The DRC has been in conflict since the 1990s, including debates on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and media. People across their country faced arrest, possibly being beaten, and sometimes prosecuted. Journalists who criticized government policies faced threats and harassment and feared for their lives. Human rights defenders faced intimation, arrest without cause, and threats. Since 1996, conflict in the Eastern DRC has led to almost six million deaths. Due to the excessive amount of natural resources and sought-after materials, there has been a constant debate as to whom the resources belong. “DRC is home to some of the world’s largest reserves of the metals and rare earth minerals that are used in the production of advanced electronics” (GCT). Armed groups within the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have become more incentivized to join the Congolese conflict. Due to the weak government in the DRC and the invasion of criminal armed groups, Congolese civilians have experienced widespread rape and sexual violence, extreme poverty, and human rights violations. There is a constant fear among those who call the DRC their home and live in a battleground. M23, abbreviated from the March 23 Movement, also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army, claims to try and defend the interests of minorities in the EDRC, including the Congolese Tutsi and Kinyarwanda. However, their rebels resurfaced and attacked Congolese troops, creating more civil unrest. “In 2023, DRC is home to an estimated 5.7 million internally displaced people in urgent need of more than 2 billion dollars of medical and other aid” (GCT).
Simply put, the quality of life is detrimental to health, human rights, and freedom of speech. The beautiful country’s inhabitants fear for their lives every day. The average age of death in the DRC is 59 years old while the United States of America’s is 77 years old. This is not only caused by civil unrest in the streets, but also the stress and fear in the DRC.
Council on Foreign Relations. (n.d.). Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo | global conflict tracker. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/violence-democratic-republic-congo