Why Filipinos Should Unite in Solidarity with the People of Congo

Photo Credit: International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC)

Whereas the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Philippines are far apart and have different cultures, people in both countries face similar struggles. Both have a long history of being colonized, exploited for their resources, and controlled by foreign powers. Today, they still deal with modern forms of imperialism, like foreign companies taking their natural wealth, military presence, and government violence against their people. The genocide happening in Congo and the Filipino people's fight for true freedom show that these struggles are connected. They are part of a bigger global system that keeps exploited countries weak and divided, while powerful nations continue to benefit.

Congo's Endless War and Genocide: The Fight for Minerals and Power

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as Congo, is the second-biggest country in Africa and is rich in valuable natural resources like gold, copper, and cobalt. But even with all this wealth, the country has faced over 30 years of war and violence, especially in the eastern region, where many of these minerals are found.

The roots of this conflict go back to 1994, during the genocide in neighboring Rwanda. After the genocide, millions of people escaped into eastern Congo, including some of the armed groups responsible for the violence. Their arrival caused more chaos and made the region unstable.

This led to a chain of violent conflicts that pulled in several nearby African countries. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, Congo became the center of two huge wars, often called “Africa’s World Wars.” These wars were devastating. Around five million people died, not just from fighting, but mostly from hunger, sickness, and being forced to flee their homes.

War for Resources

A big reason for the ongoing war in Congo is its rich natural resources, especially valuable minerals like gold, coltan, and cobalt. These are important materials used to make things like smartphones, laptops, and electric cars. Because these minerals are worth a lot of money, armed groups, including local fighters and rebels supported by other countries, want to take control of the mines and the roads used to transport the minerals.

These groups often sell the minerals illegally and use the money to buy weapons, which leads to more fighting. This creates a cycle of violence that never ends. Sadly, ordinary people suffer the most, especially women and children. Many are forced to leave their homes, while others are hurt, abused, or victims of sexual violence and rape, which is often used as a way to control and scare communities.

The Congo government is too corrupt to stop these groups or protect its people, especially in the eastern region. Because of this, warlords and militias have taken over many areas and continue their violence without being punished.

No End to Displacement

This war and genocide has caused one of the world’s worst displacement crises. As of 2025:

• 7.8 million people are displaced inside the country

• Around 9,000 people are sheltering in makeshift centers in North Kivu

• Over 1.1 million people have fled to other countries, more than half of them children

• The worsening conditions, blocked aid, attacks on hospitals, and lack of medical supplies, have left many, including HIV patients, without access to life-saving care.

The M23 (Mouvement Du 23 Mars) Rebellion Resurfaces

The M23 is a rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that receives weapons, training, and support mainly from the Rwandan army. They have been involved in serious crimes, including killing civilians, raping women and children, and forcing people from their homes.

M23 has also been known to kidnap and recruit children as soldiers, with some as young as 15 years old. In one area alone, they are believed to have taken at least 146 boys and young men since 2012. Reports say M23 fighters have committed at least 46 rapes, including a victim as young as 8 years old.

These violent acts have made the situation in eastern Congo much worse and broken international laws meant to protect civilians in war.

In 2024, violence flared again with the return of the M23 rebel group, which had been defeated in 2013. The group captured towns, displaced thousands, and renewed fears of a regional war. M23 is believed to be supported by Rwanda, though Kigali denies this.

Shared Struggles with the Philippines

Just like Congo, the Philippines has a long history of being controlled by foreign powers. It was ruled by Spain for over 300 years, then taken over by the United States, and even today, it still faces neo-colonial control. This means that while the country is officially independent, foreign powers still influence it through military agreements, loans, and unfair trade.

In both the Philippines and the Congo, powerful countries treated them not as equals, but as sources of cheap labor,  natural resources, and military control.

In both countries, Colonizers used racism and religion to justify taking over and changing people’s cultures. Natural resources like gold, copper, and other minerals were taken and sold for the benefit of foreign companies, not for the local people.

Governments used violence to stop anyone who tried to fight back or speak out. Foreign troops or aid projects were often presented as “help,” but they protected foreign interests.

These shared experiences show that the Philippines is not alone in its fight. Congo and many other countries face the same problem: imperialism. This is when powerful nations keep exploiting so-called “weaker ones” for profit and control.

The Philippine struggle continues today, with foreign mining companies destroying lands, military forces occupying rural communities, and politicians serving foreign businesses instead of their people. Like the people of Congo, Filipinos continue to resist and fight for true freedom.

Toward Global Solidarity

Understanding Congo’s crisis through the lens of imperial plunder helps us see how global capitalism works: profiting from division, war, and the exploitation of the poor. As Filipinos, the fight for sovereignty, justice, and dignity is intertwined with the struggles of people in Congo, Palestine, and elsewhere.

We must ask: Sino ba ang tunay na kaaway? (Who are the real enemies?) It is not the Congolese miner, Filipino farmer, or the simple citizen of the Congo and the Philippines. It is the imperialist countries, like the U.S., the corporations, the foreign governments, the local elites, and the military apparatus that keep the people oppressed.

What can we do?

Help them build their campaign to Educate, Organize, and Fight Back! We must support the people in Congo  who are speaking out and fighting against violence caused by powerful countries and greedy corporations.

Follow the critical work of @congofriends, @teamcongo.rdc, @focuscongo, and @thefutureofcongo. Support the #FreeCongo Movement.

The #The FreeCongo movement is urging us to rethink our relationship with tech. 

Instead of buying new gadgets, consider choosing refurbished phones when possible. Behind every new device are minerals extracted through the exploitation of Congolese communities, often through forced labor, displacement, and violence.

Before upgrading, ask yourself if you truly need it. Shifting our habits, even in small ways, can disrupt the systems that profit off of violence. 

Let’s build connections between different groups and movements. When we see how our local problems in Diaspora and different countries in the world, like poverty, land grabbing, and violence, are part of a bigger global system of exploitation, we become stronger together.

Because freedom is not just about one country. It’s about all of us, everywhere. And the only way we can end the systems that hurt and control us is by standing together in solidarity - helping each other, learning from each other, and fighting as one.