Rwanda, M23 and the conflict in Congo explained | Start Here

In just a few weeks, the M23 rebel group has taken control of a large area in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, including two major cities. What’s happening? What does Rwanda have to do with it? And how does it relate to the decades-long conflict in this region? #AJStartHere with Sandra Gathmann explains.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:40 - How the current conflict has roots in the Rwandan genocide
02:40 - The First and Second Congo wars
03:58 - Who are the M23?
05:15 - How the M23 are backed by Rwanda
05:58 - What do the M23 and Rwanda want in eastern DRC?
07:37 - The battle over natural resources
08:25 - M23 and the Congo River Alliance (AFC)
09:22 - How the Congolese army is notoriously weak
10:40 - What’s being done to resolve the conflict?
12:00 - The impact on civilians caught up in the conflict

This episode features:
Richard Moncrieff | Project Director for the Great Lakes, International Crisis Group
Jason Stearns | Professor, Simon Fraser University; Director, Congo Research Group, NYU
Fred Bauma | Executive Director of Ebuteli
Maina King'ori | Regional Humanitarian Director of East and Central Africa, CARE
Crystal Orderson | Journalist

#M23 #DRC #CongoCrisis #Rwanda #EastCongo #ConflictZone #AfricaNews #Geopolitics #WarAndPeace #AlJazeeraEnglish