A decades-old cycle of proxy wars and mineral wealth fuels modern DRC conflict

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The current fighting between Rwanda and the DRC is not a new spark, but a rekindled fire. From the 1994 genocide to modern-day rebel offensives, the region remains locked in a complex web of ethnic tensions, strategic interests, and the pursuit of mineral resources.

The current escalation began in March 2022, when the March 23 Movement (M23) launched a campaign in the DRC's eastern provinces. The DRC, the UN, and Western nations accuse Rwanda of actively fighting alongside M23. Conversely, Rwanda and M23 accuse the DRC of harboring the FDLR, an ethnic Hutu paramilitary group involved in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. While both nations deny these specific allegations, independent research and reports have confirmed that both sides' accusations are grounded in fact. This instability is rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan Civil War. Following the victory of the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front, Hutu extremists and 1.5 million refugees fled into neighboring Zaire (now the DRC). Weak state institutions under Mobutu Sese Seko allowed these militants to establish insurgencies. By 1996, Rwanda began supporting the Banyamulenge—a minority community of ethnic Tutsis in the DRC—to secure economic interests and establish de facto control, a move described as an extension of the Rwandan civil war.

The conflict evolved through several phases of intervention. In 1997, Laurent-Désiré Kabila overthrew Mobutu, but soon turned against his former allies, ordering Rwandan troops out in 1998. Consequently, a fresh uprising was supported by Uganda and Rwanda to remove him from power. The cycle repeated in 2022, with the M23 offensive causing massive displacement—over 400,000 people fled during a January 2025 offensive on Goma. Despite a preliminary peace treaty signed in June 2025, Rwandan troops remain in the DRC as of September 2025, leaving the region in a state of volatile transition.

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