For decades, the Congolese people have endured a cycle of violence, exploitation, and dispossession orchestrated by imperialist powers and their regional proxies. Behind the complicit silence of the international community, a systematic plundering of Congo’s resources fuels global industries at the cost of millions of sacrificed lives and unimaginable human suffering.
The situation in the DRC, which has persisted for over 30 years, is not an “internal” war nor a mere “civil war,” as some portray it, but a prolonged conflict sustained by the intervention of foreign powers hungry for resources, driven by imperialist dynamics. As a result, over 6.3 million Congolese people have been displaced, and 1.1 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries, including many children. For a large portion of them, this marks the beginning of an endless cycle of displacement, as armed forces shift, asylum policies evolve, and resources for aid are (not) made available by adjacent nations.
Hundreds of thousands of people have suffered unimaginable sexual violence, rape, torture, and enslavement—systematic and large-scale crimes used as weapons of war. For example, the UN recorded over 90,000 cases of sexual violence linked to the situation in North Kivu in 2023 alone. This number only foreshadows the worst of the ongoing atrocities.
On January 25, 2025, the capture of Goma by M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, exacerbated an already devastating humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC. More than 3,000 deaths have already been recorded, and reported cases of rape have increased fivefold, with 30% of victims being children. Goma was preceded by dozens of towns and villages and followed by the fall of Bukavu in February 2025. All the while, M23, Rwanda, and Uganda have announced their intention to continue their offensive. Thousands of lives have been lost, and millions of Congolese people have fled endless violence fueled by geopolitical and economic interests that not only ensure impunity but actively support the aggressors.
Canada presents itself as a global leader in feminist foreign policy, emphasizing its commitment to the rights of women and girls in conflict settings. However, this so-called “feminist aid” policy proves largely inconsistent when it comes to the Democratic Republic of Congo. While sexual violence is systematically employed against Congolese people, Canada remains complicit through its inaction and silence regarding the responsibilities of regional and international actors in perpetuating this war.
Beyond its humanitarian rhetoric, Canada continues to maintain diplomatic and economic ties with states involved in plundering the Congo, particularly Rwanda and Uganda, while failing to address the role of Canadian companies in the exploitation of Congolese mineral resources. Despite its statements of support for human rights, the Canadian government has taken no concrete action to sanction these states or enforce strict traceability on minerals extracted under conditions of war and massive human rights violations.
This blatant contradiction between Canada’s official discourse and its diplomatic and economic practices exposes the hypocrisy of so-called feminist international aid policies—progressive in appearance yet deeply embedded in an imperialist framework.
At Harambec, we denounce the racism and xenophobia underlying the international response to the Congolese crisis. We observe with deep anger and concern that the struggles of the Congolese people receive far less support and empathy than other causes.
This “two-tier empathy” is a direct consequence of modern imperialism and structural racism. The suffering of Black people, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, is minimized, while international attention is directed toward causes where Black bodies are not at the center of concern. This dynamic clearly illustrates the hierarchy of human lives and the perpetuation of necropolitics, in which Black bodies are deemed disposable—not only in Africa but also in the Arab world, in diasporic struggles, and within global anti-colonial movements.
In light of the current situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the violence inflicted upon civilians, our position remains anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist. We critically examine alliances, selective solidarity, and the structural racism that determines the intensity of international responses to Black people’s suffering.
Supporting the struggle in the DRC requires a radical commitment: demanding total transparency over the exploitation and circulation of Congolese minerals. The exploitation of Congo’s resources and the oppression of its people must end, starting with collective mobilization, public denunciation of complicit governments, exposure of the aggressions and crimes perpetrated by Rwandan and Ugandan forces, and unwavering support for local initiatives.
We must amplify the realities of the Congolese crisis, reject this hierarchy of suffering, and demand justice for the Congolese people and an end to the genocide.
