No Outrage for the Congo
The world is witnessing a new era of conflict, with global attention fixated on crises in Gaza and Ukraine, where international interventions, sanctions, and aid have been swift. Yet, the ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains an afterthought. Despite decades of violence and millions of deaths, Congo’s suffering is often met with hollow condemnations and little meaningful action, highlighting a troubling case of selective justice. The recent fall of Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo, to the M23 rebel group—backed by neighboring Rwanda—underscores this negligence. The attack resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths in the first week alone, with hospitals overwhelmed, resources strained, and horrifying atrocities like the mass rape and murder of over 100 female inmates during the chaos.
Congo has endured nearly 30 years of brutal conflict, with millions displaced and sexual violence systematically used as a weapon of war. It is the deadliest conflict since World War II, with estimates suggesting over six million lives lost, though many believe the true number is even higher. As a Congolese doctor, I have spent three decades treating survivors of this violence, many of whom were children or became pregnant by their attackers. At Panzi Hospital, which I founded in 1999, we’ve treated over 83,000 survivors of sexual violence. The horrors are relentless—villages burned, families slaughtered, and women targeted not as collateral damage but as deliberate tools of terror.
Rwanda has strategically escalated its aggression, exploiting moments of global distraction. In 2012, international pressure, particularly from the U.S., forced Rwanda to withdraw support for M23, ending its occupation of Goma within weeks. But today, that pressure is absent, allowing Rwanda to back M23 with little fear of consequence. U.N. reports have long documented Rwanda’s illegal exploitation of Congo’s mineral wealth, yet as the world’s focus shifts elsewhere, Rwanda continues to profit from Congo’s vast reserves, seemingly with impunity. Rwanda has repeatedly denied its involvement, but evidence continues to mount.
Congo holds some of the world’s most valuable mineral reserves, including over half of the global supply of cobalt and up to 80% of coltan, both essential for modern technology like smartphones and electric vehicles. M23 has capitalized on this, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars monthly from taxing coltan production at sites it controls. These minerals are often smuggled into Rwanda, which serves as a transit hub for illicitly extracted resources. Despite widespread concerns, the European Union recently signed an agreement with Rwanda to support “sustainable” mineral supply chains, effectively ignoring the ongoing exploitation and further enabling the plunder of Congo’s resources.
This isn’t the first time the world has turned a blind eye to Congo’s suffering. In 1996, I lost colleagues and patients when rebel forces stormed Lemera Hospital, where I was medical director, massacring everyone inside. I survived only because I was away at the time. Though the U.N. documented this and countless other atrocities, there has been little accountability. Now, history repeats itself as M23 expands its control, recently seizing Bukavu, home to over a million people and the site of Panzi Hospital. Terror and uncertainty have gripped the region once again.
The question remains: how will the world respond? The international community has the power to act but has consistently failed to do so. We must demand that global leaders impose sanctions on Rwanda, uphold Congo’s sovereignty, and finally deliver justice. The inaction must end. The people of Congo deserve peace, security, and the chance to build a future free from conflict and exploitation. The world must decide whether its values apply universally or only to those it deems worthy.
