Foreign Interference, Resource Exploitation among Root Causes of Crisis in Eastern DR Congo: Native Religious Missionary

According to the report, “A rebel alliance spearheaded by the ethnic Tutsi-led M23 militia said it had seized the lakeside city of more than 2 million people, a hub for displaced people and aid groups lying on the border with Rwanda and last occupied by M23 in 2012.”

The latest reports about the protracted crisis in mineral-rich East of the DR Congo indicate that nearly 3,000 people have been killed in the city of Goma, and hundreds of female inmates were raped when they were attacked inside Munzenze prison in Goma during amass jailbreak, among other dehumanizing atrocities.  

In the February 6 interview, Br. Mulengezi, a native of Goma, traced the crisis to decades ago. He said, “For decades, several reports and testimonies have denounced the involvement of neighboring countries, notably Rwanda, in the instability of eastern DRC.”

“These countries are accused of supporting armed groups such as the M23 to secure their access to Congolese resources and weaken Kinshasa's power in the region,” the Rome-based IMC member further said referring to the capital city of DRC. 

He added, “This interference complicates any attempt at stabilization, as it turns the conflict into a game of regional interests in which the DRC struggles to fully exercise its sovereignty.”

“The United Nations Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), which has been present in the country for over two decades, is regularly criticized for its inability to restore peace,” Br. Mulengezi lamented. 

He continued, “Despite billions of dollars invested, the security situation remains precarious, and local populations are expressing growing distrust of the UN force, judged to be passive in the face of massacres and incursions by armed groups.”

The Congolese IMC member, who is a Master's student in Social Communications at the Rome-based Pontifical Salesian University said there is foreign interference in the DRC crisis.

“Rwanda's involvement in the crisis in eastern DRC is a subject of major diplomatic tension. Numerous reports, including those from the United Nations, NGOs and foreign governments, accuse Kigali of actively supporting the M23 rebel movement,” Br. Mulengezi said.

He divulged that “Independent investigations and UN reports have revealed that Rwanda is supplying arms, military equipment and logistical support to the M23 rebels. Satellite images, testimonies from captured fighters and communications intercepts attest to the presence of Rwandan soldiers alongside the M23. “

“This direct involvement constitutes a flagrant violation of the DRC's sovereignty and is fueling the destabilization of the region. Rwanda is seeking to strengthen its regional hegemony and impose a balance of power in negotiations with Kinshasa,” he said. 

According to Br. Mulengezi, “Rwanda's involvement in the conflict in eastern DRC is well documented. This interference is fuelling instability and aggravating the suffering of the civilian population.”

For him, “A firm response from the international community and increased diplomatic pressure are needed to force Kigali to end its support for the M23 and commit to a genuine peace process.”

“The current crisis in eastern DRC cannot be resolved by a purely military approach. A comprehensive response is needed, including political stabilization, the fight against the plundering of natural resources, reform of the Congolese army, and a firmer commitment by the international community to put an end to outside interference.”

The Consolata Missionary advocated for good will and sincerity on the part of stakeholders including political leaders in the region. “Only a lasting solution, involving genuine political will and sincere regional cooperation, can bring peace and stability to this battered region,” he told ACI Africa during the February 6 interview.

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