The Guardian View On Conflict In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo: A Disaster With Many Makers

Western resource-hunger has fuelled a vast humanitarian crisis. Donors must now press Rwanda to pull back from this war There are bodies on the streets, hundreds of thousands of civilians fleeing and overwhelmed hospitals draining fuel from ambulances to keep respirators running. The rapidly escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo DRC which has seen rocketing sexual violence, the and the displacement of 400,000 people this year alone has just exploded with the seizure of , in the east. Their advance comes thanks to backing , despite the coyness of the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame. Mr Kagame suggests that M23 is defending the countrys Tutsis, victims of Rwandas 1994 genocide, against an armed group set up by former genocidal killers. But the threat those fighters pose appears greatly exaggerated: analysts believe the real aim is to seize mineral-rich territory. There is a striking parallel with in 2014. On Wednesday, Rwandan troops were seen heading towards Bukavu, another key city, with the M23 fighters. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our section, please .