by LUKE ZUNGA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – RWANDA has the best economy in Africa and receives over US$1 billion international grants every year from the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US).
But wait until you consider and subtract what is happening in Goma and Bukavu. Goma is the capital of Northern Kivu Province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Since 1996 there have been at least four wars. One has to independently pierce through the gamut of events coming out of the region to determine one’s own conclusions.
Goma is surrounded by numerous volcanoes which expose minerals such as gold, cobalt, lithium, tin, tungsten, copper, tantalum, among others.
Well known volcanoes are Mt Nyiragongo, which plumes smoke from time to time as well as Mounts Virunga, Mikeno, Viseko, Nyamulagira, Gahinga, Karisimba, Sabinyo etc. The volcanic mountains brought minerals to the surface, and are also suitable for military dog fights, in the home of gorillas and other apes.
Goma is on the shores of Lake Kivu the centre of which is the border with Rwanda, three hours drive to Kigali the capital of Rwanda. At the lower end of Lake Kivu is the city of Bukavu in this mineral belt.
In 1994 Rwandan Hutu and Tutsi murdered each other in a genocide, started by Interahamwe Hutus.
The conflict forced over 2 million Hutus to flee into the DRC, as well as displacing Hutus and Tutsis inside Rwanda.
After the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Paul Kagame, who had fled to Uganda regrouped the Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Army, which became Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF).
Kagame and his RPF overthrew the moderate Hutu government in Kigali and seized power. Kagame’s RPF together with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL) led by Laurent Kabila drove out Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997.
AFDL were Tutsi and Uganda elements in Goma collectively named Banyamulenge. But in 1998 Kagame and Laurent Kabila turned on each other.
The Kagame Rwandan government supported a rebel Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) to capture Goma from the Congolese government.
Zimbabwe forces entered the conflict in 1998 to rescue Kabila in return for mineral concessions.
Hutu refugees in Goma, Interahamwe and local Mayi Mayi militia, the Democratic Force for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and Army for Liberation of Rwanda (ALR) fought the RCDto fend off Kagame’s Rwanda interference.
President Kagame is hawkish of any Hutu grouping in the Northern Kivu Province, especially in the region of Goma and Bukavu.
The United Nations reported that both the AFDL and RPF had been plundering the minerals of the Kivu Province for 25 years prior to the 1994 genocide. In 1996 both attacked Hutus who had fled to Congo from the genocide in Rwanda.
The March 23 Movement (M23) are Tutsi DRC citizens. It was formed in August 2012 by about 300 Tutsi soldiers in Goma, who refused to be deployed away from Goma their illicit gold and mineral centre, in line with the 23 March 2009 peace treaty,
On 23 March 2009 the DRC Kinshasa government, signed a peace treaty with National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), after the capture of its commander Laurent Nkunda, in which the Tutsi militias were to be incorported into the army and government positions, the transformation of NCDP into a political party so that it would contest the elections, the integration of refugees and release of prisoners.
During the CNDP repraisals some Tutsi fled back into Rwanda.
Paul Kagame seized the opportunity to support the rebel army to oppose Rassemblement Democratique pour de Rwanda (RDR) in Kivu and to exploit the minerals of DRC.
He helped recruit, train and equip the Tutsi in Rwanda into M23.
Therefore, the origin of the M23 conflict was not that theTutsi were marginalized and denied citizenship by the Kinshasa regime but that they refused deployment inorder to exploit minerals.
President Kagame refused blame because Tutsi are Congolese, and therefore the issue is Congolese.
The recent January 2025 killing of 14 South African forces in Goma region of Northern Kivu sparked anguish among South Africans. South Africa has been brokering negotiations for peace since Nelson Mandela hosted DRC leader Laurent Kabila and army defector Laurent Nkunda in October 1996.
The South African government negotiated with the warring formations, DRC and Rwanda governments which ended with the Pretoria Accord in July 2002. But peace has been elusive in the first, second, third and fourth Congo wars.
DRC Presidents Lauernt Kabila, Joseph Kabila and Felix Tshisekedi accused President Kagame of arming rebel groups to exploit the Tutsi ethnic conflict and to pillage DRC minerals to enrich Rwanda. Indeed M23 carry sophisticated weapons pointing to Rwanda.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goma
South African forces are in Goma as part of the SADC security protocol. Like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an attack on one SADC country is an attack on all. The Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa knows very well what is going on in Goma.
As an intelligent operative, the Zimbabwe President speaks little, leaving South Africa to utter her anguish. Kagame stands out like a serpent, ready for battle. What is the solution?
This is a typical Master of Business Administration (MBA) examination. My pen shaking, I would say Kagame is definitely arming M23 and other rebels.
If DRC negotiates with M23, there are many other rebel tribes whom Kagame will work with, as had happened with RCD and RDR.
President Kagame will not yield because his government feeds out of the conflict. In 2024 Rwanda doubled her exports of minerals, with gold at US$854 million, boosted by DRC excarvations.
The funding for weapons is paid by the Rwandan army through Goma minerals exploits and by certain outside forces, largely those who hold mineral rights in Rwanda who are operating the mineral extractions under protection from Rwandan invading army and M23 rebels.
Holders of mineral licenses can cause havoc because they have access to cash from the value of mineral rights on their balance sheets, a matter brought to the attention of the South African government. Rwanda is a conduit, like the Dubai of Africa.
Any president who wins elections by 98% is a dictator and a warlord,like Saddam Hussein and Rwanda refugees are all ovr in Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa etc.
The politics of Rwanda will not change in the foreseeable future. The way President Kagame belittled President Tshisekedi showed that he can command the M23 and other rebels to overrun Kinshasa using the money from Kivu and foreign players in Europe and USA who want the DRC minerals.
South Africa should allow SADC to lead the process, but focus on inclusive diplomatic efforts and call for independent investigations and accountability for the atrocities in Goma.
The frustrations for unending war in the DRC and the death of soldiers is well understood but it is important for South Africa to engage in these battles, rather than an army on the chalkboard.
President Ramaphosa cannot keep quiet as some suggested but should strengthen South African defenses in Goma.
However, South Africa is no longer a credible player due to the mistrust but should not pull out of Goma, but rather engage in training Congolese military either in South Africa or in the DRC, away from the war front, to produce a credible DRC army over time which will defend its territory.
South Africa would then enter into the field to test the soldiers, because you cannot be soldiers without a front line experience.
South Africa should focus on the development of the DRC. There is a lot at stake which urgently needs interventions.
South Africa needs an industrial plan in South Africa which could work in the DRC, to strengthen resource levels to be able to raise a strong army to stand up to despots like Paul Kagame.
SADC decision should be to maintain military presence in terms of the SADC defence pact, while engaging all players in SADC, East African Community, AU, EU, USA and different players in the region.
The DRC should strengthen its governance of Kivu and set its own local markets for the minerals, so that Rwanda faces stiff competition.
Did I pass?
– CAJ News