Since gaining independence from Belgium in 1960, the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa has faced wars for decades. Brought about by competition for mineral resources, ethnic tensions, historical injustices, and poor governance, these conflicts are destabilizing the nation leading to significant impacts on the population and the economy. Among the most serious effects are the mass displacement of the population, infringements of human rights, outbreaks of disease, hunger, famine, and the loss of economic opportunities in a nation that is rich in underground elements and minerals.
After gaining independence on June 30, 1960, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has encountered decades-long wars right up until today which have caused devastating humanitarian crises. This DevelopmentAid article investigates why the cycle of wars has had such profound effects on the population and the economy.
A brief review of conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Since gaining independence, the DRC has faced proxy wars, inter-communal violence, ethnic conflicts, and cold wars. The most recent fierce clashes broke out between the M23 rebel militia and government forces in eastern regions of the nation, marking a resurgence of the Kivu conflicts. Prior to this, the country witnessed four major wars within just 65 years. Here is a brief overview of the major conflicts that have had devastating impacts on the country:
- The Proxy Cold Wars (1960-1965): The emergence of several newly independent and non-aligned nations in sub-Saharan Africa after decolonization led to proxy wars between the Soviet Union and the United States. The first Cold War confrontations in sub-Saharan Africa between the two superpowers happened in the DRC. The United States backed the central government, fearing the rise of the Soviet-backed regime of Patrice Lumumba, while the Soviet Union supported Lumumba which led to increased tension.
- The First Congo War (1996-1997): Tensions rose between the local Congolese tribes, Rwandan emigrants from the pre-1960 independence periods, and the refugees of the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Due to the genocide, millions of Hutu refugees migrated to neighboring Congo-Zaire (now the DRC) creating instability in the region. In October 1996, the Tutsi-led troops of the Rwanda army unleashed offensives in eastern DRC, resulting in the First Congo War.
- The Second Congo War (1998-2003): Deteriorating diplomatic relations between Rwanda and the DRC caused a five-year civil war. Belittling the efforts of Rwanda to establish the DRC government, President Kabila ordered all foreign forces out of the nation and supported the Hutu militia to take charge of the Rwanda-Congo border. In response, Rwanda invaded the DRC, marking the start of the Second Congo War, necessitating neighboring nations to join. The war is also referred to as the African World War since it involved the assassination of President Kabila and the related death toll and humanitarian disaster affecting almost 3 million civilians by 2004.
- The Kivu Conflicts (2004-present): Conflicts in the eastern provinces of the DRC’s North and South Kivu emerged after the end of the Second Congo War and continue to date. The arming and counter-arming of rebel groups by the local government and foreign entities mean there are at least 120 armed groups in the mineral-rich eastern provinces with the M23 rebel group that emerged in 2013 being the most active in the region. In early 2025, the M23 group rapidly advanced and captured Goma City in the Northern Kivu which led to humanitarian crises.
Effects of protracted conflicts in the DRC
The ongoing war in the DRC’s Goma and Kivu regions is volatile, with the escalating violence exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation. In 2024, at least 25 million people required humanitarian aid, with the most urgent needs arising in the Eastern provinces. The devastating effects of the conflicts in the country include:
Population displacement and deaths
The Proxy Cold Wars of 1960-1965 culminated in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, particularly in the Katanga province of the DRC. However, reliable data on the exact number remains unavailable due to the chaotic nature of the war.
Since the First Congo War, the DRC has witnessed the internal displacement of at least 7 million people, making it the second largest humanitarian crisis in Africa.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded almost 738,000 population displacements in 2024 due to the ongoing Kivu conflicts. With at least 230,000 internal displacements at the beginning of 2025 in Kivu provinces, forced displacement is the most alarming humanitarian crisis in the country. From January to June 2024, rebel militias of M23, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), and Congo Soldiers (CODECO) caused at least 2.4 million internal displacements (Figure 1).
Figure 1: DRC’s Internal Displacements in the Quarter of 2024.
Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre(IDMC)
Since the First Congo War in 1996, the DRC has been embroiled in conflicts that have killed at least 6 million people. The protracted brutal conflicts in the country are causing massive suffering and human rights violations, particularly among women and children. The prevalence of rape and sexual violence is the worst in the world. In 2011, the New York Times reported that a study in the American Journal of Public Health stated that women suffered from sexual violence “at a rate of nearly one every minute”, demonstrating the dire human rights violations situation.
Hunger and famine
The current DRC conflict, as well as those that preceded it, is exacerbating food insecurity and causing donor funding shortages for efforts to address the hunger crisis. In most regions of the country, food insecurity exponentially increased since the outbreak of the first Congolese war in 1996. According to the World Food Programme, approximately 26 million people in the DRC are facing emergency levels of food insecurity. There are at least 6 million people vulnerable to hunger crises in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri. Almost 4.5 million children below the age of five also require nutritional aid. The conflicts are hindering farming activities, disrupting markets, and destroying food supply chains.
Healthcare crisis
Conflict-related displacements and hunger in the DRC have created conditions for the emergence and spread of endemic diseases in camps and the surrounding communities. A 2007 report by the International Rescue Committee indicated that almost 5.4 million people had died due to health-related conditions since the Second Congo War of 1998, with most of the deaths being attributed to preventable and treatable diseases such as malaria, cholera, and malnutrition. In 2024, the World Health Organization reported at least 22,000 cholera cases with 60 deaths and 12,000 measles cases with 115 deaths in the DRC.
Lost economic opportunities
The DRC’s ‘lost years’ of conflict and the havoc caused have stagnated the country’s economy and taken the lives of at least 3.5 million people since 1998. Regional clashes, civil rebellion, and wars have been the core impediments to the economic growth of this mineral-rich country. The DRC is among the five poorest countries in the world, with 73% of its population living on less than $2 per day. Despite the poverty rate and its ranking among the poorest nations, the country produced at least 170,000 metric tons of cobalt in 2023, contributing no less than 70% of world supply. However, despite vast mineral resources, the economic growth of the country has been thwarted by corruption, civil wars, political instability, and increases in military expenditures.
Wrap Up
The wars and conflicts in the DRC have adversely impacted the country’s social, political, and economic environment. From the colonial legacy to the current struggles between armed groups and the government’s military forces, the toll on human lives and the economy has been staggering. The conflicts have led to the large-scale displacement of people, the loss of lives, health crises, and food insecurity all of which hinder progress in the region. Also, despite the DRC’s vast mineral resources, the cost of the conflicts on the economy is reflected in the high levels of poverty and unemployment. The DRC’s vast potential remains unexplored due to persistent conflicts that are resulting in the nation’s underdevelopment
