Religious Conflicts in the Congo Mansour Alhussain Introduction Religion is one of the most powerful and destructive tools that can be used in warfare, because it reinforces the ethnicity of the people thus making it a cruel and intractable line to use to divide people In most cases, religion is not the reason for the conflict, but plays a key role in the promotion of the conflict. Examples of conflicts where religion has played a major role includes the Shia-Sunni conflict, and the 30 years war. A common one that has happened in different parts of the world is the Islamic Jihad. 2 Introduction Religion is powerful because it reinforces the ethnicity of different groups of people. While religion is not as simple as ethnicity, as it can not be used as a reason for any conflicts or war. It fuels the motive for the conflict. In the Shia- Sunni conflict for instance, both parties were from the Islamic backgrounds, but the differences resulted from differences in the spirituality. Political differences then made part of the package after Muhammad died and the successor of the Islam faith had not yet been chosen. 3 Religious Conflicts The biggest and most influential religions, that is Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, have the following similarities. They are all monotheistic (That is they all believe one God) They are all part of Abraham’s genealogy They accept sin, value praying, and see the need to seek forgiveness from God Find meaning in life through having a profound and personal relationship with God 4 Religion as a source of conflicts Religion is therefore used as a source of Conflict because: Belief that a specific religion is of a chosen people Belief that choosing the right religion can be by force Religion being seen from history as a point of conflict Religion can play a pivotal role such that those involved in the conflict cannot identify the issue anymore, because it could overlap an array of reasons. 5 Religious Conflicts in the Congo In the Congo, the real reason behind the conflict is a number of issues, needs and grievances that affects a big part of the countries that are found around the central parts of the African continent. These reasons can be further broken down into political, economic, and even military reasons, but because there are two religions of Islam and Christianity, the conflict tends to be seen as a religious one. Turning the conflict into a religious one is the surest way for the people to turn against each other as then wed have only two conflicting sides. 6 Beginning of the Conflict The Congo Conflict, also known as the World War of Africa broke out in 1998 and officially ended in the month of July, 1998. It involved about 9 countries from Africa and 20 militia groups from these 9 countries. The war caused the death of 5 more than 5 million people in those 5 years, few of which died from the conditions that are presented by the aftermath of the war, especi ...

1. Religious Conflicts in the Congo
Mansour Alhussain
Introduction
Religion is one of the most powerful and destructive tools that
can be used in warfare, because it reinforces the ethnicity of
the people thus making it a cruel and intractable line to use to
divide people
In most cases, religion is not the reason for the conflict, but
plays a key role in the promotion of the conflict.
Examples of conflicts where religion has played a major role
includes the Shia-Sunni conflict, and the 30 years war. A
common one that has happened in different parts of the world
is the Islamic Jihad.
2
Introduction
Religion is powerful because it reinforces the ethnicity of
different groups of people. While religion is not as simple as
ethnicity, as it can not be used as a reason for any conflicts or
war. It fuels the motive for the conflict.
In the Shia- Sunni conflict for instance, both parties were from
the Islamic backgrounds, but the differences resulted from
differences in the spirituality. Political differences then made
part of the package after Muhammad died and the successor of

2. the Islam faith had not yet been chosen.
3
Religious Conflicts
The biggest and most influential religions, that is Judaism,
Islam, and Christianity, have the following similarities.
They are all monotheistic (That is they all believe one God)
They are all part of Abraham’s genealogy
They accept sin, value praying, and see the need to seek
forgiveness from God
Find meaning in life through having a profound and personal
relationship with God
4
Religion as a source of conflicts
Religion is therefore used as a source of Conflict because:
Belief that a specific religion is of a chosen people
Belief that choosing the right religion can be by force
Religion being seen from history as a point of conflict
Religion can play a pivotal role such that those involved in the
conflict cannot identify the issue anymore, because it could
overlap an array of reasons.
5

3. Religious Conflicts in the Congo
In the Congo, the real reason behind the conflict is a number of
issues, needs and grievances that affects a big part of the
countries that are found around the central parts of the African
continent.
These reasons can be further broken down into political,
economic, and even military reasons, but because there are two
religions of Islam and Christianity, the conflict tends to be seen
as a religious one.
Turning the conflict into a religious one is the surest way for
the people to turn against each other as then wed have only two
conflicting sides.
6
Beginning of the Conflict
The Congo Conflict, also known as the World War of Africa
broke out in 1998 and officially ended in the month of July,
1998. It involved about 9 countries from Africa and 20 militia
groups from these 9 countries.
The war caused the death of 5 more than 5 million people in
those 5 years, few of which died from the conditions that are
presented by the aftermath of the war, especially through the
emergence of diseases and starvation, as it took time for the
government to become stabilized. More than 2 million other
people were displaced from their homes and some of them
became refugees in neighboring African countries.

4. 7
Key Issues and Debates
The Key contributors to the war had both political, economic
and military reasons.
On a political note the conflict was driven to achieve the power
required for access to resources that belonged to the nation such
as the minerals, revenues and other resources. These were all
aimed to raise profits for dew individuals who can only be
described as a greedy lot.
The conflict was made to take a religious and ethnic angle so
that the group can be divided in village and at large through out
the country.
8
Key Issues and Debate
On an economic note, the conflict was meant to benefit the
government, the rebel groups, and the interested parties that
were focused in the natural resource wealth that the country
prides itself in.
The country is known to have gold, copper, and other minerals
of value. It is known to have one of the worlds largest reserve
of minerals that are all strategically placed.
The conflict that was fueled by economic reasons was seen to
take place in the Eastern provinces of the country, as well as the
southern part of the Katanga province.

5. Key Issues and Debates
The country’s conflict was also fueled by military reasons were
fueled by the government’s failure to fully control the security
services for the country. The occurrence of the conflict could
have been prevented had the country had enough resources to
cover security in all areas.
The army that was in charge of the country was well known for
their opportunism and graft, such that the big fish in the army
had all been involved in theft, violation of human rights, mutiny
and extortion.
10
The Aftermath
There are still 3 centers where conflicts continue to loom, due t
the presence of militias that were defeated at the end of the
war. The conflicts in the neighboring country of Rwanda also
promotes the emergence of conflicts and they bring terror as
people are afraid of the annihilation of the conflict for a third
time.
Due to the wealthy nature of the country in terms of the natural
resources that are very strategically placed, competition to gain
access to these resources and the revenue generated from them
has threatened the nature of the relationship that people have in
the country.
11

6. The Aftermath
Donors continue to be called upon to invest in the country, as a
state of normalcy seems to be slowly getting back. The country
has since seen an upward trend in the level of stability of the
country.
The people who had been displaced from their homes have
slowly began to return to their motherland, although spite and
vengeance after member of the family were killed could still be
an issue for the few that got to witness the murder of their kin.
The government is however already working to curb this as they
are asking more people to return home while it provides
supplies for them to rebuild their homes. Cases of crime and
violence are however quite rampant.
12
Discussion Questions.
What Is the Main Cause of the Conflict in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo?
Is the Congo government bad? or do the rebels have a case?
What concepts have been successful in improving the quality of
life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
References
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Clements, M., & Stewart, T. (2006). Mortality in the
Democratic Republic of Congo: a nationwide survey. The
Lancet, 367(9504), 44-51.
Ofosu-Anim, C. K. (2016). The Effects of Conflict Related
Sexual Violence on Males: A Case of the Armed Conflict

7. between North and South Sudan (Doctoral dissertation,
University of Ghana).
Flint, A. Global Research.
Abbott, P. (2014). Modern African Wars (4): The Congo 1960?
2002. Bloomsbury Publishing.