This Could Be Africa’s Next Big Conflict

FIB Tanzanian special forces during training, Sake, the 17th of July 2013. © MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti

Conflict is escalating in one region of the Democratic Republic of Congo and this conflict  has the potential to become one of Africa’s next big crises.

At issue is a brewing situation in a region of DRC called Kasai. This was not a region that had experienced much violence or conflict that caught international attention. Rather, it is the far away eastern part of the country that has experienced the bulk of violence in the last several years. When conflict began to erupt and rumors of rampant human rights abuses swirled, two UN investigators visited the region. They were later found murdered.

On the line with me to discuss the situation in the Kasai region is Ida Sawyer, the Central Africa director of Human Rights Watch. She does a very good job of explaining how the conflict started, how it is changing and also the broader political context in which this conflict has erupted.

If you have 20 minutes and want to learn why this local conflict could metastasize into something bigger, have a listen.

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