A lesser-known conflict is unfolding in the western part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the bustling capital city of Kinshasa, which stands as one of the largest urban centers in Africa.
Recent clashes on July 13 in Kinsele, a village located 80 miles east of Kinshasa, resulted in the deaths of nine soldiers and 70 militiamen, as reported by local authorities. This escalation of violence is the latest in a series of incidents in the region, where thousands of civilians have lost their lives and over 550,000 individuals have been forced to flee their homes since 2022, based on estimates from humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies.
The conflict initially erupted two years ago due to a tax dispute between local ethnic groups, namely the Teke and the Yaka. Over time, it has evolved into a struggle for land access, marked by a trail of brutal summary executions, the destruction of villages, and instances of sexual violence.
A militia group purporting to protect certain communities in the area has resorted to recruiting child soldiers, coercing women into marrying their fighters, and pillaging villagers’ crops. This has led to a mass exodus of people fleeing towards Kinshasa, as highlighted by reports from humanitarian groups and U.N. experts.
This conflict is distinct from the long-standing crisis in eastern Congo, which has plagued the region for the past thirty years, resulting in the loss of approximately six million lives and displacing sixty million individuals.
