DRC Conflict | Examining the history and causes of the conflict: Prof Thomas Mandrup

The United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has expressed grave concern over the safety and security of civilians as fighting intensified in the eastern parts of Democratic Republic of Congo.
The UNHCR says more than 400 000 people have been displaced by the clashes. M23 rebels took control of Goma, heightening the threat of a regional war. Nine South African soldiers were killed on Friday. The conflict that has been raging since 2012 has led to many killed and thousands displaced.
To help us better understand the situation in the DRC, we're now joined virtually by an expert in African security governance and South African military and foreign policy, Professor Thomas Mandrup, who is an Associate Professor with the Royal Danish Defence College and with SIGLA at Stellenbosch University.
For more news, visit sabcnews.com and #SABCNews on all Social Media platforms.

[@JohnNdagaswi]

Rwandan speaking here: We Rwandans know the truth. We know these Congo wars have nothing to do with the Tutsis in DRC and that has never been the reason. Tutsis were never hated in DRC; but now because of these senseless wars, people of DRC have started showing hate towards the “Banyamurenge”. The first war in DRC (then Zaire) was for security reasons as RDF was going after the FDLR, genocidaires, ExFARs, etc and wanted to dismantle them. RDF took over Zaire then and was patrolling its cities . Rwanda’s general James Kabarebe was the Army chief in DRC for a while when Mobutu was overthrown. It was then that Kagame found out that he can use Congo’s natural resources to build his country (“our country”) and also build his own wealth. Just look at Rwanda now, how we are progressing!! What do you think helps us build the roads, free healthcare, army weapons, etc??? Do you know how much gold has been exported since recently when the M23 war started?? Many Rwandans don’t care but some of us do though. It really hurts to see our brothers and sisters suffering, children dying….

[@agahezo8796]

You are misleading people here under the pretext you are a munyarwanda, what proves that?

[@FoodCultureDishes]

How, weak military in Congo can’t fight back? If Congo treats their military well Congo would have got many soldiers but they kill and jail them

[@userAsap-wn3rz]

@@JohnNdagaswi stupid scam, no kinyarwanda speaker who can have ndagaswi as a name, stop fueling conflict that you loose all the time

[@userAsap-wn3rz]

@@JohnNdagaswi you are one these FDLR, we know you have yet to get over your crimes so want the flames of hatred to keep burning and you think that more allies you have on your side you will get help to finish the genocide of tutsis! How come all wazalondos of Congo are chanting to exterminates tutsis, where did they get that ideology? STOP FDLR IS A MUST. Peaple need peace, Congolese and Rwandans all will have peace.

[@innocentnyange9586]

Prof Thomas thank you, you are so conversant with this conflict. The DRC is 100% responsible for the impass

[@celestinshema5622]

Well articulated Sir! Your actually know Well the situation there!

[@mozzeybest2646]

This man has equipped himself with full history and information of this congo and Rwanda tension. Nothing is true other than what hes saying

[@samanthaholm9634]

I love South Africa 🇿🇦 ❤️. Our soldiers determination to fight reconfirms how proud i am. I am proudly South African. BUT These young soldiers gave their lives with no support from their superiors rumours they ran out of ammo and no air support. So so sad . Thank you for telling us the 'rumours'. I am very upset by this. So sorry for the family no support for 24 hrs this is horrifying United we stand as South Africans. The truth will come out or will it be hidden. Disappointed at Cyril and Angie.

[@sonofgod816]

In the first place what did they go to do there? Be honest here

[@userAsap-wn3rz]

SANDF has nothing to do in DRC. And go back and follow this man what he is saying, he discribe the problem

[@faithnaidoo7647]

Why are they fighting another Countries War.SMH

[@n02hbby16]

why are we allowing SANDF to fight people on their own land some of those people were already there n rwanda is trying to protect themselves from the FDLR and i think the kinyarwanda are congolese u cant take away peoples rights without expecting a fight.

[@rukundojeandedieu8046]

Then why SA is fighting alongside with FARDC and militias including FDLR instead of pushing DRC government for peace negotiations.

[@KeithSmith-nf3kr]

The main problem facing facing the Congo ,is that the the large majority of Congolese people live in grinding poverty , and they have awaken to the fact that they live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world and also are aware that the wealth is not helping them to get out of their abject poverty therefore many different groups representing various ethnic people,have formed themselves into rebel factions ,in order to scramble for what they can get however small it may be. It is abundantly clear that if the wealth was being shared that there would far less violence.However the leaders are the stooges of foreign powers who bleed the resources while the Congolese people fight each other.The only way out of this is for these factions to some how join together and fight against the system of governance which is complisite in helping the foreing powers keeping the country colonized economically.

[@egidiusniwagaba5519]

DRC ran away from East African states who know them best and ran to the distant south Africa whom they can manipulate! There will be no winner militarily please start talking peace with all involved ❤

[@borismuneza6694]

Slightly true but the year 1884

[@engravedafrica4827]

It's not true that those people were denied citizenship. The root problem is that those peoples thow they enjoyed and are still enjoying all the basic rights they insist of wanting to be given a territorie of their own. Thirdly those who came in after the Genocide where brought in by the UN, not invited by Congo and the real criminals are either deds or too old to fight. The real reason behind is the looting of precious minerals resources by the multinationals and neocolonialits countries like France,the USA, Canada, Australia etc.. who are against the win-win trade and would rather get it for free through Rwanda, Uganda etc...

[@b-jo]

How about the banyamulenge refugees in rwanda that fled since the 1994, they're in rwanda and all over the world but their home is in congo? What happened for them to live their homes in big numbers? Where their home being attacked without government support? What happened? Did the government of congo fail to address a genocidal group that destabilised their own people and finally true colors came out when the government forces merged with the genocidaire group of fdlr which killed its own people.. consequences its what they call it..

[@sonofgod816]

Kindly talk about the hunger for minerals. Here include SA and the others with the need for what is under the soils

[@MuhireNdayisaba-f4o]

I don’t know why thy don’t recognise m23 as Congolese while they were in the military army of congo 🤔🤔🤔

[@bafilambozo8476]

Tutsi people are not bantu people. Congo is made up of bantu people only Tutsis are not even Rwandees. They are just immigrants in rwanda. Kinarwanda is a bantu language, not a tutsi language

[@bilembofredy728]

They chose to serve Rwandan interet by doing rebellion many time

[@aimableshingiro4059]

What are u trying to say? I see some contradiction in you!!!

[@thedailycheckpoint]

@@bafilambozo8476so ituri does not exist? there are alur nilotic people in ituri. and hema who are also killed for their faces by codeco because they look like us, and then central sudanic logo tribe. your tribalism runs when your brain stops

[@bishopjay]

They're not Congolese, they're from Rwanda that's why we will not acknowledge them

[@cyusaernest5931]

Rwanda is the Israel of Africa. Rwanda could fight 7 countries and still defeat them. We never joke when it comes to the defence of our nation and our citizens

[@kool2493]

😂😂 you are delusional

[@avivtelcomms]

😂😂😂 unbelievable

[@adamusparadus7830]

April 2024, European Union sign an agreement with Rwanda so it can provide EU with strategic mineral ressources. 2 months after, the M23 rebel group captured Rubaya, a city that possesses 25% of global coltan. Is this a simply coincidence?

[@bartkakooza2910]

I must say the professor is misleading people. He is not mentioning the role of Colonialism specifically the creation of borders without considering the ethnicity element. The excuse of genociders is just a scapegoat. And he wants to drag in Uganda which at the moment is not party to the conflict.

[@kdark-f2d]

Exactly I don't see professor here😂😂

[@OrnamentalHermit03]

Correct the border and il wager you see no difference

[@yvonneingabire-dv7cf]

That's true, the root cause of all problems is UN. Creation of borders, apart of Rwanda land is in Congo. That's why Kinyarwanda speaking people are in Congo. And also in Uganda they have Kinyarwanda speaking people who are Ugandans because a part of Rwandan land is on Uganda side, but Uganda dose not have a problem with those people. If they don't solve the conflicts based on this no peace will be found.

[@nairadevi2182]

@@yvonneingabire-dv7cfYou are greatly misinformed.

[@robertssemuju5429]

The 1884 Berlin conference is to blame, the professor needs to revise his books

[@adamusparadus7830]

Professeor, you should update your knowledge about that subject. I encourage you to google these names and you'll find out that what has been said here in not true: DRC has 109 millions people, 453 tribes, among them 297000 are of tutsis ethnic groups (Wikipedia), thus 242000 people average per tribe. If you do the math, tutsis are then NOT a minority ethnic group as some medias represent them. Not all tribes of DRC has been in charge of high-ranking positions in DR Congo. Actually, this war is simply the one of the control of DRC's natural ressources using tutsis militias as instrument. These tutsis are backed military by Rwanda itself, the Rwanda being backed by high powers's multinationals so it can provide them with strategic rare earth minerals. If each tribe should take weapons in order to make its voice heard, what will Africa's map become?

[@robertssemuju5429]

Is this guy a professor?

[@Jadenportfolio546]

We’re native Congolese Tutsi (M23) and we’ll fight for our freedom and democracy

[@n02hbby16]

Why did the south african president threaten rwanda over there that country has been respectful to SA.

[@bishopjay]

Stop telling lies , we don't have tutsi tribe in congo, we have 250 tribe none of them are tutsi

[@b-jo]

Is that the reason the fdlr killed banyamulenge in late 90s with out the government saying a word instead collaborating with the genocide group? Innocent blood is pricey.. feel it. Decree Love & wisdom upon africa ,, amen..

[@bishopjay]

They're controling Goma and you have south Africa soldiers ask them

[@KivuWaMinembwe]

Kinyarwanda speakers are not a minority in Kivu, besides in a country of 400 tribes your minority narrative is meaningless, you are either deliberately ignorant of the facts. You are examining history and start with the refugees of 1960, you ignore that all the mountains, hills, valleys, lakes, rivers were already named in Kinyarwanda by their Kinyarwanda speaking inhabitants from time immemorial. Nyiragongo, Nyamuragira, Rwicanzige, - The President of Congo is a foreigner in Kivu, just like we are foreigners in Katanga but we are not telling them to go back to Zambia and Angola where they came from. We will take up arms against Tshisekedi's xenophobic regime and any foreign invaders of our ancestral homeland. Condolences to SA families who lost loved ones but your boys are no match to a people fighting for survival, you are fighting on the wrong side a long a genocidal regime and FDLR, you bring shame to the memory of our fore fathers and freedom fighters.

[@diulukabongo4395]

Who are not the minority in a country of over 400 tribes. This war is about minerals. Don’t lie to people

[@bilembofredy728]

Fdlr still active,oh my ear,is that says the professor,Is that the case,Rwanda must its borders,

[@sergekusinza9532]

This is pure misinterpretation. This guy is clueless on the matter full of inaccurate insights...just a combination of false analysis gathered randomly. Follow the money and you will understand every supposedly complex layers of this conflict. 3T minerals for international supply (iPhone, defense tech) are at stake

[@bilembofredy728]

Let's me clarify you Sir,these fdlr are too hold to be involved again in this war,The youngest fdlr back in 1994 was 20 or 22 years,Hence Kagame had occupied that area,where they thrived for 5 years,but he hadn't finished them off,Why?That my question,,Secondly all Rwandan speaking in Congo got Congolese nationality since 2006,,But you are talking the contrary here, Therefore,you will find them in all structures of Congolese society (political, military, academic , religion etc) Plenty of generals in army and police, government,Parlement,Kagame has fabricated many liies and pretexts to legitimate his agression war

[@thedailycheckpoint]

1. fdlr can reproduce babies just like every other human 2. there are many who are in refugee camps who dont have nationality yet 3. the tutsi in the national army are a minority and its obvious propaganda to show the world that we arent discriminated. 4. You blame rwanda so much yet keep the borders open? 5. The Country has 0 security, how can one allow 200+ militias to run rampant even after all their crimes just for “national unity”. A country of 100+million and they couldnt get actual soldiers to fight?

[@murphyng4511]

he's an agent for Rwanda interest they not going to listen to your bro that's how they get paid spreading untruthful story

[@b-jo]

But the migration influx of the banyamulenge people from congo caused by the fdlr still lives,, the same fdlr bore children with similar thirst for tutsi blood. You don't know what you talking about. Unless if you fdlr, there you would never understand coz you would be the hungry one here.. Don't blame banyamulenge for returning home..

[@PatrickNtirenganya]

I have no clue what he is talking about

[@Lilly-b7w]

It's hard to tell the truth " cotang some how ended up in mobile phones" get that man off lazy reporting 😮

[@albertine-o5c]

If you don't know Congo history shut, Don't come on this Platform lie to people, go back to school and learned the history of congo!

[@kdark-f2d]

This is very badly information how on this earth your call yourself a professor and you start history in 1960 when its started in 1915 with Belgium and Germany colonisation this don't make no sense 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@b-jo]

It's an English issue, he talked about mid 18th century before leopold altered your history, you never ask yourself why you buy European products?? 🤔 think while it's still free

[@bilembofredy728]

Sakina,the only is Kagame, Nothing else, Other approch is utopical and waste of precious time,Just sanctionne me

[@GuardsafeSecurity]

You don't know what are you talking false report there's no tusti in Congo everyone got is country

[@bishopjay]

In congo there's no minority or majority tribe , tutsi sre not Congolese

[@umutota9861]

That is very badly interpretation

[@aimableshingiro4059]

Tell us your facts

[@murphyng4511]

what are you talking about? false informations Rwanda Agent

[@aimableshingiro4059]

This is a professor of history. Tell us your understanding!

[@LatifJrok]

Prof Thomas, for your information M23 is truly not Congolese

[@ushindimazino2002]

In Congo we never have minority group that are been killed it’s a war of minerals