Another major war is looming – and western support for Rwanda is fuelling it | Dino Mahtani
GuardianFeb 02
M23 Seizes Another Town in Eastern DRC Despite Unilateral Cease-Fire
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Above: M23 soldiers escort a military pick-up truck as residents run in a street in Goma after a public gathering at the Stade de l'Unité on Feb. 6, 2025. Image copyright: Alexis Huguet/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Several media outlets reported on Wednesday that the Congolese anti-government March 23 Movement (M23) militia has gained control of the mining city of Nyabibwe in the eastern province of South Kivu, near the city of Kalehe and the provincial capital of Bukavu.
This comes in spite of the M23 unilaterally declaring a cease-fire on humanitarian grounds, which was supposed to take effect on Tuesday. Kinshasa denounced the truce as an alleged "ploy" on Wednesday.
UN experts warned on Thursday that there was no safe haven left in the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo following reports of heavy fighting between anti-government groups and government forces.
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 towards its ally, Rwanda. It's unacceptable that evidence of Rwandan support for ethnic Tutsi insurgencies has been played down for so long. Time is running short to prevent even worse consequences.
Pro-establishment narrative
It's nonsense to point fingers at the West when the Congolese president, Félix Tshisekedi, is the one refusing to engage in peace talks with the M23 rebels and de-escalate tensions. The ongoing crisis in eastern DRC can be resolved only if he gets serious about the peace process.
