Unpacking the Conflict in Eastern DR Congo

Eastern DR Congo has been mired in violence for over three decades. Despite the dire humanitarian consequences, this violence rarely makes it to the headlines. When it does, the focus is often exclusively on Congo’s mineral wealth, as if the violence is solely driven by resource plunder. So, what explains the violence in eastern DR Congo? While mineral exploitation is certainly an important factor, the conflict has many layers, ranging from the local to the international. What historical events have contributed to the long-standing instability in eastern DR Congo? How do local, national, and international actors contribute to the conflict? What are the lived experiences of the communities in eastern DR Congo? And, finally, who can and should address the crisis, and how? Assistant Professor in Political Geography Judith Verweijen discusses these and more (of your) questions during this edition of Let’s Ask.

Judith Verweijen is an Assistant Professor in Political Geography at Utrecht University. She specializes in the relationship between armed violence, resource conflict and climate change in areas of protracted violence. She focuses on eastern DR Congo, where she has conducted intermittent fieldwork since 2010. In 2024, Verweijen received a NWO Vidi grant for her research Centring Armed Organizations in the Climate-Conflict Nexus (CLIMCON).

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Let’s Ask
In Let's Ask (before: Ask a Scientist) Groningen's finest researchers share their knowledge to provide context to that recurring 'thing' in the news and will answer your questions. In collaboration with Usva.