The DRC has rejected the M23 militant group’s ceasefire offer. It views it as deception. M23 rebels continue to seize territory in eastern DRC. This action complicates peace efforts before talks.
M23 Expansion and DRC Response
The DRC government reports M23 forces captured Nyabibwe. Rwanda allegedly backs M23. Nyabibwe is strategically south of Goma. M23 took Goma in late January. After this, M23 declared a unilateral ceasefire. They claimed it aimed to help talks in Tanzania on February 8. However, DRC Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner strongly criticized this. She calls the ceasefire a trick to “hoodwink” the world. “They proceed with impunity, instead of withdrawing from Goma,” Wagner argued. He threatened military action to reclaim Goma if M23 does not withdraw.
Persistent Conflict Over Resources
The UN attributes the conflict to a fight over the DRC’s vast resources. Goma is a key hub for minerals like tantalum, tin, and tungsten. The International Tin Supply Chain Initiative reported the DRC produced 6,095 tonnes of tantalum in 2023. The UN also emphasized Rubaya’s economic importance. Rubaya is a coltan mining town north of Goma. M23 controls it. They generate roughly $800,000 monthly from coltan taxes there. M23 spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka claims no intent to seize more land now.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame will attend talks this weekend. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres fears escalation to a wider regional war. This could engulf mining areas and oil fields in Rwanda and Uganda. Uganda recently deployed 2,000 troops near Goma. They join 4,000 Ugandan soldiers already fighting Islamist groups in the northeast.
SuperMetalPrice reports this conflict over resources severely threatens the global supply of minerals. Materials like coltan, crucial for electronics, are at risk. Disruptions will likely greatly impact their prices and availability.
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