African-led peace efforts in Congo crucial to reducing regional conflict

Kinshasa, Feb 8 (IANS) As hostilities escalate in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), African regional blocs are urgently pursuing African-led solutions to prevent a wider regional crisis.

At least 2,900 people were killed during the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels’ capture of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, according to the United Nations.

The African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community and the East African Community (EAC) are working to broker a ceasefire, aiming to end the bloodshed and prevent the conflict from further destabilizing the region.

On Thursday, in the capital city of North Kivu province, thousands gathered at a stadium rally held by the rebel group, which claimed to have taken control of the city since January 26.

“We will establish a national police force, an administration and a justice system,” proclaimed Corneille Nangaa, political leader of the Congo River Alliance, a politico-military group allied with the M23, at the rally.

The rebels promised a parallel administration in the city and beyond and appointed a “provincial governor” on late Wednesday.

After resurfacing in late 2021, the M23 has taken control of territories in eastern DRC, including regional hub Goma, the trading hub of Bunagana on the border with Uganda and the mining town of Rubaya, known for its rich coltan deposits.

The rebels have also been advancing south into South Kivu province, most recently capturing Nyabibwe, a town less than 100 km from the provincial capital Bukavu, Xinhua news agency reported.

The conflict between the M23 and the government is deeply intertwined with the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the ongoing ethnic divisions, particularly between Tutsi and Hutu populations. The DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23, while Rwanda claims that the DRC’s military has allied with the Rwandan rebel group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which is accused of involvement in the 1994 genocide.

Western colonial rule has often triggered deadly conflicts in the region over the past decades. Colonial powers drew borders based on their own interests, disregarding the distribution of ethnic groups. They also adopted a “divide and rule” scheme, favouring some groups over others and fueling ethnic tensions that persist today.

In 2004, Tutsi soldiers within the DRC government forces, who felt marginalised, formed an anti-government militia called the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP). In 2009, the militia signed a peace agreement with the DRC government and was integrated into the national army.

In 2012, after perceiving a lack of commitment to the peace agreement, a faction of the CNDP defected and formed the M23 movement.

The M23’s stated mission was to protect the Tutsi population and fight for their rights, particularly in response to allegations that the DRC government had failed to uphold its promises regarding political integration and security. In 2012, the group captured Goma but withdrew after mediation by regional countries.

“If it continues like this, war risks becoming widespread in the region,” said President of Burundi Evariste Ndayishimiye in early February.

Given the underlying ethnic tensions, resource competition and other factors, analysts have warned of the risk of conflicts spiraling beyond the DRC border into a regional war.

“The fall of eastern Congo’s biggest city has sent thousands fleeing from their homes and, once again, left the Great Lakes region on the brink of a wider war,” said a report released in January by the International Crisis Group, a non-governmental organization analyzing conflicts globally.

The mineral-rich eastern DRC remains a key driver of conflict, as militias and government forces compete to control resources, including coltan, tin, tantalum and gold. Observers said the demand for these minerals fueled the outbreak of the Second Congo War in 1998.

“It is not only Burundi; it is Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. It is the whole region; it is a threat,” Ndayishimiye said, referring to his concerns about a regional war.

Peace efforts by multiple regional groups have been set in motion to prevent further escalation of hostilities in eastern DRC.

Though mediation efforts at the regional level have had their ups and downs, all eyes are on a peace summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which will bring together DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and several other African heads of state to seek a solution to the crisis.

Efforts to broker peace have repeatedly stalled. In December, a peace summit under the AU-led Luanda Process, which was expected to bring Tshisekedi and Kagame to the negotiating table to sign a peace agreement, was abruptly cancelled at the last minute.

Countries outside the region have offered to mediate, but the DRC has insisted on African-led solutions.

“We firmly believe that African problems must be solved by Africans. That is why we prioritised the Luanda Process, initiated by the African Union and brokered by the Angolan president,” said Gracia Yamba Kazadi, Vice Minister for foreign affairs of the DRC.

Kinshasa has firmly rejected direct talks with the M23 but has hinted at reviving the Nairobi Peace Process, a peace initiative led by the EAC and facilitated by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Kanze Dena, Kenyatta’s spokesperson, said on Thursday that the Nairobi Peace Process, though temporarily sidelined, remains a critical framework for dialogue and conflict resolution in eastern DRC.

The Luanda and Nairobi processes hold the greatest promise for resolving and ultimately ending the crisis in eastern DRC, Dena said, emphasizing that the two processes are complementary and interdependent.

“There is an African solution to the African problem,” Dena said on behalf of Kenyatta.

–IANS

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