Congo in chaos: M23 rebels have triggered the greatest refugee crisis for years

Congo in chaos: M23 rebels have triggered the greatest refugee crisis for years

in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Situation is dramatically pussies after increasing violence has demanded countless human lives through the rebel militia M23. Before a mass rally, there were devastating explosions that reported at least 7,000 deaths in recent months. The government under President Felix Tshisekedi blames a "foreign army" and accuses Rwanda of providing military support, which Kigali vehemently contests. As Kleine Zeitung , the rebel leader promised during his speech in Nanga after the first public appearance in the more security in the controlled city of Bukavu.

In the course of the conflict, which dates back to the roots of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, the M23 rebels not only took Bukavu, but also took control of Goma. People there suffer from catastrophic conditions: Lowerly corpses are transported into the city's hills, while hundreds of thousands have to flee. According to zdf are the humanitarian conditions unacceptable; The displaced persons are lacking in vital, and they often live under simple plastic.

international reactions and impending escalation

The negotiations on the de-escalation of the conflict remain without success, while the UN Security Council unanimously condemns violence in the east of the Congo and asks Rwanda to hire any support of the M23. "There is little progress, and the population threatens to sink into this chaos," commented the head of operations without borders, Marcus Bachmann. The ongoing military pressure of the M23 could not only endanger the stability of the entire region, but also rekindle ethnic tensions between Tutsi and Hutu.

The international community is under pressure to take effective measures, while the humanitarian organizations are concerned that the situation could continue to escalate. The people in the Congo and the surrounding region experience an unprecedented humanitarian emergency that urgently needs attention and support.