Fleeing The Flames: Tens of Thousands Try To Escape Congolese Conflict

Fleeing the Flames: Tens of Thousands Try to Escape Congolese Conflict Democratic Republic of the Congo Escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has created a humanitarian crisis in the region, human rights officials said this week, with tens of thousands of Congolese crossing the borders into Burundi and Uganda, France 24 reported. The majority of the 63,000 refugees who have crossed the border in recent weeks are women, children and the elderly, according to United Nations officials. They are crammed into makeshift camps that have reached capacity. There are widespread shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies. Burundi’s officials said the country is witnessing the biggest humanitarian crisis it has seen in decades. The refugee crisis began soon after the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels launched an offensive to seize mineral-rich territory in eastern DRC in January. Since then, it has captured key regional towns such as Goma and Bukavu and is advancing further into the region. More than 7,000 people have been killed in the offensive. The DRC is struggling to hold off the M23 rebel group but is facing defections within its forces. Now, inspired by the proposed Ukraine-US mineral deal, the country is hoping the US will help repel the rebels via a mineral agreement, BBC reported. DRC spokesperson confirmed that the country is looking to supply Washington “with some critical minerals” in a possible deal that includes an “economic and military partnership.” The country is estimated to hold $24 trillion worth of untapped resources, such as cobalt, gold, and copper but also lithium, tantalum, and uranium. These elements are an essential part of everyday tech in the West such as smart phones and laptops. The US has not committed to any deal. Currently, China dominates the Congolese mineral sector. Share this story