The Democratic Republic of Congo has an incredible amount of valuable minerals. It pumps out more cobalt than anybody else and comes in second place for copper. Its diamond stash totals around 700 million carats, making it a top-five player worldwide. It also rules the coltan market and supplies 41 percent of all tantalum needed globally in 2023.
But these riches create massive headaches instead of making life better for this huge African nation. Everybody wants a chunk - from local folks and armed gangs to politicians, corporations, regional bigshots, and Wall Street moneymen. The competition turns nasty fast, with bullets and bombs determining who grabs what.
That pattern explains the never-ending conflicts in Congo, especially in the eastern parts, where fighting kicked up again in 2022. The Tutsi-run M23 rebels, helped by a neighboring country, recently steamrolled through two major eastern cities - Goma and Bukavu. Fresh from these victories, the rebels keep pushing toward the west.
The Southern African group SADC has tried fixing Congo's problems for almost three decades. Zimbabwe jumped in with military help back in 1998 when rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda almost toppled President Laurent Kabila. Our troops crushed those rebels and forced peace deals that calmed things down for a bit.
When our soldiers packed up and left in 2002, fresh violence erupted across eastern Congo. SADC stuck around, supporting the Congo government in hunting for lasting peace. Last December, they deployed 5,000 troops from South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania to back up Congo's army against M23.
The last few months turned into a disaster for these SADC forces. M23 blazed through the territory and grabbed both Goma and Bukavu within just 20 days of each other. As battles raged, SADC hunted for political solutions through peace talks led by Angola. The East African group, counting both Congo and Rwanda as members, runs a parallel peace effort.
Angola plans to host talks between Congo's government and M23 rebels next week. Last Thursday, President Mnangagwa, wearing his SADC chairman hat, called an emergency meeting about Congo's security mess. They agreed to pull their troops as peace talks gain steam - a smart move that hopefully M23 and whoever backs them will match.
We strongly encourage Congo's leaders and citizens to take control of creating lasting peace rather than letting foreign treasure hunters decide their fate.
But these riches create massive headaches instead of making life better for this huge African nation. Everybody wants a chunk - from local folks and armed gangs to politicians, corporations, regional bigshots, and Wall Street moneymen. The competition turns nasty fast, with bullets and bombs determining who grabs what.
That pattern explains the never-ending conflicts in Congo, especially in the eastern parts, where fighting kicked up again in 2022. The Tutsi-run M23 rebels, helped by a neighboring country, recently steamrolled through two major eastern cities - Goma and Bukavu. Fresh from these victories, the rebels keep pushing toward the west.
The Southern African group SADC has tried fixing Congo's problems for almost three decades. Zimbabwe jumped in with military help back in 1998 when rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda almost toppled President Laurent Kabila. Our troops crushed those rebels and forced peace deals that calmed things down for a bit.
When our soldiers packed up and left in 2002, fresh violence erupted across eastern Congo. SADC stuck around, supporting the Congo government in hunting for lasting peace. Last December, they deployed 5,000 troops from South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania to back up Congo's army against M23.
The last few months turned into a disaster for these SADC forces. M23 blazed through the territory and grabbed both Goma and Bukavu within just 20 days of each other. As battles raged, SADC hunted for political solutions through peace talks led by Angola. The East African group, counting both Congo and Rwanda as members, runs a parallel peace effort.
Angola plans to host talks between Congo's government and M23 rebels next week. Last Thursday, President Mnangagwa, wearing his SADC chairman hat, called an emergency meeting about Congo's security mess. They agreed to pull their troops as peace talks gain steam - a smart move that hopefully M23 and whoever backs them will match.
We strongly encourage Congo's leaders and citizens to take control of creating lasting peace rather than letting foreign treasure hunters decide their fate.
