Tutsis in DR Congo and the M23: Links to Rwanda fuel discrimination

What is it like to be an ethnic Tutsi in DR Congo - the people for whom the M23 rebels say they are fighting?

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersDR Congo rebels seeking to exploit discrimination against minority Tutsis2 days agoWedaeli ChibelushiBBC NewsGetty ImagesTutsis have long been advocating for better treatment in DR CongoThe notorious M23 rebel group is wreaking havoc in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, seizing the region's two biggest cities in a deadly uprising which has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

Central to their campaign is the assertion that ethnic Tutsis living in DR Congo are being persecuted.

Digging into the status of Tutsis in DR Congo - and how it relates to the M23 uprising - is a complex and sensitive matter that goes to the heart of who is considered Congolese.

For starters, many global authorities argue that in their purported fight against discrimination, the rebels have committed unjustifiable atrocities. The UN and US, for instance, have sanctioned M23 leaders over allegations of war crimes, such as sexual violence and the killing of civilians.

Secondly, some regional analysts say that rather than seeking to defend Tutsis, the M23 - and Rwanda, which backs the rebel group - is primarily seeking to exploit the eastern DR Congo's vast mineral wealth.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d5zqg3228o

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