I'm sure this is a very simplistic take, but from what I've read this is an ongoing struggle between the Tutsi and the Hutu peoples. Colonial powers used the Tutsi to suppress the larger Hutu population. This created societal divisions and hatred that still exists to this day and manifests in different violent incidents in many countries in the area.

Rwanda wants to take over the Congolese region that borders it, using this wider racial conflict as an excuse. There's been (mostly guerilla) battles taking place in that area for close to 3 decades now. Recently, some Congolese villages and towns were handed over to Rwandan forces by elements of the Congolese army, though the Congolese say this "hand-over" was staged after Rwandan-backed rebels actually took over these towns, and now the Congolese army is fighting to to take those back.

I don't know enough to judge what exactly is true and isn't true. It seems that the UN chronically considers Rwanda to be the aggressor in this conflict.

[–] ahriboy@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 4 months ago (2 children)

DRC should start invading border towns of Rwanda as payback

[–] OrnluWolfjarl@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Part of the problem is that the DRC has been unstable for decades (thanks to colonialism), and the area there is huge, hilly/mountainous (especially near the border with Rwanda) and heavily forested, making it really difficult to actually control it against an enemy force. Add to that the many other rebel groups DRC has to contend with, and the distances to cover in order to redeploy troops, they'll be lucky to get back what they lost.

Kivu (the disputed province) is known to be really mineral-rich with gemstones and rare earth minerals, so I can guess that the driver behind the conflict is, yet again, Europeans and Americans trying to secure cheap resources.

[–] Comprehensive49@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 4 months ago

I don't think the DRC is organized enough for that. Ever since Belgium dissolved Patrice Lumumba and DRC independence in sulfuric acid, the DRC has not been allowed any breathing room.

Just in May 2024, a US and UK-backed attempted coup occured in the DRC.^[https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2e2v2le8wo] Luckily they didn't succeed and the traitors were shot and sentenced to death.

[–] Idliketothinkimsmart@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv8RO4skWGI

[–] TankieReplyBot@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 4 months ago

I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

[–] rainpizza@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 4 months ago

Imperialists are stoking the flame in the region to secure a cheap source of critical minerals for the global supply chain of electronic devices. With this, imperialists reap massive profits while the region's population pay with blood. Same old same old