DRC conflict: A geopolitical powder keg :: Mmegi Online

The conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become a geopolitical powder keg, with the potential to engulf the entire Great Lakes region. What seems like a localised war for mineral control, actually conceals a far-reaching transnational security crisis, fuelled by hegemonic ambitions, transnational criminal networks, and foreign interference.

The Congo River Alliance (AFC), officially established in December 2023 under the leadership of Corneille Nangaa, marks a troubling evolution in the DRC’s conflict.

This heterogeneous coalition unites the March 23 Movement (M23), widely regarded as a military proxy of Kigali, according to UN reports the political movement Action for the Dignity of the Congo and its People (ADCP), and the armed group Twirwaneho from South Kivu. By merging these disparate factions, the AFC has transformed an ethnically-driven rebellion into a systemic threat to regional stability.

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