The flames of righteous anger engulfed Kinshasa this week as Congolese patriots took to the streets in protest against the deafening silence of so-called Western ‘allies’ in the face of unspeakable atrocities committed by Rwandan-backed rebels in eastern DR Congo.
For decades, the blood of innocents has soaked into the dark earth of North Kivu while the self-proclaimed defenders of human rights in Washington, Brussels and New York have turned a blind eye.
But the proud people of Congo will be silent no more. Though the hegemony of hypocritical Western powers has forced Congo to its knees in the past, this time the Congolese people rise with fists held high to expose the moral bankruptcy of the American empire and its European puppets.
By burning their flags and symbols of imperial domination, the demonstrators in Kinshasa have fired the first salvo in a struggle for dignity and justice that will reverberate across Africa and beyond.
The time has come for the West to pay for its crimes against the Global South, for colonialism and neo-colonialism to be consigned to the dustbin of history. As the courageous activists proclaimed amid the flames and smoke on Monday, “No justice, no peace!”
Large anti-Western protests are erupting in Kinshasa as crowds take to the streets.
Slogans denouncing Western imperialism and demanding Congo’s independence are ringing out loudly. The demonstrators give voice to long-simmering anger and frustration over years of perceived oppression by Western powers.
The size and passion of the protests suggest a boiling over of anti-Western sentiments in Congo after building up over many years.
The crowds symbolize the Congolese people finally taking a stand against what they see as unjust meddling in their country’s affairs by Western governments and corporations. The chants of “Congo for the Congolese!” reflect a desire for true self-determination and an end to outside control over their nation’s destiny. The outpouring of outrage on the streets is marking a dramatic manifestation of Congolese nationalism and pent-up anti-imperialist attitudes.
The Congolese people are saying enough is enough. For too long they have suffered under corrupt Western-backed governments that cared nothing for the people. For too long their mineral wealth have been plundered by Western corporations to fuel extravagant lifestyles in Europe and America while Congo languished in poverty. The ties between West and East, between colonizer and colonized, were finally being severed.
The anti-Western mood expressed in the protests is especially intense in eastern Congo. That region has dealt with years of violence and fighting. Rebel groups supported by Rwanda have terrorized the countryside in the east. They have rampaged through villages and rural areas, forcefully driving more than one million people from their homes.
However, Western nations have been silent in response. They have offered no aid or spoken out to condemn the rebels’ actions. This silence shows the hypocrisy and real priorities of the West. Western countries seem to care more about maintaining access to Congo’s substantial mineral riches. They prioritize exploiting Congo’s natural resources for their own benefit over responding to the dire humanitarian crisis harming the Congolese people.
In response, the Congolese people are taking action. They came out into the streets as an act of protest. Their voices joined together to reject the deceitful rhetoric and unfulfilled pledges coming from Western nations. Protesters burning the flags of the United States and Belgium, Congo’s former colonizer. This symbolic act is signaling that the time of Western control over Congo is coming to an end. The burning flags declared that Congo would no longer passively accept a future dictated by Western powers.
Instead, Congo would take charge of its own fate and determine its own future course. The Congolese people would stand up to shape their own destiny, rather than allowing Western interests to call the shots. Congo would cease being manipulated by the agenda of Western countries.
The marches are not just taking place in Kinshasa, but across the country, from Goma in the east to lubricity in the south. The dormant giant of Africa is awakening, shaking off the shackles of neocolonialism. “Congo is awakening to its own power,” said independence hero Patrice Lumumba, his words still inspiring from beyond the grave.
The immediate catalyst for the anti-Western protests is anger over the international response to the conflict in North Kivu province.
The M23 rebel group, composed mainly of Tutsis, has carried out major offensives there in recent weeks. They managed to seize large swathes of territory and caused over a million people to flee their homes in fear. However, the UN peacekeeping forces stationed in Congo failed to take any meaningful action to stop the M23 advances or protect civilians.
The flames rising from the torched vehicles of the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO lit up the outrage of the Congolese crowds in Kinshasa. To them, these attacks are acts of resistance against yet another futile foreign intervention in their nation.
MONUSCO is merely the latest in a long line of outside forces that have meddled in the Congo while claiming to be saviors. From the brutal Belgian colonialists to the self-interested Cold War powers, the Congo has been subject to foreign exploitation and domination under the guise of aid and peacekeeping.
This time, the Congolese people are wise to the ruse. They see clearly that MONUSCO’s presence is doing little to address the complex roots of conflict and suffering in the east. Over a billion dollars spent annually, and still the killing and displacement continues.
Nor has MONUSCO protected the Congolese from the depredations of the M23 rebels, widely believed to be backed by regional power Rwanda. Why should Congolese lives be sacrificed for the geopolitical games of others? Why should Congo serve as a pawn in the schemes of foreign nations? This is neo-colonialism at its worst.
The anger spilling onto Kinshasa’s streets is a rage against the hypocrisy of outside powers who claim to want stability in the Congo but do nothing to restrain their client regimes like Rwanda. It is a bitterness born of too many false promises from self-interested interlopers.
To many Congolese it is clear the West valued regional allies like Rwanda more than Congo itself. Promises of democracy and human rights were empty platitudes when Western interests were at stake. The flames outside Western embassies are acts of defiance, sending the message that the Congolese would no longer wait for justice.
The deteriorating situation underscores the challenges facing newly re-elected President Felix Tshisekedi as he tries to stabilize volatile eastern Congo in his second term. With Congo weak from corruption and ethnic divisions, groups like M23 readily exploit grievances despite previous military defeats.
Tshisekedi has promised to defend Goma at all costs. But the ill-equipped and poorly motivated Congolese army has struggled to halt M23’s momentum. Frontline soldiers complain of lacking basic supplies while facing a disciplined rebel force.
Recapturing territory is made harder by the highly organized nature of M23 compared to other militias. Its fighters employ effective command and control, maneuvering tactics and indirect fire capability. M23 also generates income from illegal cross-border trade to fund its operations.
While denying direct support for M23, Rwanda provides a safe haven for recruitment and resupply for the largely Tutsi group. But solely pressuring Rwanda to abandon M23 will not resolve the complex local dynamics enabling the group’s resurgence.
“Military crackdowns breed new cycles of rebellion,” said a civil society leader in Goma. “Breaking this cycle requires addressing why marginalized youth still turn to armed groups.” Issues like land disputes, ethnic tensions over citizenship rights and lack of economic opportunities must be tackled.
Tshisekedi also faces political pressure to take a hardline military approach. But sustainable peace will come through comprehensive reforms and inclusive governance. “We need opportunity not war,” implored a youth activist in Goma.
Prioritizing human security and rights is crucial. Tshisekedi must boost oversight of the military to prevent abuses that drive recruitment for armed groups. He also cannot ignore pro-democracy protesters and civil society demands for reforms.
For lasting stability, Congo needs the political will to address root causes, not just the firepower to suppress symptoms. The international community can assist by tackling the illicit networks financing Congo’s conflicts. But solutions imposed from abroad will not endure without local buy-in.
As Goma residents nervously eye the hills for encroaching rebels, Tshisekedi faces a momentous choice. Will Congo keep pursuing failed militarized approaches that perpetuate cycles of conflict? Or will it have the courage to address injustice and inequality at their roots, bringing true peace? The fate of millions hangs in the balance.
With Congo’s history of foreign exploitation dating back to colonialism, skepticism of Western intentions runs deep. However, simply substituting new foreign backers like Russia or China risks repeating old patterns of dependency and underdevelopment.
The marches are giving voice to a rising Pan-African consciousness. For too long Africa has been divided into spheres of influence by outside powers. Now a new vision is emerging of Africans standing together, realizing their shared struggle against exploitation. Protestors are speaking with pride of Congo reclaiming its destiny, echoed across the continent by movements rejecting Western control.
But speeches alone could not undo generations of damage wrought by colonialism. The West has systematically underdeveloped Congo, stifling growth to keep it dependent. Even after independence Western backed elites like Mobutu enriched themselves while public services crumbled. Reversing this maldevelopment would take more than burning flags.
It would take dismantling the economic chains still binding Congo to the West, forging new trade partnerships based on mutual benefit rather than exploitation. It would mean being unafraid to nationalize resources, channeling profits towards Congo’s development rather than Western corporate balance sheets. Only then could the abundant wealth benefit all Congolese.
Most importantly it would take a radically transforming Congo’s place in the global system. For so long it has been a source of cheap resources and labor for the West, an arrangement masquerading as development. True independence meant not just political sovereignty, but economic as well. Congo’s future could only be secured by ending its reliance on the very powers it is protesting.
The marches are but the first tremors in what promised to be a protracted struggle. Protestors are going home hoping the groundswell of anger would push their leaders into action after years of inaction and empty promises. For radical change to occur the energy would have to be sustained, pressure applied unceasingly on the ruling elite.
Outside support would be crucial. Pan-African solidarity could help Congo break free of isolation, building new economic and political blocs to reduce dependence on the West. A spirit of South-South cooperation could provide new routes to development appropriate for the African context. Most of all a rediscovery of Congo’s own self-worth and identity would be vital.
As smoke rose above Kinshasa, a generation is filled with newfound hope. The marchers dreamed of Congo reborn, taking its rightful place as a leader on the African continent. Their chants invoked Lumumba’s immortal words, promising that one day Congo would be “a dignified and free nation”. That day drew closer with every voice raised in protest, every placard demanding change.
The flames of resistance have been lit, igniting a movement that will not be easily extinguished. Congo is affirming its commitment to a self-determined future, one free from the burdens of its past and the machinations of foreign interests. Power is shifting as the people declare that the destiny of their nation rests firmly in their hands alone. A new Congo is being born amidst the smoke and flames, emerging like a phoenix to claim the brilliant future that is its right.
