State of emergency in the Congo: deliberate starvation of 10 million inhabitants and the world is silent

The rebels, reportedly supported by neighboring Rwanda, have created a de facto economic blockade. Testimonies from merchants and local residents reveal that the members of the organization are blocking access to food imports, with the exception of goods coming from their ally, Rwanda.

The United Nations estimates that approximately three million people in the region are expected to deteriorate into a state of “food emergency” by the end of this June. International officials and researchers on behalf of the United Nations point out that Rwanda is using the M23 as a military arm to gain economic control over Congo’s natural resources, while creating complete dependence on Rwandan imports. Rwanda’s fast-growing economy relies in part on minerals smuggled out of the Congo.

Human rights organizations report severe violence against farmers trying to cultivate their land, including reports of the killing of around 300 farmers in the Goma region in the past year.