DRC – CounterVortex

Africa

DRC files ICJ case against Rwanda

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) filed an application to bring proceedings against Rwanda over decades of war crimes and violence perpetrated in the DRC’s east. The case filed with the International Court of Justice cites “abuses attributable to Rwanda over a period extending from 1996 to the present day,” including massacres, forced displacement, and other atrocities. The case comes after years of worsening tensions, with the Congolese government repeatedly accusing Rwanda of supporting armed groups operating in the eastern DRC, particularly the M23 rebel group, which has seized large areas of territory in recent years. (Photo: ICJ)

Africa

DRC: appeal for peace to to fight Ebola

The head of the World Health Organization has appealed for a ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, where Ebola is rapidly spreading. Director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ statement said even a temporary truce would allow health workers through and save lives. “I urge you, I implore you: give us the space to help the people who need it most,” he said, addressing the armed factions active in the province. Out of nearly a thousand suspected Ebola cases in the DRC and Uganda, over 220 people may have died, with the WHO warning that the outbreak could potentially be much larger. (Photo of displaced persons camp in Ituri: Alexis Huguet/MSF via TNH)

Africa

Belgian court orders trial in murder of Lumumba

A Belgian court ordered 93-year-old former diplomat Etienne Davignon to stand trial for his role in the 1961 assassination of the first elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Patrice Lumumba. Davignon, who was a junior diplomatic intern at the time of the assassination, is the first person to be prosecuted in the case. He is the last living suspect among 10 Belgian diplomats who allegedly assisted in the unlawful abduction and transfer of Lumumba that led to his death. The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office charged Davignon with “participation in war crimes.” (Photo: Harry Pot/ANEFO via Wikimedia Commons)

Africa

US sanctions Rwanda military

The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) and four of its top military officials over their support, training, and fighting alongside M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The RDF have reportedly provided direct operational support to the M23 and its affiliates by introducing advanced military equipment to eastern DRC, including GPS jamming systems, air defense equipment, and drones. According to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the US seeks the immediate withdrawal of RDF troops, weapons and equipment. (Photo: US Air Force via Wikimedia Commons)

Africa

DRC: ethnic massacre near Kinshasa

At least 22 ethnic Teke civilians were killed when militia fighters attacked a village in the western Democratic Republic of Congo. The massacre in Nkana village—located just some 75 kilometers northeast of the capital Kinshasa—was reportedly carried out by fighters from the Mobondo militia, which is aligned with the Yaka ethnic group. Human Rights Watch said fighters armed with firearms and machetes killed “mostly ethnic Teke villagers in their homes as they attempted to flee.” The conflict is rooted in penetration of traditional Teke territory by Yaka agricultural settlers, setting off competition for land. It points to the potential for simmering conflicts to escalate throughout the DRC while the world is focused on the internal war in the country’s east. (Map: PCL)

Watching the Shadows

Trump vows ‘reverse migration’ —after CIA blowback?

President Trump called for “reverse migration” and a “major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations” in a racist late-night online rant. In the bizarre Thanksgiving message, Trump vowed to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries” and revisit immigration decisions made under his predecessor, Joe Biden. He said deportations will target “anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country” or “non-compatible with Western Civilization.” Trump’s message followed the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington DC, apparently by an Afghan refugee, Rahmanullah Lakanwal. In Afghanistan, Lakanwal reportedly served in the Zero Units: paramilitary forces backed by the CIA—notorious for conducting night raids on the homes of suspected Taliban collaborators. Rights groups have accused them of extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, indiscriminate airstrikes, and attacks on medical facilities. According to the New York Times, the brutality of the Zero Unit tactics took a toll on Lakanwal’s mental health, with a childhood friend recalling how he was disturbed by the casualties his unit had caused. (Image: Twitter)

Africa

ISIS franchise in new DRC attacks

The UN decried a new attack on civilians by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The UN described the incident as “one of the most appalling attacks” ever recorded in the country, and indicated that it may constitute a war crime. According to information gathered by the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), a series of deadly attacks took place across several localities in Lubero territory, North Kivu province, resulting in the deaths of 89 civilians, including 20 women and an unknown number of children. These attacks included a raid on a healthcare center where 17 patients were killed. Assaults on healthcare facilities are strictly forbidden under international humanitarian law, which mandates that medical units be respected and protected in all circumstances. Despite its unassuming name, the ADF is integrated into the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP). (Map: PCL)

Africa

DRC prosecutor seeks execution of Kabila for M23 ties

The public prosecutor of the Democratic Republic of Congo requested the death penalty for former president Joseph Kabila during proceedings before the High Military Court in Kinshasa. Kabila, who governed the country from 2001 to 2019, is being tried in absentia on charges of treason and war crimes for his alleged ties to the M23 rebel group, which has waged a long-running insurgency in the country. He has consistently denied the allegations. (Map: PCL)

Watching the Shadows

Podcast: Trump for War-is-Peace Prize

In Donald Trump’s perverse ambition to win the Nobel Peace Prize, he is citing his supposed diplomatic victories in ending six conflicts: Armenia-Azerbaijan, Congo-Rwanda, Israel-Iran, India-Pakistan, Thailand-Cambodia and Egypt-Ethiopia. In Episode 292 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg examines each of these examples, and breaks down how claims to have won “peace” are either extremely overstated or (more often) total Orwellian jive. The implication that Russia-Ukraine will be next, as Putin escalates his aggression, puts a hideous crown on the irony. (Image via Twitter)

Africa

Violence escalates in DRC —despite ‘peace’ deal

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned a recent surge in deadly attacks against civilians by M23 fighters and other armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The attacks come in spite of a Washington-brokered ceasefire agreement between the DRC government and Rwanda, which backs the M23 rebels. The DRC government and M23 have only signed a “declaration of principles” supposedly committing them to a formal peace deal—but meanwhile, violence on the ground has escalated. (Photo: Sylvain Liechti/MONUSCO via Wikimedia Commons)

Africa

Trump prepares arms-for-minerals deal with DRC

Former Blackwater CEO and and mercenary boss Erik Prince is to lead a team helping the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) secure and tax its extensive mineral wealth, news reports reveal. The deal, reached before the M23 rebels launched a major offensive in January, was just confirmed to Reuters by Congolese officials and diplomats. M23 has since January seized the eastern DRC’s two largest cities, Goma and Bukavu, and is threatening to march on Kinshasa, the capital. The Prince-led initiative runs parallel to a broader minerals-for-security deal being negotiated between the DRC and the Trump White House. (Photo: Abel Kavanagh/MONUSCO via Wikimedia Commons)

Africa

EU complicity seen in DR Congo atrocities

The European Parliament adopted a resolution urging the EU to freeze direct budget support to Rwanda until it ceases backing the Tutsi-led M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and permits humanitarian access in rebel-held territory of the DRC. The resolution also recommended suspending agreements related to Rwandan strategic minerals until Rwanda halts its interference in Congo. However, this resolution is non-binding, and the European Commission has not enforced these recommendations. Rights groups charge that the EU’s inaction undermines efforts to hold perpetrators accountable and deepens the escalating humanitarian crisis in the region. The M23 rebels, with apparent Rwandan support, have seized key cities in eastern DRC, including Goma and Bukavu, leading to mass displacement and severe human rights abuses. (Map: PCL)