Perpetual Crisis in DR Congo: Poor Rich Country

The world’s most expensive peacekeeping mission has been operating in DR Congo for 25 years. However, violence continues in the eastern part of the country. The UN Security Council is discussing the situation there today – without a new strategy.

Groups of people on a dirt road in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. All are overweight. They carry bundles of clothes like clothes, cans, some mattresses.

Safari Hongi has a small child on her shoulders and six other children with her. The 42-year-old left his village. “There were many. We kept hearing footage,” he told Reuters news agency. All the residents fled.

Access to mines is often at risk

What remains is one of many ghost villages in eastern Congo. When the militants arrived, they set fire to the huts. If there are still residents there, they will be killed.

The region is in perpetual crisis. The changing militias fight against each other and against the Congolese army. Mostly it’s about access to mines. Congo is rich in valuable mineral resources such as copper, gold and diamonds.

The situation has become more complicated in recent months due to the M23 militia, which consists mostly of ethnic Tutsis. Having been active with interruptions for over ten years, it has recently become stronger and stronger.

“It’s important for the world to know what’s going on here.”

As the number of refugees increases, the EU is also forced to do something. About two weeks ago, the first flight with EU relief supplies landed in the provincial capital of Goma, loaded with tents, mattresses and medicines.

There are now 600,000 refugees in Goma alone, says Jean-Marc Chatiner, the EU’s ambassador to Congo. More and more temporary camps are being built on the way into the city.

First, 47 million euros worth of humanitarian aid had to be sent, so Chattainer promised to pay more. “We cannot be indifferent. It is important that the world knows what is happening here.”

World’s most expensive blue helmet mission

UN A delegation from the Security Council was on site recently to get an idea of ​​the situation. For the United Nations, it is also about deciding the future of peacekeeping in the Congo. The Blue Helmets have been stationed here for almost 25 years.

It is the most expensive mission in the world. However, nothing has changed as a result. Nicolas de Riviere, France’s permanent UN representative, told a press conference in Como that the presence of troops was not enough. “The way out of the crisis can only be found politically, through negotiation,” he stressed. At the same time, violence must be used if necessary, especially against groups such as M23.

All strategies against the militants failed

But all anti-militancy strategies have so far failed. If one drops their weapons, the next one will spawn elsewhere. People’s only option is to run.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, at the end of last year, more than five million people were displaced within the Congo. Like family man Safari Hongi, many of them no longer see the future.

“We are suffering a lot because of this war. We can cultivate fields in our village,” says Hanki. But now they are refugees, it’s all over.