CRISIS IN CONGO: Cobalt Wars, Land Grabs, Food Insecurity, and Hospitals in Crisis
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties after M23 rebels seized Goma, eastern Congo's largest city, on Jan. 27.
Eight agencies, including the United Nations and World Health Organization, estimate at least 900 people have been killed and 2,880 injured in recent conflict in and around Goma. hundreds of thousands have fled due to fighting between the Congolese armed forces and Rwandan-backed M23 rebels.
On Monday, the rebels announced a ceasefire for "humanitarian reasons" after facing international pressure to halt further catastrophe. However, just today, M23 rebels seized control of Nyabibwe, a town in eastern DRC, an action that violates the ceasefire declared on Monday. According to the Associated Press, M23 took control of Nyabibwe as of 9 a.m. Central African Time.
The G7 nations and the EU have condemned the rebels' land grab in eastern Congo, calling the assault a flagrant violation of DRC's sovereignty. M23 is just one of more than 100 armed groups battling Congolese forces in the DRC.
The scale of civilian casualties and injuries is still emerging, with hospitals and morgues overwhelmed. Innocent civilians caught in the crossfire have resulted in bodies left in the streets, posing health and safety risks as aid groups warn disease could spread.
Myriam Favier, head of the international committee of the Red Cross sub-delegations in Goma, told Reuters that days without power have compromised morgue refrigeration, resulting in a “race against time” to identify bodies.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, over half a million people have been displaced since the beginning of the year due to intense violence in eastern Congo.
The DRC, the second-largest country in Africa by size, has faced conflict for more than 30 years. Since gaining independence from Belgium in 1960, approximately six million people have been killed, and about 6.9 million have been internally displaced in eastern Congo.
Postcolonial power struggles initially sparked the conflict, which persisted as tensions among local Congolese factions and neighboring communities led to the arming and counter-arming of nearly 150 rebel groups operating in the DRC.
The DRC's rich natural resources have further complicated the conflict, drawing involvement from international powers, including the United States and China.
Most cobalt mines, previously owned by U.S. companies, were sold to Chinese companies during the Trump and Obama administrations.
According to the U.S. Army War College, the DRC produces 80 percent of the world’s cobalt, possessing the largest reserves globally. Cobalt is vital for batteries, airbags, pigments, medical supplies, and aircraft engines.
Major companies like Tesla source cobalt from DRC mines, raising concerns among humanitarian groups.
According to a study by the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights, about 40,000 minors under 18 are working in DRC’s small-scale mining operations, often because their families lack access to child care or need additional income.
This ongoing conflict, spanning over three decades, has contributed to a humanitarian crisis, with the DRC experiencing one of the world's largest hunger crises.
According to the World Food Programme, a total of 25.6 million people are facing emergency levels of food insecurity, and an estimated 4.5 million children are acutely malnourished.
Approximately 1.1 million Congolese nationals are seeking refuge beyond the Congo's borders.
