DRC: The Never-Ending War | ARTE.tv Documentary

[Music] above these camps for displaced persons the Eastern Hills of the Democratic Republic of Congo serve as a base for more than 200 armed groups anarchic violence is rif in North kevu all these groups fight for control of of this strategic mineral Rich region for the past 2 years the most powerful of them has been on the offensive against the congales Army we set off to meet the M23 Rebels a journey forbidden by the authorities who deny journalists access to territory controlled by the [Music] rebels Lawrence Kuka is the movement's spokeperson for the next 4 days he will be vising our trip the armed group has welcomed our camera with one aim to show that the M23 is fighting to protect civilians the United Nations accuses it of massacres and of being supplied with arms and Men by neighboring Rwanda accompanied by military Patrol the spokesman takes us on a tour of the Frontline Village of Kumba according to the M23 the congales government bombed the town a few days ago impacting the local people the rebels want to introduce us to the victims this villager Bears witness in the the presence of M23 men [Music] in contrast the M23 Rebels want to show their close relationship with the [Music] people created in 2012 by former soldiers opposed to the congales leadership the M23 is officially fighting to defend members of the tootsi ethnic group living in the east of the country it's alleged that the government is persecuting them these tensions stem from the genocide of the tosis that took place in Rwanda in 1994 after the killings the Hutu perpetrators took refuge in the congales kevu regions their enemies pursued them and the region went up in Flames two Wars followed during which ethnic massacres multiplied human rights organizations estimate that 6 million people have died over the 30 years of conflict according to Lawrence Kuka the authorities see kinya Wanda speaking tosis living in North K as Invaders the spokesman specifically blames the congales president in this unending War each side accuses its opponent of the worst defenses bombings executions rapes we cross to the other side of the front line according to the authorities here the M23 is the sole culprit of all these [Music] atrocities the alliance of Patrick for a free and Sovereign Congo is a rebel group that fought the state for a long time it has since switched sides and now fights alongside the congales Army which is relying on various militias to try and defeat the M23 Colonel andang dangi parades freely with his men in the areas they control this morning the colonel is inspecting the positions they have set up above the town of sake 20 km from GMA it's the last line of defense in case of attack as he salutes his troops we hear the echo of shell [Music] explosions hello okay part of the group already fought against the M23 in 2012 but for the younger members this is their baptism of Fire a unit is preparing to go to the front for the colonel the scale of the conflict goes far beyond the hills of North kevu a war between two countries has begun uh [Music] particular Rwanda has consistently denied its involvement in the conflict despite un reports Kigali denies any ties with the M23 the result of this complex interplay of alliances shifting front lines where deadly fighting is a daily occurrence civilians find themselves caught in the crossfire they are the first victims of these wars where the stakes are Beyond [Music] them in GMA the regional Capital wounded people flood in after each [Music] attack this afternoon Red Cross surgeons are performing surgery on this man for the Third time petion he was hit by gunfire a week ago his leg is fractured and his femoral artery is severed in this Hospital the number of gunshot wounds treated increases every month 238 in August twice as many in November this surgeon originally from Mali is on his third mission to the [Music] region hospital is full the icrc has erected tents so they can treat up to 90 people at a time this room is full of civilians who were all caught in the crossfire this four-year-old girl was first operated on in a clinic before being transferred to GMA her wounds were infected according to the UN over a million people have fled since the M23 took up arms again 2 years ago the majority have headed into government controlled areas the informal camp at Kya rinia is a short drive from the front [Music] line delin is traveling the area all day long to prevent a Health crisis from adding to the war the displaced populations are crammed together in appalling sanitary conditions and a chera epidemic is sweeping the province the road along which The Doctors Without Borders employee travels leads to the front line there is a Non-Stop stream of humanitarian Vehicles a military Patrol for this native of the region it feels like deja [Music] vu in 2012 at the height of the M23 first offensive 500,000 civilians were forced to flee their homes the current crisis is even more severe the United Nations have warned that nearly 3 million people in North kevu need food Aid and over a million need medical assistance the health center to which delin is Affiliated is constantly full this woman is waiting for her sister who is due to give birth they fled a year ago from the village of kibumba the one we visited with the rebels because of these displaced people's living conditions many pregnant women are at [Music] risk [Music] a will be back later currently she's looking after nine children her own and her sisters her husband works as a motorbike Taxi Driver these villagers had to leave their land in a hurry [Music] a May built her shelter on the land of a church that is allowed displaced people to settle here camps like this one are springing up all over the region but there isn't enough Aid and the family had to scavenge the materials to build their home [Music] for these displaced people tell of several others who returned home and were executed the M23 accused them of collaborating with the Army and its auxiliaries back to the rebel group on the other side of the hills to contradict these accusations spokesman Lawrence Kuka takes us through the territories conquered in 2022 away from the front line the military presence seems less imposing except next to this work site primarily funded by the European Union the spokesman is Keen to stop by this is the extension of a hydroelectric power station it is meant to supply the region with energy despite the war between the rebels and the authorities common interests exist and blur the lines even further these workers were able to cross the front line to work under the guard of these armed men members of the M23 the person in charge of the work site preferred to speak anonymously the future of the region partly depends on this project below the first dam is already in service IT Supplies the regional Capital GMA which the government controls in November 20123 GMA lost power for 24 hours following fighting at the front affecting the medium voltage lines this is an opportunity for the armed group to demonstrate its Goodwill towards the local people on our way spokesman Lawrence Kuka insists on showing us that the surrounding Villages remain inhabited in spite of the war he takes us to bunagana the first town conquered in [Music] 2022 as on the front line he is once again Keen to demonstrate the people's support despite the many accusations of human rights violations in the territories they occupy bunagana is according to him a town where peace Reigns and where civilians can trade [Music] freely continue supplies are plentiful and come from all over this highly fertile region but one passer by dares to complain about the economic situation [Music] a criticism in front of this armed group leader the only one on our trip what do the civilians in the M23 territory really think there's no way of knowing as we couldn't question them without surveillance but on the other side of the front line the number of displaced people shows how much fear the rebels instill we return one last time to the Kya R camp near G em is back at the hospital the birth of her niece has gone well [Music] for [Music] once the first few minutes of Amazement have passed the weight of reality catches up with them after spending more than a year in a shelter they're exhausted the two women hope one day to return home but when in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo civilians are trapped in an endless cycle of conflict [Music] think

Channel: ARTE.tv Documentary

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Keywords: ARTE, TV, documentary, arte.tv documentary, free documentary, arte tv, documentaries, arte english, full documentary, arte.tv english, @artetvdocumentary, documentary 2023, DRC: The Never-Ending War, drc, congo, drc documentary, M23 militia, Democratic Republic of Congo, North Kivu, congo war, congo documentary

Id: 0fILNxosR0Q

Length: 25min 7sec (1507 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 23 2024