Static conflict dossier

Eastern DRC — M23/FDLR Insurgency

Eastern DRC has experienced near-continuous conflict since the 1990s. The latest cycle, driven by the M23 rebel group backed by Rwanda, escalated sharply in 2021-2024, with M23 capturing Goma in January 2025. The region sits atop the world's largest reserves of coltan, cobalt, gold, cassiterite, and wolframite — minerals critical to global electronics and EV battery supply chains.

Escalating Proxy War Central Africa and Great Lakes Updated 12 Jul 2026
All conflicts Open map Methodology

Persistence drivers

Why this conflict persists

The conflict is sustained by mineral wealth exploitation, ethnic Tutsi-Hutu dynamics imported from the 1994 Rwandan genocide, weak Congolese state capacity, Rwandan strategic interests in eastern DRC buffer zones, and the inability of MONUSCO peacekeepers to establish effective control.

Human and economic impact

Displacement, fatalities, and economic pressure

Estimated fatalities 8K-20K UCDP/UN Panel of Experts
Total displaced 7.7M UNHCR/OCHA
IDPs 6.9M As of 1 Dec 2024
Refugees 800K UNHCR/OCHA
Military spend per year USD 680M
Estimated economic loss USD 8-20B

This dossier includes static summary fields plus linked live conflict tables where the export found related rows.

Outlook

Risk and spillover assessment

Escalation risk Critical
Spillover risk High
Spillover exposure RW, BI, UG, and TZ
Conflict stage Stage 2

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