From Ukraine to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Not our war?
The Democratic Republic of Congo. April 4, 2024. The M23 militia raided Rubaya’s marketplace. They rounded up children and used a giant wooden pestle and mortar—typically for crushing grain—to bludgeon them to death.
In the city of Sake, 13 girls between the ages of 12 and 17 were asked to share their experiences of the ongoing war. Twelve had been raped—some multiple times.
In Bukavu, children are being forcibly recruited, armed, and executed following the entry of M23 forces into the city in February 2025.
What is happening in the DRC?
The short story is that the Rwanda-backed Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23)’s rebel group, is expanding its control in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in its ongoing war with the DRC government. In February 2025, they captured the two biggest cities in the region, Goma and Bukavu. And they are likely to keep advancing due to the financing and military support given by Rwanda. Which doesn’t exist according to the government in Kigali. And, yet over 4000 armed troops belonging to the Rwandan armed forces have been seen crossing the border into the DRC.
Why?
Like in any good armed conflict the answer to this question depends on who is asking and who is being asked.
If you ask the M23 group, they will say that they are intervening to protect Congolese Tutsi, which are being discriminated against by the government. M23 is an offshoot of the older National Congress for the Defense of the People group which was previously fighting the Congolese government for the same reason. Tutsi’s are considered of Rwandan descent and are commonly referred to as “Rwandophones” That conflict was resolved by a peace agreement signed on March 23, 2009, and hence the name of the successor rebel group, M23, made up of fighters who were not pleased with the implementation of the peace agreement.
Bad mouths, (and the UN) would say, however, that the DRC is very rich in minerals such as gold and coltan. Coltan might sound unfamiliar, but it is necessary to make IPhones, other everyday electronics, and vital for the West’s transition to green energy. Somewhere around 15% of all the world’s coltan can be found in the DRC, and it is estimated that most of the coltan being used is Congolese. However, the use of minerals from conflict areas is illegal in the E.U.. This would be a problem if it weren’t so convenient that Rwanda is a big exporter of coltan. The UN has reported that Rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo fraudulently exported at least 150 metric tonnes of coltan to Rwanda last year. From there on, the material is rebranded and sold as “conflict-free” making money for Rwanda’s government.
Based on how M23 is imposing its rule in Eastern DRC, considering as well the accusations of ethnic cleansing made by the DRC government, high ranking UN officials expressed their concern that Rwanda might attempt to imitate the annexation of Crimea by Russia from 2014.
“Nonexistent” soldiers, fighting to protect minority rights while occupying territory could potentially sound eerily familiar.
What is the EU doing?
So far, not enough. On Friday, February 21st, the EU summoned Rwanda's ambassador to demand Kigali pull out troops from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. The European Parliament has recommended the immediate suspension of the EU’s protocol agreement on minerals with Rwanda, as well as an end to other European aid to the country. However any sanction has yet to be implemented. As of now, the country receives some of the largest aid per capita compared to its regional neighbours. And Germany and France are among the biggest donors. It seems like everyone likes cheap, “conflict-free” coltan. France also likes Rwanda because Rwandan troops are helping to protect the enormous natural gas plant that the French energy giant TotalEnergies is building in Mozambique. Going against the recommendations of the UN, the EU has paid 20 million euros to Rwandan troops for this project. Money which is financing the bloodshed.
Recently, the United States has come under fire for its talks with the Russian regime and what appears to be a shift away from its European allies. With the new administration showing little interest in European security, Ukraine's fate remains uncertain. The EU received a cold shower when Trump implied that Ukraine is Europe’s problem and that the US has contributed disproportionately to Ukraine military aid. Yet, how different is this from Europe's own indifference—turning a deaf ear to the cries from the Congo while condemning Trump for looking away as bombs fall on Kyiv? Can the EU be a global power if it takes no interest in affairs beyond its backyard?
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