For decades, the world ignored the suffering of the people of the Congo while profiting from its resources. Now, the narrative is shifting
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The Western world has an interesting way of dealing with guilt. Europe and North America paid little attention to the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, a genocide for which they were largely responsible. The Belgians set the two ethnic groups, the Hutu and the Tutsi, against one another to maintain control— a typical colonial manoeuver. After independence, the two groups were often in violent conflict.
As the genocide took form, the French maintained an alliance with the Hutu. As at least 800,000 people were slaughtered, the West refused to intervene, though the French created a corridor allowing Hutu to escape to neighbouring Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC) as the genocide drew to a close.
In the end, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the mostly Tutsi army led by Paul Kagame, defeated the Hutu government in Rwanda and took over the country. Kagame was painted in Western media as a liberator and a great leader who rebuilt his broken nation. Rwanda was seen as a success story—one where the pain of genocide was healed, the government was stable, and the economy was strong.
 Millions have died, and countless women have been assaulted. The West’s sudden interest in the Congo isn’t about justice – it’s about power. |
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What was not openly discussed, however, was the involvement of Kagame and Rwanda in Zaire. Tutsi militias pursued Hutu genocidaires, along with innocent Hutus, in refugee camps. By 1997, the government of Mobutu Sese Seko, the Cold War darling of the West, was overthrown, and the country was renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Yet, the violence in the region near Rwanda did not stop. This area is rich in minerals essential to smartphones and computers. As millions of Congolese are killed or displaced and women are sexually assaulted at a horrifying rate, coltan, gold, tungsten and other valuable materials are smuggled into neighbouring countries and sold on the global market.
There have been efforts to regulate the flow of these “conflict minerals,” but the fighting, or the suffering of the people of the DRC, has not ceased. In fact, it has worsened as cobalt, found abundantly in the copper-rich region of southeastern DRC, has become an essential ingredient in rechargeable batteries. Unethical corporations in the West have now been joined by like-minded Chinese and other international collaborators.
One thing has changed in recent months, however. Whereas it was once unacceptable to discuss Paul Kagame and Rwanda’s role in the violence in eastern Congo—except in hushed tones within academic, humanitarian or Congolese circles—Western governments and media have suddenly become much more open.
The Trump administration imposed economic sanctions on two Rwandan leaders for their involvement in the violence in the DRC. Even France has presented a resolution to the United Nations that mentions Rwanda’s role in supporting rebel groups in the DRC. In addition, these topics are now being openly addressed by the BBC, Reuters and other major media outlets.
For those who care about the DRC, the question remains: What does this change mean?
The people of the DRC have suffered while their resources have been pillaged by foreign entities since King Leopold II of Belgium created the Congo Free State in 1885. Even after the Congo became independent in 1960, foreign powers installed corrupt governments that allowed them to continue their plundering.
The period since the 1990s has been particularly violent, and Western guilt over the Rwandan genocide has allowed Kagame’s government to profit like few African states have in the past. But it would be naïve to assume that the West is now overcome with a sense of concern for the people of the DRC.
Are they motivated by a desire to control the mineral wealth of the region? Is it an effort to reduce China’s influence? Is there another reason?
One thing is clear: the threat of more widespread violence is real.
When will the world allow the beautiful and hard-working people of the DRC to finally benefit from the riches of their country?
Gerry Chidiac specializes in languages and genocide studies and works with at-risk students. He received an award from the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre for excellence in teaching about the Holocaust.
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