify - Rohingya Culture Interview

Petitions:

Donations: Mutual Emergency Aid 4 Rohingya | Emergency Aid for Rohingya Orphans and Disabled Families

TIGRAY

Tigray Action Committee

Info: Omna Tigray - What's happening in Tigray? | Tghat News | UN Article from Sept 2023

Petitions/Letters: Petition - Demand Aid to Tigray | Stop the Tigray Genocide

Donations: Places to Donate for Tigray Tumblr Post | Ahwatna Relief

DRC

Friends of the Congo | Focus Congo | Congo Resources Tumblr Post

Info: DRC: Inside the world's forgotten war | Congo Genocide Explained - Interview

Petitions: No Tax Dollars to Fund Congo Genocide | Halt the Ongoing Genocide in Congo

Donations: SOS Congo (organized by Goma Actif) | IRC in Congo | Action Kivu

KASHMIR

Stand with Kashmir | Kashmir Masterlist Tumblr Post

Info: Kashmir - Paradise Lost (BBC)

Petitions/Letters: Stop Arming Indian Occupation of Kashmir

Donations: KASHMER

EAST TURKESTAN

Campaign for Uyghurs | Uyghur Truth Project | Camp Album Project

Info: Persecution of Uyghurs in China - Wikipedia

Petitions/Letters: Change.org - Uyghur Muslims

PALESTINE

Jewish Voice for Peace | USPCR Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit

Info: Wizard Bisan, a Palestinian journalist

Petitions/Letters: Not Another Bomb | Amnesty - Demand a Ceasefire | Tumblr Post with Petitions | Ceasefire Now | (JVP) Tell Congress - Arms Embargo Now

Donations: Gaza Funds | Low on Funds Palestinians Fundraisers | Vetted Gaza Evacuation Fundraisers | Arab.org Daily Click | Middle East Children's Alliance

ARMENIA

Learn for Artsakh | Help Armenians Carrd | Artsakh Genocide Action Toolkit

Info: Denying Your History - Armenian Genocide

Petitions/Letters: Petition - Stop Erasing Armenian Culture | International Recognition of Artsakh

Donations: Fund for Armenian Relief | Armenia Fund | CARITAS Armenia | ARS of Eastern USA inc.

INDIGENOUS AMERICANS

MMIWG2S | Indigenous Action | NDN Collective

Petitions/Letters: Stop sterilizing Indigenous women without consent | Free Leonard Peltier

HAWAII

Info: Tourism's Negative Impact on Native Hawaiians | Noho Hewa Film (2008)

Donations: Hawaii Community Foundation

HAITI

Haiti Liberation Google Doc

Donations: Hands Together for Haitians | Haiti Outreach | Hope for Haiti | Twitter Thread of GoFundMes/Donation Links

WEST PAPUA

Free West Papua Website | West Papua Resources/Info Tumblr Post | We Need to Talk about Papua Carrd (last updated 2021 but has good info)

Info: United Nations - Indonesia: Shocking abuses against indigenous Papuans | Twitter Thread of Helpful Articles

Petitions/Letters:

ALSO:

The Kurdish Project

KEEP BOYCOTTING, PROTESTING, AND DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN! FREE ALL OPPRESSED PEOPLES OF THE WORLD!

If you can't donate, share!

If you have any concerns with the links I've posted, please share! I tried my best to verify everything but please let me know if you are doubtful of something! Also, please please share other resources from people who are directly impacted by these genocides!!

LAST UPDATED SEPTEMBER 16 2024.

[indecisiveavocado]

so you're mad about israel and only israel

why?

Because it is committing genocide, actively funded by me or my government, and the people committing genocide are not the people indigenous to the region. also, it should have a potential killable population over 6 million (my very rough upper estimate for the population of palestine). And they should be targeting civilians. Maybe attacking refugee camps.

Ok! Bit restrictive, but reasonable enough.

So I expect you to act precisely the same as you do regarding Israel/Zionism/Jews/etc with the following:

Chinese

Rwandans

Why?

China: Uyghur genocide:

Genocide

Unless you avoid all Chinese products, funded by you. In fact that's even worse because it's possible but difficult to avoid Chinese products, as opposed to paying taxes.

Han Chinese are not indigenous to the region.

There are over 11 million Uyghurs

They target civilians.

Rwanda:

Genocide in the Congo, backed by them. (Genocide Watch lists the Congo at an Emergency level, same as China.)

The main indigenous group in the region are "Nande (North Kivu), Bashi and Barega (South Kivu)". There are minorities of Kinyarwanda, but they are mainly descended from refugees of the Rwandan genocide. And there are communities of pygmies. The main group in Rwanda are the Kinyarwanda.

The US and UK fund this via Rwanda

Horrific atrocities have been committed, like massacres.

A refugee camp was shelled.

That's rather restrictive, though. Maybe you have more decency than that.

Let's try this:

It's committing genocide, there's a potential killable population of over 6 million, and my government is staying silent - which is, practically speaking, encouraging it.

In which case, in addition to Chinese and Rwandans, you should (depending on who your government is silent about) be outraged over the conduct of (all of these are listed by Genocide Watch as emergencies, ie genocides)

Central African Republic

ISIS, Ba'athists, etc in Iraq

Iran

Turkey (Kurds in Syria are being attacked)

Mali

South Sudan

Nigeria (non-government I think)

India

Afghanistan

Russia

Sudan (bonus: non-indigenous against indigenous)

Egypt (bonus: non-indigenous against indigenous)

Ethiopia

and many more!

So why are you silent?

[diaryofafeministbw]

KVINNA TILL KVINNA FOUNDATION

The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation is an international organization that has been empowering DRC women since 2009. It calculates that 60% of women in the DRC live below the poverty line and have extremely low levels of political participation. The organization works to gain respect for women’s rights and end discriminatory gender practices. Kvinna till Kvinna helps women participate in learning exchanges that provide education and economic empowerment. It also helps finance certain activities of the Rien Sans les Femmes (Nothing Without Women) movement, a collaboration of Congolese women’s rights activists. By supporting smaller partner organizations in the DRC, Kvinna till Kvinna has definitively lowered gender-based violence against women and has boosted political participation for DRC women. For example, the partner organization AFEM (Association des Femmes des Médias du Sud Kivu) is a collaboration of female journalists. It uses a radio station, Mama Radio, as its platform to empower DRC women.  Mama Radio caught on and AFEM was able to report reduced violence against women.

WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL

Women for Women International empowers DRC women in numerous ways. Since 2004 it has supported more than 106,000 Congolese women. Its most recent impact evaluation reports increased access to credit, savings and assets.  Second, it reports an increase in women’s ability to pursue entrepreneurship. Finally, it shares that women are benefitting from improved diets and mental health access. In 2022, 256 women received advocacy training in land titling. It also expanded upon its health insurance projects which were able to reduce fees for women and their families by around 50%.

WOMEN'S PEACE AND HUMANITARIAN FUND (WPHF)

WPHF is an international organization that helps empower grassroots organizations to help women become more involved in political affairs. In the DRC, it works with Spotlight Initiative, another women’s rights organization to fund 30 projects that 51 women’s organizations in the DRC spearheaded. These organizations seek to eliminate violence against women and encourage political mobility for women. For example, WPHF supports our GRACE, which seeks to promote gender-based equality and peace in North Kivu. It also supports CAUSE RURALE, which focuses on providing humanitarian aid to reinforce stronger institutions for women.  Finally, WPHF supports AFPDE, in South Kivu and promotes the strength of women’s organizations.

WOMEN, CRADLE OF ABUNDANCE

Women, Cradle of Abundance is a DRC organization. It has been empowering women in the DRC by attempting the eliminate systemic poverty for women. The organization provides physical safety, medical care, counseling and community services for women. It also helps improve education for women and girls by supporting schools for disadvantaged children. Women, Cradle of Abundance provides women with micro-savings and microloans. For example, it has provided 199 microloans to Kinshasha women. This helped them start or expand their businesses.

[coochiequeens]

Ladies, this is a horrific story but please share because American media won't.

Scores of children caught up in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been subjected to sexual violence including rape by armed men, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund.

The targeting of children has soared to unprecedented levels in recent weeks, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell warned on Thursday, making an urgent appeal for the violence to stop as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels expand their footprint, clashing with Congolese forces and their allied militias.

“In North and South Kivu provinces, we are receiving horrific reports of grave violations against children by parties to the conflict, including rape and other forms of sexual violence at levels surpassing anything we have seen in recent years,” Russell said in a statement.

Sharing the stories of some survivors, she said: “One mother recounted to our staff how her six daughters, the youngest just 12 years old, were systematically raped by armed men while searching for food.”

Another adult female rape victim also recalled a similar incident to Al Jazeera, saying that “it didn’t matter if the victim were adults or children”.

UNICEF’s accusation came as the conflict in the mineral-rich region shows no signs of abating, as M23, which captured North Kivu’s capital Goma last month, pushes further south. Thousands have been killed and tens of thousands more displaced, the UN has said.

The agency’s partners in the region reported that the number of rape cases treated across 42 health facilities jumped five-fold in one week from January 27 to February 2, Russell said.

“Of those treated, 30 percent were children. The true figures are likely much higher because so many survivors are reluctant to come forward.”

Russell added that she was “deeply alarmed by the intensifying violence”, particularly the effects on children and families.

People who were displaced by the fighting between M23 rebels and government soldiers leave their camp following an instruction by M23 rebels in Goma [Moses Sawasawa/AP]

‘All parties’ committed violence

Lianne Gutcher, UNICEF’s communication chief in DRC, told The Associated Press news agency that of the total 572 rape cases reported, 170 were children.

“It is suspected that all parties to the conflict committed sexual violence,” Gutcher said.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Ramatou Toure, chief of child protection of UNICEF in DRC, described the situation as “extremely worrying”, noting that the armed group are using sexual violence as “weapons of war”.

“Sexual violence has become systematic,” she said, adding that some of the victims were boys.

As fighting intensifies, hundreds of children have been separated from their fleeing families, exposing them to heightened risks of violence, she added.

In just the past two weeks, more than 1,100 unaccompanied children have been identified in the two Kivu provinces, according to UNICEF.

As the rebel offensive widens, recruitment of youth by all groups is likely to accelerate, with reports of children as young as 12 being enlisted or coerced to join the fighting.

“Parties to the conflict must immediately cease and prevent grave rights violations against children,” Russell said.

M23, which UN experts say is backed by Rwanda, in recent months has swiftly seized tracts of territory in eastern DRC after again taking up arms in late 2022, in a country plagued by numerous conflicts for decades.

M23 claims to be fighting for the interests of ethnic Tutsis and has continued its military campaign in DRC despite calls from regional leaders to end the fighting.

[humanrightsupdates]

Rwanda: Ensure Humanitarian Aid Reaches Goma

Urgently Restore Access to Assistance; Protect Displaced People

(Nairobi) – Rwandan forces and the abusive M23 armed group should urgently ensure access to and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch said today. Recent fighting and the shelling of medical infrastructure in the city, which the M23 captured on January 27, 2025, has severely limited aid to those in need.

The Rwanda Defence Force and M23 occupying Goma should immediately ensure that civilians, including displaced people, are not denied access to items essential for their survival, such as water, food, and medicine. The occupying forces should also facilitate safe passage to areas under control of Congolese forces for civilians who choose to leave the city.

“Rwandan and M23 forces need to urgently address the humanitarian catastrophe after hundreds of thousands of displaced people who had fled the fighting in recent weeks arrived in Goma,” said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “All the warring parties need to ensure that people have access to food and medical care and that aid workers are able to move freely to deliver assistance.”

The M23 and Rwandan forces were opposed by the Congolese armed forces (Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo) and a coalition of abusive militias known as “Wazalendo” (“patriots” in Swahili), as well as United Nations peacekeepers and Southern African forces that were deployed to block the M23’s advance.

Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, normally has over one million residents and already had housed over a half a million displaced people before the most recent fighting and the arrival of thousands more, according to the UN. The fighting in Goma has interrupted activities by humanitarian agencies and organizations, including those providing essential aid to displaced and vulnerable populations across North and South Kivu provinces.

[head-post]

Hospitals overwhelmed as Eastern Congo conflict intensifies

Hospitals in Goma, a major city in eastern Congo, are struggling to address an influx of hundreds of wounded patients as fighting escalates between government forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.

The conflict, which displaced nearly 6.5 million people, sparked one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with medical facilities overwhelmed and supplies running critically low. Since the M23 rebels launched their offensive on Goma on 26 January, more than 700 people were killed and nearly 3,000 wounded, according to officials.

Kyeshero Hospital, operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), is also severely overcrowded, often operating at over 200% capacity. Surgeon Johnny Kasangati reported removing 48 bullets in a single day, highlighting the intensity of the violence.

The fighting disrupted supply chains, leaving hospitals without essential medical resources. Goma’s international airport, a key entry point for supplies, is now under rebel control, exacerbating the crisis. Aid groups’ stockpiles had also been looted, forcing medical staff to rely on dwindling reserves.

Transporting patients to other facilities, such as Bukavu in South Kivu, has become impossible due to suspended boat services and blocked roads. This has left hospitals in Goma to bear the full brunt of the crisis.

Rising death toll and disease risks

The conflict’s death toll continues to rise, with Congo’s government confirming 773 deaths and 2,880 injuries. Morgues are overflowing, and fears of mass graves and disease outbreaks are growing, according to Jules Kafitiye, medical director at Maternité de la Charité Hospital.

We had 66 bodies here. Fifty-six were transferred to the provincial hospital, where the morgue has more space than ours.

The M23 rebels, backed by an estimated 4,000 Rwandan troops, claim to be defending ethnic Tutsis in Congo. Rwanda accuses the Congolese military of collaborating with Hutu militias linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The conflict, rooted in decades of ethnic tensions, has turned eastern Congo into a battleground for over 100 armed groups vying for control of its mineral-rich territories.

As hospitals struggle to cope and the humanitarian crisis deepens, the international community faces mounting pressure to intervene and address the violence.

Read more HERE

[beardedmrbean]

The worsening conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is causing a human rights crisis, the UN human rights office warned on Friday, amid reports of an escalation of sexual violence.

The Geneva-based agency - formally known as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) - said it has received reports from the provincial capital Goma and from combat zones in the neighbouring province of South Kivu of mass rape.

"We are verifying reports that 52 women were raped by Congolese troops in South Kivu, including alleged reports of gangrape," the office said in a statement released on Friday, noting that such violence was nothing new.

"Conflict-related sexual violence has been an appalling feature of armed conflict in eastern DRC for decades," the OHCHR said.

Fighting has intensified in the region in recent days after the M23 rebel group claimed control of Goma on Lake Kivu.

The M23 rebels are now expanding towards Bukavu in the province of South Kivu, according to the UN office.

In the territories it has occupied, M23 has "occupied schools and hospitals," driven out displaced residents and "subjected the civilian population to forced conscription and forced labour," the UN said.

The Rwanda-backed M23 militia is one of more than 100 armed groups in resource-rich eastern Congo and has been in conflict with the Congolese government for years.

M23 leader Corneille Nangaa said on Thursday that the group is "in Goma to stay" and announced a march on the capital, Kinshasa, to overthrow President Félix Tshisekedi.

While Rwanda denies backing the rebels, the UN has repeatedly called on Kigali to withdraw its forces from Congo and end its support for M23.

[matovugodfreymg]

*🌍 A҉F҉R҉I҉C҉A҉*

Horrific: A two-deck boat carrying passengers on Thursday tilts sideways before capsizing in calm waters on Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo #DRC🇨🇩 killing at least 50 people.

The boat, overloaded with passengers, sank while trying to dock just meters away from the port of Kituku.

It was going from Minova in South Kivu province to Goma, in North Kivu province.

Several survivors say that they saw nearly 200 people on board.

Source: @AP, @Reuters. 🇨🇩 #RDC

*@𝑴𝒈* 💕🕊️

*#A҉F҉R҉I҉C҉A҉_U҉N҉I҉T҉E҉D҉* 🌍

*𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓸𝓯𝓪𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓪.𝓸𝓻𝓰*

☕︎☕︎☕︎

[ptseti]

FIDEL CASTRO: MAN OF THE MASSES IN AFRICA

In the 1970s and 80s, Fidel Castro sent 350,000 Cuban soldiers, civilians and doctors to support the African liberation struggle, especially in Angola 🇦🇴 , Namibia, Mozambique 🇲🇿 , Guinea Bissau , Cape Verde 🇨🇻 , and Sao Tome and Principal 🇸🇹 . The Cuban effort eventually hastened the demise of apartheid in South Africa. More than 3,000 Cubans died fighting for Africa.

After the Cuban and their Angolan, Namibian and ANC allies decisively defeated the then feared South African defence forces in Angola, it brought independence not only to Angola and Namibia, but also accelerated the death of apartheid itself in South Africa.

About 600 Cuban soldiers, including 70 doctors, went to Guinea Bissau to help the African guerrillas for 10 years before “independence” from the Portuguese came in 1974. Cuba fought in Ethiopia on the side of Colonel Mengistu Haile Miriam’s troops in the Ogaden campaign in 1978 against an invasion by Somalia. In 1965, Cuba sent the legendary Che Guevara and fighters to Kibamba, near Fizi, in DRCongo’s province of South Kivu, to help the supporters of Patrice Lumumba.

Then came Mozambique and Angola where the biggest Cuban action in Africa was staged against apartheid South African troops backed by America and its Western allies. Castro takes up the story in his memoirs: “ While Cuba was in Angola, and Angola was being invaded by South Africa, the USA made arrangements to transfer to South Africa–racist, fascist South Africa–several atomic bombs, similar to those it exploded in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

[khizuo]

(this article was published oct. 30, 2023.)

Geneva/Kinshasa – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is intensifying its efforts to address the complex and persistent crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the number of internally displaced people climbs to 6.9 million people across the country – the highest number recorded yet. For the first time, nationwide displacement data has been collected in all 26 provinces of the country by the United Nations through IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix.   

As of October 2023, most internally displaced persons, about 5.6 million (81 per cent of the total IDPs) live in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, and Tanganyika. Conflict has been reported as the primary reason for displacement. In the eastern province of North Kivu alone, up to 1 million people have been displaced due the ongoing conflict with the rebel group “Mouvement du 23 Mars” (M23). More than two-thirds of the internally displaced persons, nearly 4.8 million people, live in host families.   

[agelessphotography]

Nowhere to Run, South Kivu, Eastern Congo from the Infra series, Richard Mosse, 2010

[trascapades]

🎨#ArtIsAWeapon

🇨🇩Art by @bypeoni

Please read, learn, share, act

#EyesOnCongo

Information reposted from @archiveafrica

URGENT UPDATES FROM #CONGO 🇨🇩🤎

The situation in eastern Congo remains one of the most protracted and complex humanitarian crises in the world, driven by decades of conflict, instability, and the presence of multiple armed groups vying for control over the region’s rich natural resources. The area, particularly the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, has been plagued by violence stemming from ethnic rivalries, rebel insurgencies, and land disputes, with external forces occasionally intervening. Armed groups, including the M23, and numerous local militias, continue to exploit the chaos, perpetuating cycles of displacement, human rights violations, and economic instability. The Congolese government, despite international support, has struggled to establish lasting control, leaving vulnerable communities exposed to violence and resource extraction that benefits both local warlords and external actors.

Humanitarian conditions in the region have deteriorated, with millions of people displaced and living in camps where they face food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and inadequate access to medical care. Gender-based violence remains rampant, often used as a weapon of war, with devastating long-term impacts on survivors and their communities. The United Nations peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, has been present for years, but its effectiveness has been questioned amid ongoing violence and protests from locals demanding its withdrawal. As regional and international diplomatic efforts attempt to broker peace, a sustainable resolution will require not only disarming militias and addressing security concerns but also tackling the underlying economic and social drivers of conflict, including land disputes, unemployment, and the illicit exploitation of minerals such as gold, coltan and tin.

@focuscongo @pappyorion @kitoko_oyo isaac _jimmy @teamcongo.rdc @chakabars @a.kaballo @ekilaaa @goma_upendo @genocost @standforcongouk #alleyesoncongo

Art: @bypeoni

Cover slide based on a photograph taken by @isaac__jimmy from @focuscongo team

[baldwinheights]

THOUSANDS FLEE M23 RESURGENCE IN GOMA East DRC is witnessing a mass exodus, amid fears the M23 rebels will capture the region’s biggest city, Goma. In the last few days, thousands have abandoned their homes and fled, while rockets have been raining down on the city’s outskirts. The Congolese army appears to be on the back foot but the government has vowed it will hold the city. M23 - allegedly armed by Rwanda (something Kigali strongly denies) - has been making gains recently in the country’s mineral-rich provinces of North and South Kivu. The conflict, decades old, has seen over a million Congolese leave the country, and over 7 million internally displaced - in the grip of a humanitarian disaster. It’s feared the intensifying conflict could draw in neighbouring countries in the Great Lakes region if the violence is not decisively quelled fast.

x