The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is once again at the center of one of Africa's most devastating and enduring humanitarian crises. Fighting between the Congolese national army (FARDC), allied local armed groups, and the M23 rebel movement — which international observers and the United Nations say is backed by Rwanda — has reached a new intensity in 2026, with civilians bearing the overwhelming cost.
The M23 Rebellion: A Conflict That Refuses to Die
The M23 rebellion, named after a 2009 peace agreement that Congolese authorities say the group violated, first erupted in 2012 and has since become a recurring catastrophe across the mineral-rich provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu. In Fizi territory, fighting has devastated communities already weakened by years of cyclical violence.
Civilians at the Breaking Point
The humanitarian situation is catastrophic. The United Nations and multiple NGOs have documented waves of internal displacement straining camps and host communities far beyond their capacity. Food insecurity is acute, with access to agricultural land blocked by active fighting and landmines. Children constitute the majority of the displaced, many recruited — forcibly or through economic desperation — by armed groups on all sides.
Rwanda's Role: Denied but Documented
The Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations, Western governments, and multiple independent investigations have consistently accused Rwanda of providing military support to M23. Rwanda has denied these accusations. The issue has also become a flashpoint in Great Power competition, with Rwanda's close ties to Western governments complicating responses.
The AFC/M23 Factor
In a significant development, M23 fighters have been integrated into the armed forces of the Alliance of Fleuve Congo (AFC), the political-military movement led by Corneille Nangaa, which has become the main armed opposition to President Félix Tshisekedi's government.
What the International Community Can and Cannot Do
The UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) has been gradually drawing down. The Congolese government has pushed for an accelerated exit, arguing the mission has failed to prevent cycles of violence. Regional mechanisms have produced ceasefires that have repeatedly broken down.
A Crisis That Risks Being Forgotten
As the world absorbs itself with other crises, the DR Congo's slow-motion catastrophe risks fading from international headlines. Yet the scale of suffering on the ground remains immense, and the structural drivers — regional power competition, control of coltan, cobalt, gold, and cassiterite resources, and the failure of governance — show no signs of abating.