Cobalt and anti-blackness: The war DR Congo can't escape

Video

03 February, 2025


All eyes are on AFCON in Morocco, but content creators from DR Congo are using the tournament to talk about the deadly war little are paying attention to. On 29 January, Rwanda-backed M23 rebels took control of Goma, the biggest city in eastern DRC.

It’s a major escalation of a war over power and resources that has already killed hundreds of thousands and displaced over a million since its recent resurgence.

DRC is one of the largest producers of cobalt and coltan, which are essential for smartphones, computers, and electric vehicles. The UN and DRC say Rwanda is backing M23 to gain control over more mining revenue but Rwanda denies it.

Despite millions of deaths, the war in Congo barely gets coverage. But independent journalists on the ground are trying to change that.