Another major war is looming – and western support for Rwanda is fuelling it | Dino Mahtani
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DR Congo: UN Says Displacement Crisis Worsening, M23 Claims Seizure of Bukavu
Above: An internally displaced Congolese woman gathers the beams and tarpaulins that once formed the shelter she shared with her husband and six children, before leaving the camp in Bulengo on Feb. 12, 2025. Image copyright: Jospin Mwisha/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
A spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told reporters in Geneva on Friday that the displacement crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has further escalated due to the latest surge in fighting, affecting access to healthcare and humanitarian aid.
This comes as "heavy artillery shelling and looting" has damaged 70K emergency shelters around Goma and Minova in the North and South Kivu provinces, forcing some 350K internally displaced people to live in overcrowded makeshift accommodations — including churches and hospitals.
An estimated 100K internally displaced people who have attempted to return to their home areas could soon face displacement again, as the UNHCR says they have reported damages to their homes, a lack of essential services, and concerns over unexploded ordnance.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
There's a new major war in the making in the DRC, and the West is ultimately to blame for it due to its complacency toward its ally, Rwanda. It's unacceptable that evidence of Rwandan support for ethnic Tutsi insurgencies has been played down for so long. Now, time is running short to prevent even worse consequences.
Pro-establishment narrative
It's undeniable that the international community must help find a political solution for this armed conflict before it's too late. That said, it's misguided and overly simplistic to point fingers at the West when deep-rooted regional tensions and the weakness of the Congolese Army are actually to blame.
Metaculus Prediction
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