Massacre in Congo: the heavy silence of the international community

On Saturday, February 24, a hundred people gathered in the streets of Montreal to demonstrate against the massacres endured by civilians in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), since the resumption of armed conflicts by rebel groups in 2021. The Congolese community also denounced the silence of the international community.

At the meeting point, near McGill station, members of the Congolese community proudly display the colors of the DRC flag while waiting for the departure time. The wind is freezing, some are warming their hands by blowing on them, others are patting their feet to fight against the cold, but all have a palpable determination on their faces: to make their voices heard and to demand that the international community end its silence.

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“We are not flies that can be killed like that”

In the midst of the growing crowd, a man in his sixties, wrapped in a Congolese flag, is live on Facebook. “We are not flies that can be killed like that,” he solemnly declared, before continuing his speech in Lingala, one of Congo's national languages.

Since the mid-1990s, Congo has been plunged into a conflict involving several local and foreign armed groups as well as Congolese government forces and widespread violence. The main cause of this conflict is the extraction of mineral resources in the east of the country, particularly by Uganda and especially Rwanda.

According to United Nations reports,The Rwandan government is involved in the formation and financing of the March 23 Movement (M23).), a rebel group active in eastern Congo. This group is accused of participating in smuggling and trafficking in natural resources, including minerals. Kinshasa also claims that Rwanda exports Congolese minerals to its land via the M23. In addition to its illicit activities, the militia is also accused of serious human rights violations against local populations.

Despite the evidence put forward, Kigali has denied any involvement since the start of the conflict, and accuses Kinshasa in return of collusion with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), formed mainly by Rwandan Hutu rebels, who fled to the DRC after the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda in 1994.

According to the most recent data from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) dating from 2008, 5.4 million Congolese have died since the start of the conflict. However, some researchers dispute this figure, believing that it is actually much lower*. The UN also estimates a massive displacement of the population, amounting to nearly seven million inhabitants, within the country.

Moïse Mayo, director of the Liberal Party association in Saint-Jérôme*, was one of the organizers of the demonstration. During the march, we stayed close to him to better understand the demands of the demonstrators. The man wearing a yellow vest points out that the conflict in eastern Congo is often wrongly perceived as an ethnic clash. “It's not about ethnic wars, people need to understand it! There are 250 ethnic groups in Congo, we are able to live together. The main reason for this war in the east of the country is the extraction of raw materials at lower prices in Congo,” he explains angrily.

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“The phones you use are Congolese! ”

It is 2 pm when the demonstrators sing the national anthem, which marks the start of the march. The footsteps start moving in a heavy silence, broken by the sound of the horns of the motorcade. Cars decorated with flags from Congo, but also from Senegal and Chad blend into the parade, testifying to African solidarity in this quest for justice.

After a few minutes, voices were raised. The demonstrators accuse Kigali, but also the international community, of complicity in their silence in the face of ongoing armed conflicts. “Genocide* in Congo! ”, “Canada Complice! ”, “United States complicit! ”, “France, accomplice! ” they exclaim.

In front of the Apple store located on Sainte-Catherine Street, the demonstrators made a first stop. The cries of protest are growing. “Apple Complice! ”, they shout, pointing to the multinational's responsibility for the suffering endured by the Congolese. “The telephones you use are Congolese! ” says a female voice angrily. She adds: “Your phones are soaked in Congolese blood! ”.

Apple*, as well as companies such as Microsoft, Google, Dell, and Tesla, are accused by International Rights Advocates (IRA), a human rights organization, of benefiting from child labor in cobalt, tin, and tungsten mines collectively known as 3T. These metals are crucial for the manufacture of many electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and electric cars.

“The unfortunate thing about Congo is that 70% of the world's cobalt is available in our country,” says Mr. Mayo. Outside the doors of the Apple store, a high-pitched cry resounded in the crowd - the Congolese “Yi” - a cry of humiliation, carrying with it the weight of collective outrage.

The World Labour Organization has described the methods used by several companies in the provinces of Kivu, against their employees as “modern slavery”. Many NGOs have also raised concerns about the working conditions of children, who still represent a significant portion of the local workforce. According to the latest figures from UNICEF in 2014, more than 40,000 children in the DRC work in mines.

Mr. Mayo shares with us, obviously outraged: “I can't imagine my 4-year-old daughter being raped, or I don't imagine my wife being raped by several men in front of my children. These are atrocities that have no words.” Mr. Mayo refers to the latest testimonies published by Amnesty International in February 2023. Dozens of women and girls in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have testified that they were raped by M23 rebel groups. Each testimony describes in detail the atrocities suffered by the survivors.

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The silence of Western countries, pointed out.

As the crowd moves towards the U.S. Embassy, the voice of a protester stands out: “They don't want to listen to our voices, they're turning a deaf ear, because they're stealing from us all! She continues, “what we deplore is not even our stolen land and wealth, but the millions of dead! The atrocities suffered by our compatriots, the rapes, the massacres! ”.

At his side, his sister speaks: “We have cried enough, we have cried too much, we are tired of crying. We just want the genocide to stop, for the killings to stop! That's all we want.”

Her sister bounced back: “For the Congo we don't say anything, is black skin worth nothing? ”. For this protester, this “silence” on the part of the international community is a question of skin color but also of economic interests that Western countries benefit from. “It is a question of color but also of plunder. Everyone uses it, it's not normal. For the Congo no one speaks, are we worthless or what? ” she exclaims, her eyes furious.

“Is the life of a Congolese worth less than that of a Ukrainian? ”

Mr. Mayo also deplores the silence of the Canadian authorities in the face of the Congolese massacre. “To remain silent in a situation like this is also to be complicit in what is happening.”

For him, this is not an omission on the part of the Canadian state, but a deliberate desire to remain silent. “We send letters to MPs, to senators here, to Justin Trudeau's cabinet, we even send correspondence to the White House. Everyone is aware, but the silence is still astounding.” he said.

Moïse Mayo highlights the contrast between the significant support given to Ukraine from the start of the war, and the widespread oblivion of Congo. “The high number of deaths in Congo far exceeds that of Ukraine, that's what throws me to the ground. Is the life of a Congolese worth less than that of a Ukrainian? ”, he laments. For him, this is a policy of “double standards”: “Congo and Ukraine are both living in the same situation, it's a geopolitical war! ”

“When will the sanctions be imposed on Paul Kagame and his regime? ” Why this disinterest in him? ” continues Mr. Mayo. “Russia has rightly received sanctions, but Rwanda has not received any sanctions! ”

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Is Canada powerless in the face of conflicts in the DRC?

Patrick Mbeko, a Canadian political scientist of Congolese origin, is a specialist in geopolitical issues in the African Great Lakes region. According to the expert, Canada does not have the necessary influence to intervene on Congo's geopolitical issues. “Canada is a minor player compared to what is happening in eastern Congo. Even though we are a member of the G7, Canada does not have enough levers to tip the balance.” He also points out that Canada does not have political ties with the Central African country.

Despite Canada's support for the United Nations stabilization mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mr. Mbeko highlights Canada's partnership ties with Rwanda “Support the UN and at the same time be an ally of Rwanda? It's only to give yourself a good conscience.” he says. He continues, “If Canada must act, it is by calling on Rwanda to exercise restraint. Perhaps this could encourage the Rwandan authorities to reassess their posture regarding supporting criminals operating in eastern DRC.”

Global Affairs Canada says the country is concerned about the recent increase in hostilities in eastern DRC. Canada is also calling on Rwanda to end support for armed groups in the region.

As the crowd continues to march on Sainte Catherine Street in the direction of the French Embassy, its final stop, Mr. Mayo takes the megaphone. “We will remain standing until the international community as a whole realizes that Congolese life has value.” The demonstrators again chanted “France complicit!” The demonstrators again chanted “France complicit!” ”.

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Timid reactions from some governments

On Tuesday, February 20, Paris denounced in a press release “attacks on the territorial integrity” of the DRC and the violence against civilian populations in the east of the country. In particular, France called on Rwanda “to stop all support” to the M23 rebels and “to withdraw from Congolese territory”. The United States also “strongly condemned the escalation of violence caused by the actions of M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda.”

During a parliamentary session on Thursday 23 February, Raoul Hedebouw, head of the Belgian Labour Party, has denounced the inaction of Belgium and Western governments in the face of the Congolese massacre.

The politician also pointed the finger at the European Union, following its recent signing of an agreement with Rwanda on the “sustainable management of raw materials”, including resources such as coltan, cobalt, nickel, diamond and copper. “Let's be clear, diamonds do not come from Rwanda. All this comes from eastern Congo.” declared Mr. Hedebouw. “This is the reason why Belgium is not intervening: it's Business, it's money,” he said.

On this subject, Mr. Mbeko believes that the member countries of the European Union are showing hypocrisy: “You cannot denounce the Congo's aggression and sign a strategic partnership with a country that lives from the plunder of Congo's natural resources. Everyone knows where Congo's wealth comes from,” he said.

Back at the starting point, the demonstrators sing the Congolese national anthem again to end the march, this time with a symbolic representation: one hand over the mouth and two fingers in arms at the temple level.

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To go further

*According to A study commissioned by the European Commission and carried out by Belgian demographers Louis Lohlé-Tart and André Lambert in 2008, the total number of deaths between 1988 and 2004 is estimated at 200,000.

*The APLQ brings together supporters of the Quebec Liberal Party, assists them in organizing their political actions and in obtaining support.

*The term “genocide” is a term subject to debate to describe the massacres taking place in eastern DRC. Some human rights groups and experts maintain that the events in eastern Congo meet the criteria for genocide under international law. The “Project Mapping” report, published in 2010 by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, documents the massive violence committed between 1993 and 2003, some of which was qualified as genocide. However, others dispute this characterization, preferring to use terms such as “crimes against humanity” or “war crimes.” To date, the International Criminal Court has not formally ruled on this issue. To understand the legal concept around a genocide and its limits, we recommend that you: GENOCIDE: THE UNDERSIDE OF A POWERFUL AND COMPLEX WORD

*Following a German-Danish documentary entitled “Blood in Our Cell Phones”, Apple declared in 2014 that it no longer wanted ore from the conflict in Congo. However, when looking at Apple's 2023 annual report, information about mines is hidden: one note notes “Mining safety disclosures do not apply.”