Social media is awash with “focus on Congo” posts highlighting the ongoing violence that has left millions dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Find out what’s happening in Congo.
Spotlight on Congo | Image: Instagram
New Delhi: Following on from “All Attention Rafah” and “All Attention DRC”, social media has been flooded with “All Attention Congo” posts to draw attention to the violence in the DRC that has claimed millions of lives.
Focus on Congo
The “All Eyes on Kongo” image features children from the Congo. This image template has been shared over 400,000 times on Instagram. The “All Eyes on Kongo” template was created by Instagram user @ashlehrerin.
Friends of Congo, a Washington, D.C.-based aid group, also shared a “Focus on Congo” image on its Instagram Story on Wednesday.
Spotlight on Congo | Image: Instagram
Why the spotlight is on Congo
The phrase “All eyes on Congo” aims to draw attention to violence in the Congo. The phrase began trending after “All eyes on Rafah” was popularized on Instagram to raise awareness of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. “All eyes on the Democratic Republic of Congo” has also been trending on social media to draw attention to issues closer to home.
What is happening in the Congo?
The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been raging for decades and has created a severe humanitarian crisis. More than six million people have been displaced and another six million have died in a country of around 105 million people. More than 100 rebel groups and the Congolese army are fighting for control.
One of the main rebel groups is the M23 (23 March Movement), a mostly Tutsi group that broke away from the Congolese army in 2012. M23 has reactivated in recent years, attacking the Congolese army after nearly a decade of inactivity. Congo and the UN have accused Rwanda of backing M23, a charge Rwanda denies.
Since October, the M23 have occupied the main road leading to the eastern city of Goma and have threatened to take over the nearby city of Sake. Earlier this month, the group took over the mining town of Rubaya. The escalating violence has sparked protests across the country. During a protest in February, some Congolese burned American and Belgian flags. They accused Western governments of ignoring the violence and supporting Rwanda. Police used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
The conflict stems from long-standing tensions between Rwanda and Congo since the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Rwanda invaded Congo in 1996, forcing Congolese leader Mobutu Sese Seko into exile. A second war broke out in 1998, leaving a reported 5.4 million Congolese dead.
Congo appointed a new government on Wednesday, five months after an election that secured President Felix Tshisekedi a second term in power. The new government was announced shortly after the Congolese army reported it had thwarted a coup attempt.
