War for Koltan: Rwanda's secret power games in the Ostkongo!

War for Koltan: Rwanda's secret power games in the Ostkongo!

In the Eastern Congo, the situation is dramatic after over 100,000 people are on the run, while the M23 militia expands its control over strategically important areas. The Congolese government in Kinshasa is on the offensive and accuses the neighboring country of Rwanda open support for the M23. According to a report by the UN expert group, which was published at the end of December, the M23 controls a "parallel system" that revolves around raw material mining. In particular, control over the coveted column occurrence is of the highest relevance, since Koltan is essential for the production of laptops, smartphones and electric car batteries. After the conquest of Rubaya, the home of the most profitable Koltanmine, at least 150 tons of Kolana are said to have been exported to Rwanda, such as the Kleine Zeitung reported.

The M23 has been strengthened again since November 2021 and has occupied large areas in the province of North-Kivu. The coalition from Rwanda and the M23 uses geopolitical tensions caused by partnerships between DR Congo and Uganda. Rwanda is marginalized by the new political alliances and uses the M23 strategically for influence in the region. At the same time, it is pointed out to the weakness of the Congolese armed forces who cannot assert themselves against the pressure of the M23 and the Rwandian army. Despite diplomatic efforts such as the Nairobi and Luanda process, there is no sustainable solution, and international reactions to Rwanda's support for the M23 are reserved, as is found in the report of the Groupe d’étude Sur Le Congo (GEC) and the Congolese Institute Ebuteli. While Rwanda has hardly feared material consequences due to its strategic importance, the authors recommend increasing international pressure on Rwanda and carrying out a comprehensive reform of the security sector in the DR Congo, such as oenz reported.