As Congo faces a humanitarian crisis, civilians of the country are also facing a health crisis as reports of Mpox spreading emerge.
Here are five facts you need to know about the history and current genocide in Congo driving these crises.
- The roots of the Congo genocide stem from issues in Rwanda. For decades, the latter country was controlled by Belgian forces who divided the population into three ethnic groups- the Hutu (the majority), the Tutsi and the Twa. Once the country was able to obtain freedom for Belgium in 1960, ethnic tensions caused the Tutsi to move to Congo. With the ensuing genocide in which Hutu militias attacked the Tutsis, once Tutsi military officer Kagame led the RPF and successfully seized the capital, the Hutu, including the regime leaders of the genocide, fled to Congo.
- Prior to the genocide, there were previously two wars in Congo. From 1996 to 1997, during the First Congo War, the people of Congo often battled both the Tutsis and the Hutu who emigrated. The Hutu militias who previously fled to Congo during the end of the Rwandan war also began to regroup to take over Kigali again, leading to Rwanda arming the Tutsis that fled to the Congo. With the people of Congo also looking to overthrow politician Mobutu Sese Seko, the First Congo War saw the AFDL in control with Laurent-Désiré Kabila as president. Meanwhile, Rwanda destroyed refugee camps for the Hutu and captured diamond and coltan mines.
A year later, the Second Congo War began with the Rwandan and Ugandan-backed Rally for Congolese Democracy and the Movement for the Liberation of Congo coming to power. Although a stalemate resulted in the signing of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement in 1999, fighting continued and there was a genocide against the Pygmy people. Although the war is dated to have ended in 2003, an estimated 5.4 million people are reported to have died.
- The current fighting in Congo is led by M23. Formed from rebels from the National Congress for the Defence of the People, a group of fighters from the Second Congo War, the group claims to fight for Tutsi’s freedom in Congo. Since 2022, they have reportedly taken control of four towns in North Kivu. Mining town Rubaya fell to the M23 as recently as May; according to reports by UN experts, Rwanda and Uganda may be backing the group. Uganda promptly denied the allegations. Approximately 6.9 people have now been displaced.
- Congo is mineral and cobalt-rich. Cobalt is needed for every device that has a battery, including cell phones and electric cars. With the fighting between the Congolese government and M23, Congolese people are being forced into “modern-day slavery” as they are forced to touch and breathe the toxic cobalt. As approximately 75% of the world’s supply of cobalt is mined in the country, big tech giants such as Apple, Alphabet Inc., Dell, Microsoft and Tesla were accused by 16 plaintiffs including four former miners profiting from children mining cobalt for them. Thousands of children are estimated to work for less than $3 a day. Health issues from mining cobalt include seizures, kidney failure and autoimmune issues. China and Western countries are also accused of exploiting the resources to maintain cheaper resources.
- The people of Congo are suffering. As children are forced to work in the mines, women and young girls are victims of sexual violence and are at risk of sexual slavery. Last year, in the second half of 2023, the number of cases increased by nearly 40% from the first half of the year, surpassing records set in 2022. In April of this year, over 450 grave violations of children were estimated, according to UNICEF. Approximately 122,960 cases were reported in 2023 as a whole. Six million Congolese are reported to have died.
