The Democratic Republic of Congo
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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is located in the central part of Africa. It is a country that has been the scene of political unrest since decolonization. The conflict in DRC has been called Africas First World War because it has been the deadliest war since World War II. Several theories on the roots of this conflict have been advanced, some being more credible than others.
Despite having the most important United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission, the MONUC, the situation in DRC has not been solved yet. This can be interpreted in various ways but the main point is that the root cause of the crisis has either not been found yet or it has not been dealt with. Also, some argue that the international community does not care about the DRC. They base this argument on a comparison of the type of support received by Kosovo and the one provided to DRC.
The DRC is very rich in natural resources and that attracts a lot of vultures. The weakness of the government and the army greatly compromises the sovereignty of the state as the army seems to be unable to safeguard the territorial integrity of the country.
Also, there are numerous rebel groups in DRC that are very well equipped; which gives them an advantage on the governments army and the ability to defeat it. In fact, the exploitation of the mineral resources of the country is a source of income; therefore, they are usually well armed and this is the main reason why the army has failed to neutralize them so far. Unfortunately, these rebel groups are not the only ones causing trouble but the neighboring countries are often involved in one way or the other.
The purpose of this analysis is to show the double agendas of the neighboring countries and the international community at large. This will demonstrate how the resources of the DRC have turned out to be a curse. The various countries involved in DRC try to justify their occupation of the Congolese territory with reasons such as a certain rebel group being a threat to their national security, which might be true, but it remains a violation of the sovereignty of DRC. Also, there can be a hidden agenda related to some form of illegal exploitation of the natural resources of Congo.
The main example that will be used will be the description of the recent crisis in eastern DRC involving the government of Rwanda, the Congolese government and some rebel groups. The study will also show the intervention of France in DRC, its particular approach and its questionable motives.
The presence of Tutsis in the Democratic Republic of Congo finds its origin in the delimitation of African borders by the colonial powers that did not take into consideration the repartition of the tribes or ethnic groups.
Around 1959, there was a first wave of Tutsi refugees who fled from Rwanda to the DRC, followed by a second wave in 1973 due to the repressive regime in their country. During the same periods, some fled to other neighboring countries such as Burundi or Uganda. The attempts of the Tutsi refugees to go back home failed as the President Habyarimana did not want them back. He argued that there was not enough land and even went further by suggesting that the countries hosting the Tutsis should welcome more refugees. This example is a perfect illustration of the feelings of President Habyarimana towards Tustis.
After the genocide of 1994 in Rwanda, the Hutu militias responsible for most of the killings fled to Zaire (present DRC). They were welcomed and supported by the government as the-then President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire and President Juvenal Habyarimana of Rwanda were very close. As a result, the Zairian government was pro-Hutu, in spite of the established responsibility of the Hutu government in the genocide. Also, what remained of the Rwandan government fled with the most of the Hutu population that had taken part to the genocide.
Considering the close ties between Mobutu Sese Seko and Habyarimana, the new government of Rwanda led by Paul Kagame did not entertain friendly relations with the neighboring Zaire. Hence the support of Rwanda, among others, to Laurent Desire Kabila in his fight against Mobutu which has culminated in Kabila becoming President of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1997. Later, there was a sort of competition for political influence in Congo between some of the various actors, namely Rwanda, Angola and Tanzania. Rwanda lost and Angola along with Zimbabwe took the principal role. This led to a sort of “Rwandan hunt” where they were chased and killed. This was the end of the good relations between Rwanda and DRC.
The present crisis in eastern DRC involves several parties, apart from the Congolese and Rwandan governments.
The Hutu militias Interahamwe are the ones who have carried out most of the massacres during the genocide. They fled to DRC where, along with the former Rwandan governments army (ex-FAR: ex-Forces Armees Rwandaises), formed the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Their goal was to liberate Rwanda from the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the force that had brought the genocide to an end. The RPF is now the party of the current President Kagame. The FDLR has carried out several attacks on their home country. Moreover, they physically control