Congo: Democracy on Paper, Death, Sexual Violence, and Abuse in Reality

By: Munei Zoe Mbedzi

It’s called a democracy, yet children are soldiers instead of students. It’s called a democracy, yet the country is rich in minerals while its people live in poverty and famine. It’s called a democracy, yet the justice system barely exists, leaving the innocent unprotected and violated.  It’s called a democracy, yet people are killed, and their voices go unheard. It’s called a democracy, yet those in power remain silent as the suffering continues. If this is what democracy looks like, we should all be more than terrified for what it’s going to look like years from now. For the people of Congo, the word 'democracy' is a hollow promise, not a reality in their daily lives.

A silent yet loud genocide is happening in Congo today. We are quiet about the fact that, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), at least two women every hour fall victim to sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two × 24 hours equals 48 women — meaning every day, 48 women are subjected to sexual violence in the DRC. Reports of sexual violence and killings increased from around 1998, peaking in the 2000s, and continue to this day.

Let’s escalate this calculation further: 48 women a day × 365 days equals 17,520 women per year. If we consider that it has been happening for roughly 25 years since 1998, that is over 438,000 women. Not forgetting that this is only a rough estimate of the women and girls who have reported this violation, thus excluding the number of women and girls that have not, because they’ve been silenced, afraid, or dead. 

Picture of people having to leave their Homes from Barnabas Aid.

We are not talking enough about what is happening in Congo because we scroll on the phones crafted from the innocent blood of its citizens. The Congo is rich in cobalt, coltan, gold, and diamonds, yet its citizens live in poverty on a daily basis. The phones and laptops we use come from these resources, which are often obtained at the cost of human suffering. So, one must ask: are we quiet about Congo because we don’t know, or because we are distracted by the very devices crafted from the trauma of its people, and thus fail to educate ourselves?

Currently, a war is ongoing in eastern Congo. Armed groups like M23, a Congolese rebel movement allegedly supported by Rwanda, have killed innocent civilians held hostage. Human rights are ignored, and millions of people have been displaced — stripped from their homes and placed into refugee sites where they must confront realities they did not ask to be born into. Children are forced to become soldiers: boys as young as eight or nine carry weapons, raid villages, or work in mines to fund militias. Girls are frequently subjected to sexual violence, forced marriages, or used as “wives” for commanders. Many are kidnapped, drugged, and held captive.

The DRC has an estimated $24 trillion in untouched mineral wealth, yet it is consistently ranked among the poorest countries in the world. Converted to South African rands, that’s approximately R416 trillion. Despite this wealth, ordinary Congolese see little benefit from it. Cobalt and coltan are essential for smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicle batteries. Gold and diamonds often fund armed groups rather than benefiting citizens. Even the push for green energy is tainted by exploitation: cobalt mining frequently involves child labour, unsafe conditions, and corruption.

What is happening in Congo exposes the disgusting nature of misdirected power, greed, and corruption. It exposes the brokenness of our humanity — this is not how humanity should look. We are quiet about this issue, and their leaders are even quieter. At the beginning of 2025, M23 invaded Goma and Bukavu.

All eyes on Congo, Palestine, and Sudan- picture from Pinterest.

We need to have more conversations centred around solving the humanitarian crisis facing the Congo today. We need protests, petitions, and ethical leadership. We need voices dedicated to raising more awareness about this issue. There is truly something amiss with the world we live in today. Bombed buildings in Palestine, Women being victims of sexual violence and murder in South Africa, famine and displacement in Sudan, and murder and poverty in Congo. Let us not forget the humanity behind the headlines we read; these aren’t tales, fiction, or fibs. These are actual realities. If we stop discussing the issues we face, we take a step back in the fight for world peace.