Congo’s Silent Genocide:
The Western Silence and Support in the Name of Profit

The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the largest supply of cobalt, a crucial metal used in the production of lithium-ion batteries for phones, tablets, and electric cars. In 2022, the Congolese cobalt reserves were estimated at around four million metric tons, primarily located in the eastern part of the country, while the global reserves amount to 8.3 million tons. As the demand for cobalt continues to rise, its possession has become highly sought after. Unfortunately, these vast reserves have made Congo a target for various groups, such as the 'Mouvement du 23 mars' (M23). The M23, a rebel group founded and commanded by the Kagame Regime in Rwanda and directly funded by Western countries such as the US, UK, ‘Israel’, and the EU, has seized control of major towns in the eastern North and roads leading to Goma, the capital of North Kivu. The escalating violence has resulted in 5.4 million deaths since 1998 and the displacement of 7 million people, predominantly women and children. Shockingly, an estimated 48 women are raped every hour, with one survivor recounting, "As they were raping me, one said: 'We've come from Rwanda to destroy you.'" Those who remain in their homes often face slavery in the mines, where cobalt is extracted and sold at low prices to Western companies such as Tesla and Samsung, among others.

In February 2024, the United Nations Security Council sounded the alarm regarding the situation in Congo, expressing concern “about the escalation of violence and sustained tension in the region.” Despite “condemning the M23 offensive and reaffirming support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the DRC”, certain members of the Security Council, such as the UK and US, have continued to fund and benefit from the Rwandan group's genocidal actions.

While the European Union countries ceased funding to Rwanda in 2023 after contributing more than 20 million euros, the United Kingdom quickly restored and continues to provide funding to the regime, turning a blind eye to its actions for its own benefit.

Notably, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has remained silent regarding Rwanda's actions, while UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman's visit to Rwanda in March 2023, ostensibly for asylum discussions, suggests broader diplomatic maneuvers. Plans have been devised to address the UK immigration problem by relocating "illegal immigrants" to Rwanda, where they would likely face imprisonment, execution, or deportation to their native countries were they would, once more, be persecuted.

The UK is not the only country benefiting from its ties with Rwanda. Israel's involvement is evident in the weaponry sent to Rwanda to continue the massacre of Congolese people. Similarly, Israel has negotiated a deal to send "voluntary Palestinian migrants" to Congo, where they would endure enslavement and exploitation in mining operations.

Disturbingly, the United States has also been implicated in funding the Kagame regime, only halting its support once international pressure mounted against this genocide. As public opinion shifted, the US "scrambled to avoid another foreign policy crisis and drew up a multi-part deal to de-escalate the fighting in Congo," the POLITICO reported.

The revelation that Western countries are once again funding the massacre of innocent lives for profit should not surprise, as history has shown that these nations prioritize their financial interests over humanitarian concerns, especially when non-Western lives are at stake. This pattern of silence and support extends to the Jewish entity’s actions against Palestine, despite the deaths of more than 29,000 people, highlighting a consistent alignment with geopolitical and economic objectives.

In a society driven by profit, human life becomes collateral damage, which Western countries are all too willing to ignore. They have built their fortune on the exploitation and killing of what they consider third world citizens, acknowledging their actions only when their own citizens demand resolution. Erecting monuments and observing yearly "minutes of silence for the victims" in an attempt to absolve themselves from blame and promise that this “will not happen again”, despite historical proof that it will indeed happen again. But in a society that witnesses these deaths firsthand, such gestures no longer suffice to maintain the status quo.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Amatullah Hechmi