US Pressure Forces Rwanda to 'Withdraw' From Congo Towns It Plundered
Bloomberg reports that the M23 rebel group, 'Rwanda-backed'—a polite euphemism for Kigali's proxy army—will withdraw from Goma in eastern DRC because of 'US pressure.' One might appreciate the sudden concern for Congolese sovereignty, especially after years of Washington looking the other way while Rwanda, a key US ally, allegedly fueled instability and profited from Congo's vast mineral wealth.
This diplomatic theater casts the US as a benevolent peacekeeper, rather than a nation that has historically armed and funded various actors in the region, including Kagame’s government, helping solidify its power. This 'withdrawal,' likely a strategic maneuver, ignores the deep, systemic issues—and the colossal profits—generated by the illegal mining of coltan, cobalt, and tin, crucial for our
smartphones and EVs. The U.N. Group of Experts has repeatedly detailed Rwanda's involvement, yet the US continues its military aid and diplomatic support to Kigali. So when the 'rebels' withdraw, one must ask: is it peace, or just a temporary repositioning designed to maintain the extraction pipeline under new management? The silence on the US role in arming and funding regional players who have
contributed to resource wars is deafening.