The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has endured one of the world's most protracted and complex conflicts, particularly in its eastern provinces of Nort Kivu, South Kivu, Ithuri and Tanganyika. Rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the First (1996–1997) and Second (1998–2003) Congo Wars, the violence involves ethnic tensions, resource exploitation, and foreign interference. Key elements include competition over mineral-rich territories—cobalt, copper, coltan, and gold—fuelling over 120 armed groups, widespread human rights abuses, and massive displacement affecting millions.
Central to the conflict is the March 23 Movement (M23), a Tutsi-led rebel group claiming to protect Congolese Tutsis from Hutu militias like the Forces for Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The Congolese government, supported by UN peacekeepers (MONUSCO) and regional forces, have struggled against these insurgents, exacerbated by weak state institutions and corruption.
In 2025, the conflict escalated dramatically. Early in the year, M23 launched major offensives, capturing Goma (North Kivu's capital) and later Bukavu (South Kivu), marking significant territorial gains. This triggered a humanitarian crisis, with widespread abuses including executions and sexual violence. U.S.-brokered peace accords, including agreements in June and the “The Washington Accords”, signed on 5 December 2025, to broker peace between Rwanda and the Congolese. Despite the deals, fighting intensified in December, with M23 seizing the city of Uvira (South Kivu) before, announcing a unilateral withdrawal on December 16, 2025, at the request of the U.S. Renewed offensives displaced over 500,000 people, including 100,000 children, and claimed dozens of civilian lives.
However, is the DRC still "open for business"? Yes indeed. It welcomes investors in mining, trade and commodity finance sectors, and offers immense resource-driven potential. It remains a frontier market requiring robust risk mitigation (e.g.: political risk insurance, operating in secure locations (out of 26 provinces) like Kinshasa (the capital city in the western province) and Lubumbashi (2nd largest city) in the southern province, thorough due diligences and real-time on the ground monitoring). In case of high rewards sectors like mining (e.g. Lubumbashi on the copper belt), proceed with caution. For general trade or non-extractive ventures, it's far more challenging due to instability of the country.